Batley and Spen by-election: Polls open as 16 candidates vie for seat 1 July 2021 Batley and Spen by-election IAN S/GEOGRAPH Votes cast in the by-election will be counted in nearby. Surely, this will boost the governments standing yet further, but it also means Labour faces a choice: the partycould, if itwished, hold the by-election on the last Thursdaybeforethe easing of restrictions, the earliest date itcould legally hold the contest. How innovation and green tech will transform Africa, How to make your business indispensable in the green economy, How smart meters can boost Britains energy resilience, Diary: My time as the New Statesman's political editor is over, and Im shaking up a seven-year routine, The slow, saddeath of the print newspaper Audio Long Reads, Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance, HR, Training and Organisational Development, Information and Communications Technology, Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives, Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities, Science and Technical Research and Development. [11], On 6 May 2021, Brabin won the inaugural election for the Mayor of West Yorkshire. Starmer says byelection win shows 'Labour at its best' and is 'just the start', Tory party co-chair suggests Matt Hancock's conduct helped Labour hold Batley and Spen, Galloway says he will take court action to challenge byelection result, Batley and Spen byelection results in full, Starmer welcomes fantastic victory for Labours positive campaign of hope, Starmer hails Labour revival after Kim Leadbeater wins Batley and Spen, Kim Leadbeater: political novice who will not toe the line in Westminster, Britons with Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine face extra EU travel hurdle, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Read about our approach to external linking. View our online Press Pack. Hes already pledged to fight on whatever the result. No. However, there was an expectation Labour would lose and there were a number of factors working against them. It would be a painful result for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - but not necessarily unexpected. Polling stations are open for people to cast their votes between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, July 1. . If Labour can do the same again, and I see no reason why it should not, it ought to be able to hold Batley and Spen fairly comfortably. We think that in a foreseeable future those who have received double jabs will then according to our classification be able to travel again without going into quarantine. ", "West Yorkshire Mayoral election results", "Labour's Tracy Brabin elected first mayor of West Yorkshire", "By-elections since the 2019 General Election", "Coming soon: the next red wall by-election", "2001 Census Profile: Former (Pre 1974) Batley Municipal Borough", "Which Kirklees constituency voted against Brexit? 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. 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 will then be counted overnight, and the result is expected in the early hours of Friday morning. Leadbeater picked up 13,296 votes a majority of just 323 votes. In the UK almost 85% have had a first dose and more than 63% have had two jabs. Is climate change killing Australian wine? While much of his message was aimed at Galloway, Starmer condemned the Conservatives for believing they could sit back, say nothing about harassment, and walk in. "We squeaked it over the line and there are some serious concerns," he told the BBC News Channel. [21], On 12 May, The Guardian reported that Jo Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater, and former Labour MP Paula Sherriff were among Labour's potential candidates. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Critics complained the leaflets were designed to appeal to Muslim voters and to exploit divisions between voters originating from India and Pakistan over the Kashmir conflict. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The by-election was triggered in May when the areas former Labour lawmaker, Tracy Brabin, was elected to another job as West Yorkshire mayor, requiring her to step down from Parliament. Leadbeater picked up 13,296 votes, a majority of 323 votes. [32] He was withdrawn as a candidate following the discovery of offensive tweets sent when he was 19 years old. The Conservative candidate Ryan Stephenson came second with 12,973 and George Galloway, standing for the Workers Party, third with 8,264. I've taken to ignoring posts that throw in the WOKE phrase. Speaking outside the count, Mr Galloway said he would apply to have the result set aside by the courts, citing a "false statement" made about him during the campaign. Mr Galloway, standing for the Workers Party of Britain party, had targeted Labour voters with the aim of toppling Sir Keir as Labour leader. Gordon stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford at the 2019 general election. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trevelyan relative 'would consider' famine payment. an increasingly tense byelection campaign in Batley and Spen . Since he took the job of leader last year, Mr. Starmer, a former top prosecutor, has tried to unite the party after it was routed in 2019 parliamentary elections under the stewardship of Jeremy Corbyn, its left-wing leader at the time. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. [20] On 27 May, he announced that he would be the Workers Party candidate. Read about our approach to external linking. There was a whopping list of 16 candidates all hoping to get elected to Westminster. By-election spotlights what's at stake for parties, 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, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. 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.. [19], On 10 May, George Galloway tweeted that the party he leads, the Workers Party of Britain, would contest the election. Many had expected that the Conservatives would take the seat, which Labour has held since 1997, because of the spoiler campaign of George Galloway. Labour fought hard to retain Batley and Spen, which was represented in Parliament by Ms. Leadbeaters sister, Jo Cox, until she was murdered by a far-right fanatic in 2016. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Labour fought hard to retain Batley and Spen, which was represented in Parliament by Ms. Leadbeater's sister, Jo Cox, until she was murdered by a far-right fanatic in 2016. We fought an incredibly positive campaign and did very well to reduce a long standing Labour majority, several decades old, to 323, with the third biggest swing in favour of the government since the war. 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. [42][43] On 28 June, Johnson visited the constituency again in a Birstall factory visit. The Batley and Spen by election has seen a mammoth 16 candidates battling for votes. But we know that Batley and Spen is a different place to Hartlepool, with different local concerns. In elections that were very good for the Greens and not too bad for the Liberal Democrats across the rest of the UK, Labour confined the Greens (who did not stand in Hartlepool last time) to just 1.2 per cent of the vote and squeezed the Liberal Democrats to below even that. He mostly targeted the voters in the Spen Valley rural towns, away from Batley, who until 1997 held a majority in the constituency for the Conservatives. Campaigning in the constituency will be made more difficult due to coronavirus as it is within the Kirklees district of West Yorkshire. 