Batley and Spen: Fraught by-election concludes in dramatic fashionon July 2, 2021 at 6:29 am

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

How drama built as Labour retained its Batley and Spen seat by a narrow margin.

Kim Leadbeater

The Batley and Spen campaign trail may be remembered for some ugly flare-ups and instances of intimidation on the streets, but the finale at the count provided a dramatic conclusion with Labour retaining its seat by a narrow margin.

In her acceptance speech on stage in Huddersfield, Kim Leadbeater said she was “absolutely delighted that the people of Batley and Spen have rejected division and they’ve voted for hope”.

Candidates said it was the first time they had seen police officers at an election count.

Drama built throughout the night at Cathedral House, as rumours spread throughout the press balcony about how narrow the contest had become.

At about 05:00 BST, counters began to check the bundles of ballot papers twice – extending the anticipation.

As George Galloway, who finished third and represented the Workers Party of Britain, addressed a small crowd outside the building, Ms Leadbeater was whisked away in a black car.

She now represents the seat previously held by her sister Jo Cox, who was murdered in the constituency in 2016.

George Galloway

Labour Bradford West MP Naz Shah, who has been among those supporting Ms Leadbeater on the campaign trail in recent weeks, said the by-election had been “exhausting on all levels”.

“Emotionally it really has been because of the history and the legacy,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“This is no normal election and to have to protect Kim knowing that here is a woman standing for election that lost her own sibling on these streets… it has not been easy for people and it makes it much more than just winning an election for us.”

Screens at the venue

The one-way signs at the count’s venue – a 1,500-capacity church and home of the Huddersfield Christian Fellowship – still showed directions for those heading for their Covid jab, which it had been used for before Thursday night.

Split into two giant pens, with candidates nervously patrolling a central reservation area, the counters patiently piled up the unusually long ballot papers, with 16 options available to those living in the West Yorkshire constituency.

Howling Laud Hope

With a field of runners to rival the Grand National, it was the Labour candidate who won by a nose, or 323 votes, despite strong competition by Conservative Ryan Stephenson.

Mr Galloway said he would take legal action to get the result set aside, claiming his election effort had been damaged by a “false statement” that he had laughed while Ms Leadbeater was abused on the campaign trail.

Police outside

Speaking about his concerns during the campaign, Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat candidate, said: “I don’t think it felt particularly safe, the fact that we’ve got police at an election count is a new experience.

“I was doing an interview in a park in Batley and a man wearing a balaclava was filming us, which in itself is a little worrying and odd.”

He said on Thursday night it was the first time he had seen police officers attend a count.

Corey Robinson, of the Yorkshire Party, said: “We saw people coming into the constituency both Kim and I grew up in and causing that division.

“It’s not right and it’s not what Batley and Spen needs.”

Turnout was 47.6%, with some 37,786 verified ballots cast out of a total electorate of 79,373, Kirklees Council said.

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

PSV Eindhoven 2-0 Arsenal: Gunners miss chance to seal place in last 16on October 27, 2022 at 9:29 pm

Premier League leaders Arsenal have to "reset" after losing to PSV Eindhoven and missing the chance to seal top spot in Europa League Group...

Brentford sign ex-Tottenham midfielder Eriksenon January 31, 2022 at 8:41 am

Brentford sign former Tottenham and Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen on a six-month deal.

Oil prices have soared. Why won’t Opec bring them down?on May 3, 2022 at 11:30 pm

Oil prices are at an eight-year high, so why won't oil exporting countries bring them down?

Would you switch your dog to eating lab-grown meat?on December 12, 2022 at 12:27 am

As environmental and ethical concerns grow over pet food, some say cultivated meat is the solution.As environmental and ethical concerns grow over pet food,...

Premier League returns: What are main issues to look out for this weekend?on April 1, 2022 at 10:59 am

The final international break of 2021-22 is over, leaving us to focus on the business end of a gripping domestic season, starting this weekend.