. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. First and foremost, the people of Batley and Spen need a new MP to represent them down at Westminster. Thankfully the Eurosceptic GBP were not impressed by this emotional blackmail and voted accordingly. Kirklees is one of the areas where people have been encouraged to "minimise travel" due to the spread of the Indian variant. The Conservatives fought a relatively low-key campaign, with Mr Stephenson saying he was focused on talking to voters about "the issues that matter here". Asked if the result was affected by the resignation of Matt Hancock for breaching Covid rules during an affair with an aide, Starmer said: I think people are getting fed up with the politics of misinformation, half-truths, untruths and division.. Mon 28 Jun 2021 15.45 EDT Last modified on Tue 7 Mar 2023 04.11 EST "T his is the worst election I have ever seen in my life . I wish for us to cooperate in many areas, in energy, technology, culture. (modern). Read more from my colleagues Maya Wolfe-Robinson, Peter Walker and Heather Stewart: Ive got a bloody long list here, lads, said Kim Leadbeater as she bounded away from a voter in the early days of the Batley and Spen byelection campaign. Ms Leadbeater said the "vast majority" of her conversations with voters during the campaign were about local rather than national issues. Turnout was 47.6%, with 37,786 verified ballots cast out of a total electorate of 79,373. Why is there a by-election? 'They drive us on' - Darren Moore sends message to Sheffield Wednesday supporters, If the Owls are to join Plymouth and Ipswich in winning promotion to the Championship they will have to do it the hard way and negotiate the play-offs, Newcastle Knights forward open to Super League move as recruitment market picks up. Before the result in Batley and Spen, there had been news media speculation that Mr. Starmer would be vulnerable to a leadership challenge if Ms. Leadbeater lost, as many were expecting. Kim Leadbeater, most agree, is brave to stand in the seat of Batley and Spen - but that alone may not guarantee her victory. And the battle for votes has been further complicated by the arrival of former Bradford West MP George Galloway. Polling suggested the Conservatives could snatch the seat from Labour which could increase the pressure on Starmer after his party lost in Hartlepool and lost its deposit in Chesham and Amersham. Ultimately, it is George Galloways campaign which could decide the outcome of this election. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After defeating her Conservative rival by just 323 votes, she said constituents had "rejected division" and "voted for hope". Results announced early Friday gave the Labour candidate, Kim Leadbeater, a win of just 323 votes over her Conservative Party rival, Ryan Stephenson, after an acrimonious contest in Batley and Spen, one of Labours traditional heartland seats in northern England. She explains why shes ready to take on Coxs political legacy. It had been tipped for July 22nd but will actually be held on July 1st. Ms Brabin held Batley and Spen for Labour with a reduced majority in the general election of 2019 - down to 3,525 from 8,961 in 2017. The Batley and Spen By-Election Showed Britain's Political Class Holds Muslims In Contempt Our new issue on nationalism is out now. The seat was held by Labour with their candidate Kim Leadbeater being returned to Parliament. Labour picking a candidate who is the sister of the ex MP killed and has been a member of the party for a month is a blatant attempt to exploit that tragic event. ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports on the by-election in Batley and Spen. Read about our approach to external linking. [3][4] The by-election was the fourth of the 58th Parliament, elected in 2019.[5]. [35] Fransen had previously stood as a candidate for the seat of Rochester and Strood in Kent, the London Assembly in 2016, and the Scottish Parliament in 2021. company number 03997482, registered in England and Wales. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. His defenders have appealed for patience and have contended that the pandemic has made it hard for the opposition to impress voters whose attention is focused on government efforts to bring Covid-19 restrictions to an end. Expect to hear lots of references to the "red wall" and to what happened in the recent Hartlepool by-election. