Minister: By-elections are 'outlier moments' Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle is now joining Sky News as the results of the local elections begin to trickle in. Labour is also defending a parliamentary seat in Runcorn and Helsby, which Reform UK appears optimistic of snatching tonight. Asked about this, Kyle insists that by-elections are "outlier moments". He says: "They are moments where you can change the norms of politics and you can do one singular very big thing. "They are always challenges, they are always opportunities. We've thrown our heart into this one, we've always known that it was a challenge, certainly because of the circumstances of the by-election in the first place. "Plus the big, broad context where we have a country that voted for change last year which is hungry for change. "No one is more hungry for change than the prime minister and this government." Pressed that Sir Keir Starmer has not been to Runcorn and Helsby, Kyle points out that the prime minister is working on the likes of trade deals with the US and India. Tories facing 'existential moment in time' "He's been dealing with crises here and at home. He's been trying to get on with the business of getting our economy running, getting our public services fixed." Kyle also notes that Labour only hold one of the 23 local authorities that are up for grabs tonight. "This will not change those fundamentals of the general election last year," he says. "But for the Tory party, it is an existential moment in time because they are the ones that should be capitalising tonight. "They are the ones that are likely to suffer the most and that is fundamental question for our politics going forward."