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Jun 2021
36m 19s

By-election: Welcome to Batley and Spen

THE TIMES
About this episode

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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