By-election: Welcome to Batley and Spen
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 30 June 2021
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Tomorrow voters in Yorkshire’s Batley and Spen constituency head to the polls for the fourth time in five years. The previously safe Labour seat is under threat and this by-election is seen as a test of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. The Conservatives are hoping to win and could get a helping hand from former Labour MP George Galloway who is running for the Workers party and may split Labour's vote. Manveen Rana went to find out what was happening locally.
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Guests:
-Tony Earnshaw, Democracy reporter at Yorkshire Live.
-George Galloway, Workers Party for Britain candidate.
-Julian Heather Liberal Democrat activist.
-Nadeem Raja, general manager of the Indian Muslim Welfare Society.
-Gulam maniyar, former Labour councillor.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Clips: Sky News, BBC News, Joe.co.uk, ITV News, Conservative Party
The by-election candidates are (listed alphabetically by surname):
Paul Bickerdike - Christian Peoples Alliance
Mike Davies - Alliance For Green Socialism
Jayda Fransen - Independent
George Galloway - Workers Party
Tom Gordon - Liberal Democrats
Thérèse Hirst - English Democrats
Howling Laud Hope - The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Susan Laird - Heritage Party
Kim Leadbeater - Labour Party
Oliver Purser - Social Democratic Party
Corey Robinson - Yorkshire Party
Andrew Smith - Rejoin EU
Ryan Stephenson - Conservative Party
Jack Thomson - UK Independence Party
Jonathan Tilt - Freedom Alliance
Anne Marie Waters - The For Britain Movement
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Transcript
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| 1:03.7 | Bi-elections have never seemed so important. A colossal win in Hartleypool for the Conservatives |
| 1:10.2 | and Boris Johnson. It's a mandate for us to continue to deliver. Another blue brick in what |
| 1:16.4 | used to be Labour's Red Wall. A political storm has been brewing in the Conservative heartlands |
| 1:22.3 | and today it hit Inchesham and Amisham. History in the meeting, the Liberal Democrats |
| 1:30.4 | have secured a historic bi-election. Could this West Yorkshire constituency be the next brick |
| 1:37.2 | in the Red Wall to turn blue? Conservative. Definitely Conservative. We all have Conservative. |
| 1:46.3 | I believe the Conservatives are being marvellous to this pandemic. I will work it at the time. |
| 1:52.3 | They've looked after me. Sir Keir Starmer has already sacked and re-shuffled his team |
| 1:57.5 | in anticipation of losing this seat. For many of the people here, it's his leadership |
| 2:03.4 | that's in question. We need to send a clear message to Sir Keir Starmer, |
... |
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