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,. Labour narrowly held on to Batley and Spen as Kim Leadbeater took 13,296 votes, against 12,973 for the Tory candidate. There is potential for the pincer movement threat in Batley and Spen. The Jewish Labour Movement called the result a "triumph for hope and decency" over Galloway's "toxic politics". Read about our approach to external linking. Im sure, as Angela says, with goodwill and with patience we can sort it out. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Added to that, of course, is that important date in everyone in Englands calendar: 21 June, when normal life and an end to coronavirus restrictions will come into being. ", "George Galloway's strong result at the Batley and Spen by-election proves he can never be written off", "George Galloway enters Batley and Spen by-election race, vowing to oust Keir Starmer as Labour leader", "Labour's byelection victory was a strike against the politics of division", "Keir Starmer's 'leadership' won by-election in Batley and Spen, insists Labour ally", "Batley and Spen Is Not a Victory for Keir Starmer", "Labour's victory in Batley and Spen shows the party is learning how to fight back", "Labour may have won Batley and Spen, but it's losing the Muslim vote", "Galloway defeat in Batley and Spen hailed as 'triumph' over 'toxic politics', "The last thing Batley and Spen needed was Galloway", "Batley and Spen: George Galloway says he will take legal action to challenge by-election defeat", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Batley_and_Spen_by-election&oldid=1128499105, By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in West Yorkshire constituencies, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 20 December 2022, at 12:50. 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. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Andrew Scattergood, co-chair of the Momentum campaign set up to campaign for former leader Jeremy Corbyn, said Labour could not "portray this as a massive victory". The candidate herself recently stated " I have never really seen myself as a political animal". 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. Batley and Spen by-election results: Who won? 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Nobody tried to gain sympathy. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Although Labour held off the challenge from Mr. Galloway, its share of the vote in Batley and Spen was lower than in the 2019 general election. Polling booths opened at 07:00 BST and will remain open for people to cast their ballot until 22:00 BST. Turnout was 47.6%, with some 37,786 verified ballots cast out of a total electorate of 79,373, Kirklees Council said. [12], Brabin expressed concern the constituency could switch to the Tories in the by-election, given Labour's heavy defeat in the 2021 Hartlepool by-election, where Labour unsuccessfully defended a similar majority. Officially, it's been a short and swift. Keir Starmers response to the local election results was to launch a reshuffle that has weakened rather than strengthened him. 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. Mr. Starmer was accused of mismanaging the situation and putting the seat at risk by allowing her to run for the mayoral position. He's been campaigning in traditional Labour territory and is said to be winning support from some Muslim voters because of his pro-Palestine stance. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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. He said there had been a big change in the relationship between the numbers of cases and the numbers of serious illnesses and deaths since the start of the vaccination programme. But the fact remains that winning a general election today requires 40% or more of the vote. Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. I wish for us to cooperate in many areas, in energy, technology, culture. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Labour's Tracy Brabin, the previous MP for the area, had a majority of 3,500 votes. Maybe ask the mods to change it to a thread about all Westminster by elections as there are a couple coming up and another possible fairly soon. It means she will now represent the seat previously held by her sister Jo Cox, who was murdered there in 2016. An ethnically diverse seat, about 20% of the population is from an Asian background, with just under 19% being Muslim. [75], Galloway himself vowed to challenge the result on the basis of an alleged "false statement" made about him by Leadbeater and Starmer, which he claimed tipped the result of the by-election.[76]. On this occasion, parking was the issue that Leadbeater had added to her little notebook of voters complaints. Trying to weaponize her death as being a woke plot to gain sympathy for the referendum in 2016 is hitting the bottom of the barrel of whataboutery. 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. Unfortunately the dregs of politics, who by and large shared the same views as the terrorist who murdered her, decided to use her death for some free publicity and stand in it. "Given these recent actions," Ali continued, "it is no surprise that many Muslims feel alienated by the Labour Party. 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. Following talks with Johnson at Chequers, she said Germany wanted to underpin it with a new cooperation treaty. ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports on the by-election in Batley and Spen. First and foremost, the people of Batley and Spen need a new MP to represent them down at Westminster. Votes will be counted in nearby Huddersfield and a result is expected on Friday morning. The party leadership imposed a poor candidate who looks to have done worse relative to his opponent than either the Hartlepool Labour Party on the council, than Jessie Joe Jacobs against Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley mayoral election, or the Labour candidate in the police and crime commissioner race. Labour is coming home, the party leader told cheering activists in the West Yorkshire constituency, standing next to Kim Leadbeater, who won the seat over the Conservatives by just 323 votes. I remember well the by election when Jo Cox was murdered and all the main parties, even UKIP, pulled out of standing, out of respect. It had been reported he may have faced a challenge from his deputy Angela Rayner if the party lost another northern English constituency to the Tories. This story will be updated as soon as the results are declared - check our widget below to find out who has won: Something went wrong, please try again later. Leadbeater could not have foreseen, however, that the contest would soon turn from parking and potholes to Palestine, or that uniformed police would be required for protection in her home town. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 07.02.2021 United Kingdom Party Politics Religion The Batley and Spen By-Election Showed Britain's Political Class Holds Muslims In Contempt By Daniel Finn While these parties had managed to survive until this set of elections, they have all struggled, and there is no sign that Batley and Spen will be all that different.
