logo
episode-header-image
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.


This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe before June 29th and save 50% on your first 6 months at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.


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


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Are we close to a Gaza ceasefire?
With people around the world calling for a lasting peace in Gaza, Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu has been schmoozing US President Donald Trump. What chance is there that the two will bring an end to the bloody conflict? And what hope that any peace will hold?This podcast was broug ... Show More
30m 15s
Jul 8
Texas floods: could the deaths have been prevented?
Over 100 people, including dozens of children, are dead after flash flooding in Texas. Could this have been avoided given a nearly identical tragedy took place in 1987? Did Trump’s cuts contribute? And what went wrong with the flood warning system?This podcast was brought to you ... Show More
25m 15s
Jul 7
The mushroom killer: what the jury heard
Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three relatives by lacing their beef wellington with death cap mushrooms. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder a fourth person. The prosecution said she did it on purpose; she says it was an accident. It took a jury i ... Show More
30m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2019
It's Boris vs Hunt and Labour gently shifts towards Remain
Four candidates were knocked out of the Conservative party leadership race this week: Michael Gove, Sajid Javid, Rory Stewart and Dominic Raab. Does the foreign secretary have any hope of beating the frontrunner? Plus we discuss whether Jeremy Corbyn is finally moving Labour towa ... Show More
37m 53s
Oct 2023
Labour’s historic by-election wins
The UK's Labour party has pulled off two stunning by-election victories. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green, Jim Pickard and Stephen Bush to discuss whether Keir Starmer’s party is now on track for a 1997-style landslide, and what the Tories’ dismal result ... Show More
32m 12s
Jun 2024
Reform's election promises examined | Royal return
Reform have launched their manifesto which they're calling "Our Contract With You" in South Wales.  The "contract" is promising big spending, dwarfing what Labour and the Conservatives have committed to.  The party says it will pay for the plans by measures including scrapping ne ... Show More
20m 34s
Dec 2019
Another Queen’s Speech, another Brexit vote - plus Labour leadership latest
Parliament returned this week and Boris Johnson delivered on his election pledge of voting on Brexit legislation before Christmas. We discuss what lies ahead for the government’s programme, the new Bank of England governor and the mini cabinet non-reshuffle. Plus, we examine the ... Show More
35m 38s
Mar 2024
Labour’s worst nightmare?
Veteran agitator George Galloway is returning to parliament after storming a divisive by-election in Rochdale. He claims his victory puts “scores” of other Labour seats at risk. Lucy Fisher is joined by FT colleagues George Parker, Robert Shrimsley and Jim Pickard to analyse the ... Show More
29m 18s
Apr 2024
Local elections: What’s at stake - for voters and parties?
The 2 May local elections will have more than 2,600 seats are at stake across 107 English councils. Labour’s Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham are among the 10 city mayors up for re-election.   Those in Blackpool South will also be voting for their next MP after ex-Tory Scott Benton br ... Show More
17m 34s
May 2023
Hung up on a hung parliament – Politics Weekly UK
Keir Starmer and Ed Davey have both refused to rule out forming a coalition between their parties at the next general election. Following disastrous results for the Conservatives in the local elections, what will this mean for Labour and the Liberal Democrats? The Guardian’s Gaby ... Show More
28m 48s
Jun 2024
Is bigger always better? Why smaller parties are having a good election
While the Conservatives and Labour battle it out for No10, recent polling reflects a changing mood from the electorate towards the smaller parties.      The latest YouGov poll suggests Reform UK have climbed within one point of the Conservatives, the Lib Dems are up four points, ... Show More
19m 38s
May 2023
Local elections: How bad was it for the Conservatives?
For Prime Minister Rishi Sunak the results were ‘disappointing’, Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer claimed his party was heading for power and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey wore a ‘Cheshire cat’ grin. What do this week’s local elections in England show about the likely direction of the nex ... Show More
24m 6s
Nov 2019
Election week three: trouble for Labour, the big poll and tales from the stump
The UK's general election continued as the opposition Labour party struggled with anti-Semitism and its economic platform. A major new poll suggested the Conservatives are on course for a comfortable majority, but will the polls themselves stop that from happening? Plus, we discu ... Show More
32m 55s