Labour to highlight mortgage cost rise in byelection campaigning

Shadow chancellor to visit ‘blue wall’ constituencies and target Conservative seats coveted by Lib Dems

Labour is to kick off campaigning in a string of upcoming byelections by highlighting increased mortgage costs in so-called blue wall constituencies, in a tactical shift in which the party will openly target Conservative-held seats coveted by the Liberal Democrats.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, is to visit Kingswood, the constituency vacated by Chris Skidmore, the Conservative who quit as an MP last week in protest at the government’s planned new rounds of oil and gas licences.