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The result will ease pressure on Labour leader Keir Starmer after recent election defeats for his party. Jo Cox did more in her short life than most. I've taken to ignoring posts that throw in the WOKE phrase. So we have to sort it out. Leadbeater, the sister of Jo Cox, who represented the seat from 2015 until her murder by a far-right extremist in 2016, took 13,296 votes, against 12,973 for the Tory candidate, Ryan Stephenson. Votes will then be counted overnight, and the result is expected in the early hours of Friday morning. Johnson suggested that the post-Brexit dispute over chilled meats heading to Northern Ireland from Great Britain would improve following a meeting with the German chancellor. "[73], Some Jewish groups welcomed Galloway's defeat in the polls. Vote for the best beer garden in Yorkshire, Many of us love grabbing a pint in a beer garden when the sun comes out, Daniel Jebbison relishing busy summer as Sheffield United youngster enjoys 'learning journey', The Blades forward played a key role in two goals in the 4-1 win over Preston North End, Will you swear your allegiance to King Charles III during the coronation? Votes cast in the by-election will be counted in nearby Huddersfield with a result expected on Friday morning, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Im sure, as Angela says, with goodwill and with patience we can sort it out. Who is new Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater? JavaScript is disabled. Here are some of the key developments from the day: Labour is coming home after the party narrowly held on to Batley and Spen in a sometimes brutal byelection, Keir Starmer has said, arguing that voters were starting to see through the governments politics of misinformation. And in the middle of this ugly cacophony stood a newcomer to politics whose sister was murdered in this constituency just five years ago. Mr Galloway, standing for the Workers Party of Britain party, had targeted Labour voters with the aim of toppling Sir Keir as Labour leader. Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Voters in the constituency went to the polls on July 1, 2021, to elect a new MP. Following talks with Johnson at Chequers, she said Germany wanted to underpin it with a new cooperation treaty. Tracy Brabins election as the West Yorkshire mayor means there will be a by-election in her Batley and Spen parliamentary seat, becausethe role of West Yorkshire mayor, which comprises mayor and police and crime commissioner, cannot be lawfully double-jobbedwith the functions of an MP. "It was a very bruising and pretty horrible campaign at times," he added. 2023 BBC. Labour's Kim Leadbeater has narrowly won the Batley and Spen by-election following a bitter campaign. The opposition are supposed to win bi-elections so Labour should walk it. Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trevelyan relative 'would consider' famine payment, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. Johnson says he is very confident that the EU will accept AZ jabs from Serum Institute in India under the vaccine passport scheme. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. "We squeaked it over the line and there are some serious concerns," he told the BBC News Channel. She said she believes that pragmatic solutions can be found on the issue of the Northern Ireland protocol so that both the integrity of the single market is maintained and acceptable solutions are created. The crucial point is that here in the UK we have now built up a very considerable wall of immunity by our vaccination programme. The New Statesmans global affairs newsletter, every Monday and Friday. [19], On 10 May, George Galloway tweeted that the party he leads, the Workers Party of Britain, would contest the election. A by-election was held in the UK parliamentary constituency of Batley and Spen on 1 July 2021, following the resignation of the previous Member of Parliament (MP) Tracy Brabin, who was elected Mayor of West Yorkshire on 10 May. Many had expected that the Conservatives would take the seat, which Labour has held since 1997, because of the spoiler campaign of George Galloway. Take our personality quiz to find out, Answer 10 lifestyle questions to see which Windsor you most closely resemble ahead of the King's Coronation, Britain's Got Talent fans spot show 'leak' as act 'gives away' semi-final spot after scraping through auditions, Dancing duo Romeo & Icy mentioned the semi-finals as if they had been confirmed for the line-up, Super League recruitment guide as Matthew Shaw provides club-by-club transfer picks. But the fact remains that winning a general election today requires 40% or more of the vote. Voters had a sizeable list of 16 candidates to choose from. