British Prime Minister Sunak avoids wipeout in key elections

People walk outside a polling station during the by-election to choose the successor to Boris Johnson's seat in Britain's parliament in Uxbridge, Britain, July 20, 2023. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's governing Conservatives lost two strategically important parliamentary seats on Friday but unexpectedly retained Boris Johnson's old constituency in a setback for the opposition Labour Party.

The Conservatives' narrow victory in Johnson's seat gave Sunak some breathing space to try to narrow Labour's large lead in the polls by aiming to reduce high inflation and ease a cost-of-living crisis before a national election expected next year.