Labour planning double by-election on 23 February

Labour is currently planning to hold two challenging by-elections on the same day in late February, Sky News has been told. The current thinking of the party leadership is to hold the contests in Stoke-on-Trent Central and Copelands within weeks, on 23 February, rather than hold off until May as some have suggested. The party believes its best hope of seeing off the Conservatives and UKIP is to "get them over with", said a source familiar with the discussions.