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Sign up to receive information regarding NS events, subscription offers & product updates. Merkel concerned about the number of fans at Euros games. Batley and Spen byelection results in full 1 Jul 2021 Starmer welcomes 'fantastic' victory for Labour's 'positive campaign of hope' Speaking to activists and the media in the constituency,. Johnson says after listening to Merkel that progress is being made on quarantine-free travel but points to tough restrictions that UK has on people coming from Germany presently, which he says is quite right. The fact that hasn't happened means his supporters are in a pretty good mood this morning. On the subject of the thread, I expect Labour to win but with a very slim majority. Truly disgraceful. Labour narrowly held on to Batley and Spen as Kim Leadbeater took 13,296 votes, against 12,973 for the Tory candidate. We in Germany, as you know, have less people attend games in the Munich stadium but the British Government will obviously take its own decision. LABOUR managed to hold on to the Yorkshire seat of Batley and Spen with voters sending Kim Leadbeater to Parliament. [45] She said "I am the only person out of the 16 candidates that lives in Batley and Spen" and "I have a proven track record of getting things done at a local level and an established reputation for working for all parts of the community." The Liberal Democrats got 17.2% of the vote there in 2010, and in the 2015 general election 18% of Batley and Spen voters . Johnson has said sporting events are being opened up in a very careful and controlled manner after Merkel expressed concern about the numbers attending Euro 2020 matches at Wembley. [24] Leadbeater had only recently rejoined the Labour Party,[25] with the Batley and Spen CLP waiving the requirement of a year's membership prior to her selection. Surge testing at four schools after infection rise, Jo Cox's sister to contest murdered MP's seat, 'Enormous privilege' for first female metro mayor, Conservatives announce by-election candidate, Five teenage boys from Wakefield disappear as police issue appeal amid fears they boarded train to London, New pizza shop to celebrate opening by offering first 100 customers free pizza, Celebrating the King's Coronation in Dewsbury, Batley and Spen, 'Brave' member of public helps stop suspected meat theft from Bradford supermarket, Why former head of BBC Yorkshire has written his debut novel about euthanasia, Choir is on song after successful charity concert at Silsden, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. [26][51][52][53], On 23 June, four of the candidates participated in an online hustings organised by YorkshireLive: George Galloway, Kim Leadbeater, Corey Robinson (Yorkshire Party candidate), and Ryan Stephenson. Your new guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture each weekend from the New Statesman. In . The Conservatives have selected Ryan Stephenson, a Leeds councillor, as their candidate. Historically this community were strong supporters of the Labour Party, but there has been discontent at the waiving of Labour party rules to allow Leadbeater to be the only local candidate in the selection process, excluding local councillors from the community. Johnson was asked about the byelection result and how the campaign was run. Ms. Leadbeaters narrow path to victory was a complicated one. This is not a traditional "red wall" seat - it was Tory until 1992 2. Read about our approach to external linking. Turnout was 47.6%, with some 37,786 verified ballots cast out of a total electorate of 79,373, Kirklees Council said. However, one of the few things perhaps the only thing that the Labour campaign in Hartlepool can say it did right is squeeze the other parties of the centre and left down to their core votes. [73] He was also highly critical of a dog whistle claim, by an anonymous Labour source, that Muslims were angry about "what Keir has been doing on antisemitism". [13][14] However, Stephen Bush from the New Statesman argued that Labour were in a stronger position in Batley and Spen than in Hartlepool. An ethnically diverse seat, about 20% of the population is from an Asian background, with just under 19% being Muslim. But the victory narrow as it was will be especially welcome news for the party leaders, because the contest could have been avoided. Sir Kier said: "Kim ran a positive campaign of hope, in the face of division. She was competing not only against the Conservative candidate, Mr. Stephenson, but also against Mr. Galloway, a former lawmaker and veteran left-wing campaigner who sought to divert support from Labour. Speaking to activists and the media in the constituency, Starmer condemned the abuse Leadbeater had faced during the campaign, saying others had poisoned it with hatred, division, disinformation, lies, harassment, threats and intimidation. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. And in my view it is better off risking that the advantages of a long campaign outweigh the drawbacks: not least because going the week before feels like an invitation to the government to bring the reopening forward a bit (which the clinical data suggests it could do).