Batley and Spen by-election

As an aside, I can't understand why Tracy Brabin gave up this seat to be Metro Mayor of West Yorkshire.

Doesn't seem like a promotion to me - apart from transport they don't seem to have many powers or maybe I'm missing something?

Maybe she was dazzled by Andy Burnham's high profile during the past year.

If you live in Batley and Spen please vote for Kim Leadbetter the Labour Party candidate

inews.co.uk/opinion/kim-leadbeater-batley-and-spen-by-election-candidate-hardest-decision-1079261

I’m not sure why calling Batley a Brexitty area , when it had a high leave vote, is condescending, sounds accurate to me. Calling Amersham “ naice” far more condescending. Brexitty areas more concerned over immigration and as such the Tory / Ukip agenda will appeal. It’s not all potholes and takeaways.

Riverwalk

As an aside, I can't understand why Tracy Brabin gave up this seat to be Metro Mayor of West Yorkshire.

Doesn't seem like a promotion to me - apart from transport they don't seem to have many powers or maybe I'm missing something?

Maybe she was dazzled by Andy Burnham's high profile during the past year.

Maybe she thought she could choose what she wears safely without any complaints

As Kim Leadbeater said in today's paper 'There are 16 candidates in this election and only one with a vote because only one of us lives here.' If the Tories wins it will be because GG split the Labour vote not because of any virtue of theirs. And they will know that as well as everyone else, however much they may preen.

KL seems to me a strong local candidate, and she is not trading on her sister. The Tory candidate seems good too (unlike Chesham & Amersham). A true contest between them would be interesting.

Defeat may lead Labour to support a shift from first past the post.

We're just back from holiday in Yorkshire Dales. Roads were in vastly better condition than in Tory run Rushcliffe/ Notts, where I heard a patch up worker tell a householder that pot holes were NEVER assessed with regards to cyclists. This was evident the day of recent triathlon/ cycle stage passing through. The wide holes were filled, but not the narrow ones, which would cause serious damage to bike tyres, even though they had been marked for repair.

Kim Leadbetter should not even be on the ballot. Kier Starmer and his cronies ignored party rules and selected her, having “removed” other legitimate local candidates whilst allowing her to stand when she had not been a party member for the required time. This is a cynical attempt to encourage the sympathy vote. They have been calling in party members and MPs from far and wide to doorknock. I for one hope that it bites him on the arse!
I might add that, even if Andy Burnham was still an MP, he would be a poor choice.
If the Labour Party had not been sabotaged from within in 2017 ( I have read all 85 pages of the leaked report ) along with all the lies spread and character assassination on the Mainstream Media, we would have had a far better chance with this pandemic.

Keir. It’s Keir…..

It’s absolutely disgusting that the two main parties have not said a word in defence of the teacher and his wife and children who have had to go into hiding because of mobs of Muslims
acting like children to protest about the lesson the teacher was was trying to EDUCATE the children about. The police and government have also let the teacher down. Yobs who threaten to harm others regardless of what their so-called beliefs they say they believe in they should be put in prison for a minimum of 10 full years. If they were not born in the U.K. they should be deported the day they leave prison. Otherwise we will soon have mob rule instead of law and order.

Crikey

So where should they be deported to?

vegansrock

I’m not sure why calling Batley a Brexitty area , when it had a high leave vote, is condescending, sounds accurate to me. Calling Amersham “ naice” far more condescending. Brexitty areas more concerned over immigration and as such the Tory / Ukip agenda will appeal. It’s not all potholes and takeaways.

You obviously didn’t listen to the locals, they never mentioned takeaways, but they did potholes and other infrastructure that would be required for the economy to improve. Why should takeaways bother locals, sure they enjoy them now and again.

All the political parties are losers, not worth wasting your shoe leather going to vote.All untrustworthy and out for themselves!

You obviously didn’t listen to the locals, they never mentioned takeaways, but they did potholes and other infrastructure that would be required for the economy to improve. Why should takeaways bother locals, sure they enjoy them now and again.

