Sister of murdered MP holds Batley and Spen for Labour in shock by-election

Kim Leadbeater's speech after Labour win Batley and Spen by-election

Sir Keir Starmer has staved off a political crisis after the Labour Party narrowly clung onto Batley and Spen in a crucial by-election.

Kim Leadbeater, who is the sister of murdered MP Jo Cox, has pulled off a surprise victory after one of the most bitterly fought parliamentary battles in recent years.

The campaign was marred by claims of dirty tricks, intimidation including assaults, fake leaflets, dog-whistle racism and homophobia, prompting calls for police and election officials to intervene.

Ms Leadbeater said she was ‘absolutely delighted that the people of Batley and Spen have rejected division and they’ve voted for hope’. 

She thanked her family, saying ‘without them I could not have got through the last five years, never mind the last five weeks.’

Leadbeater won the West Yorkshire seat with a majority of just 323 – down from the 3,525 vote cushion the party had in 2019.

She secured the seat with 13,296 votes, with Tory Ryan Stephenson on 12,973 and George Galloway – who had targeted Labour voters and campaigned to topple Sir Keir – in third with 8.264.

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND - JULY 02: Kim Leadbeater of the Labour Party reacts towards a supporter of the Monster Raving Loony Party after winning the Batley and Spen by-election at Cathedral House on July 2, 2021 in Huddersfield, England. Due to the incumbent Labour MP, Tracey Brabin, being appointed Mayor of West Yorkshire voters of the Batley and Spen constituency are voting for a new member of parliament. Brabin's predecessor Jo Cox, also Labour, was murdered in the street by a right-wing extremist during the Brexit campaign in 2016 and her sister, Kim Leadbeater is standing for Labour this time. Among the other candidates are Ryan Stephenson - Conservatives, George Galloway -Workers Party of Britain and Tom Gordon - Liberal Democrats. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Kim Leadbeater narrowly won the election by 323 votes (Picture: PA)
Kim leadbetter
Leadbetter praised constituents for choosing ‘hope over division’ (Picture: PA)

The result means Ms Leadbeater now represents the seat previously held by her sister Jo Cox, who was murdered in the constituency in 2016.

It came as a surprise after opinion polls put the Tories in the lead and Labour insiders had feared the worst.

The victory will ease the pressure on Sir Keir, who had faced questions about his leadership after the loss of Hartlepool in a by-election in May, and will boost morale within Labour

He hailed the ‘fantastic result’ for the ‘brilliant and brave’ Ms Leadbeater, who had to seek protection from West Yorkshire Police during the campaign.

The Batley and Spen contest saw clashes between George Galloway’s Workers Party and Labour supporters.

The most controversial arguments centred on the parties’ stance on international issues, including Kashmir and Palestine, as they battled to secure votes in the area’s Asian communities.

Labour activists said they were pelted with eggs and kicked in the head on the campaign trail at the weekend and West Yorkshire Police said an 18-year-old man from Batley was arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with an attack on canvassers.

Ms Leadbeater was also confronted by a man who challenged her over the situation in Kashmir and her stance on LGBT education in schools amid what he said were concerns from Muslim parents.

Workers Party candidate George Galloway
Workers Party candidate George Galloway said he would take legal action to get the result set aside (Picture: PA)

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.

‘The whole election campaign was dominated by lazy and false tropes about our campaign, about the thousands of people that voted for us, about their motives for doing so, in a way which defamed them as much as it defamed me,’ he said.

‘So on multiple grounds we will apply to the courts for this election result to be set aside.’

The result will offer some breathing space to Sir Keir amid speculation about a possible leadership challenge in Westminster.

Ahead of the contest his allies said he would not quit if Labour had lost, but reports had suggested supporters of deputy leader Angela Rayner were plotting a move against him.

Ms Rayner described the suggestion as ‘news to me’ while her spokesman said anyone gauging support is ‘not doing it under instructions from Angela or with Angela’s backing’ and she is ‘focused entirely on her jobs’.

Following the result, Ms Rayner offered her congratulations to Ms Leadbeater ‘and the whole Labour team’.

A senior Labour source said: ‘Everyone’s been calling this a referendum on Keir’s leadership.

‘Well we’ve won – bucked the trend, held onto this marginal seat and advanced in Tory areas. A fantastic result.’

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