It was MerylStreep who mentioned takeaways, see below:

Where as the working class people of Batley just want a decent town that’s not packed with cheap food take aways,

I actually echo your words, Lin, "why would takeaways bother locals?" But MerylS seemed to think they would. Maybe it was 'cheap' takeaways' that were the problem...

Elvis58

All the political parties are losers, not worth wasting your shoe leather going to vote.All untrustworthy and out for themselves!

So what do you suggest as an alternative?

MaizieD

^You obviously didn’t listen to the locals, they never mentioned takeaways, but they did potholes and other infrastructure that would be required for the economy to improve. Why should takeaways bother locals, sure they enjoy them now and again.^

It was MerylStreep who mentioned takeaways, see below:

Where as the working class people of Batley just want a decent town that’s not packed with cheap food take aways,

I actually echo your words, Lin, "why would takeaways bother locals?" But MerylS seemed to think they would. Maybe it was 'cheap' takeaways' that were the problem...

We have plenty of "expensive" takeaways and charity shops in this true blue constituency, so what does that make us? I'm baffled.

By the way, potholes are the responsibility of county councils, not MPs.

Some of you fail to recall that it was a Labour Govt that encouraged immigration and naturally you cannot blame the Muslims from bringing their Islamic beliefs here. Younger Muslims are probably much more progressive and open minded than their parents. Labour might have dug their own grave in this Constituency by making Jo Cox’s sister their candidate. She is a Lesbian and Muslims disapprove and i understand that of the local members who wanted to represent Labour one was a Muslim but they were passed over for the choice of candidate. I read that Ms Leadbetter was only a very recent new mrmber of the party. I read that the Muslim population will play a pivotal
role in the vote. It is most upsetting that no candidate has openly supported that poor teacher who fears for his life. None of them has the backbone to stand up for him. That includes the Consevatives. Whatever your party preferences all of us should be against hounding this teacher just as Ms Leadbetter’s sexuality is none of anyone’s business. But maybe we will find that the policy of multiculturalism has divided us rather than brought us altogether. Varian et al will be along to criticise my remarks along with other Labour Loyalists. Quite frankly the current bunch if politicians regardless of party are pygmies compared to those who went before them and i do not see those we elect getting any better in the near future. At least i can see that!

I suspect many others can also see that many current politicians don't compare favourably with former ones. I'm not sure that anybody has mentioned who "encouraged" immigration.

growstuff ( love the name)you are right. I have always been deeply interested in politics and when i worked “multiculturism” was the word of the day in left wing boroughs. My family were immigrants in Australia in 1949 and it was compulsory to stay in camps where Australian history and way of life took the agenda. It was strongly believed that immigrants should blend in and gradually become Australians! Multiculturalism seemed to encourage people to live within their own groups and who could blame them? People are more comfortable surrounded by others within their own language and cultural groups. We decided to put tenancies in the wife!s name to protect their rights. Husbands did not like it but we were not changing the procedure. Children came along to translate the English we spoke to the parents. Sorry for veering off Batley and Spen but i think that Traditional Muslims dislike Lesbian and Trans sexuality and have not forgotten their opposition to teaching of sexual differences in the area. Unless Islam modernises or becomes more liberal with time, they are an influential group in voting purely by numbers and older Muslims are not very liberal thinkers. We have religious freedom in UK and we can believe what we want. Long may that last!

Varian et al will be along to criticise my remarks along with other Labour Loyalists.

This could be the best thing I've read all day.

Alegrias1 At least i made you smile! Most of my friends are much younger than me and all vote Labour! You can imagine our lively chat! I actually find some of my Tory party people rather boring and enjoy repartee among my Lsbour friends! Lets wait and see todays result! Then we can rehash!

Its just that I don't think varian is a Labour Loyalist Annie1

Still, not for me to say, maybe she'll come along and post later.

I dont think you would be breaking confidentiality Alegrias

Would it be very cynical to note that Kim Leadbetter's personal trainer work probably dried up during the epidemic? And that she showed no interest in becoming an MP before that. She wasn't even an LP member until very recently