Lets get more on the By Election in Batley And Spen. A result is expected soon. The Labour Party is hoping It can retain the seat in the north of england but the race wIth the Conservative Party is tight. The contest has wider implications for polItics Itain'>In BrItain wIth many seeing It as a test of the leadership of the Labour Party. Under Its leader, Sir Keir Starmer. We can speak to mo hussein, a former Press Officer who worked at Downing Street under david cameron. What are you hearing from your colleagues on the ground there, mo . ~ ~ � , mo . Well, i think theres quIte a Confidence Mo . Well, i think theres quIte a Confidence And Mo . Well, i think theres quIte a confidence and It mo . Well, i think theres quIte a confidence and It does mo . Well, i think theres quIte a confidence and It does look. A confidence and It does look tight, and lets remember this has been a Labour Seat for 2h years now, so If there were to be a conservative victory, then i think It would be seen as a welcome bonus but i dont think anything has been taken for granted. And It seems that the messaging that the conservatives will have been using on the doorstep around jobs, investments, policing has been working, and this is the pattern youre seeing now across the country. In 2019 we Saw A massive shIft from labour to conservative in the so called Red Wall and lots of other parts of the country as Well. This idea that these places have been forgotten about or wanted a dIfferent kind of leadership. So Batley And Spen could Well follow that trend but lets see, lets see what the results say. I trend but lets see, lets see what the results say. Trend but lets see, lets see what the results say. I want to brin in what the results say. I want to bring in siana what the results say. I want to bring in Siana Rogers what the results say. I want to bring in Siana Rogers who what the results say. I want to bring in Siana Rogers who is i bring in Siana Rogers who is edItor of labour list, an online publication offering the inside track on the Labour Party. Ive seen It wrItten that If labour wins, Kim Leadbeater, the Candidate, will get the credIt and If they loses, Sir Keir Starmer will get the blame. Do you think It is a fair assessment . 1 get the blame. Do you think It is a fair assessment . Is a fair assessment . I think that is about is a fair assessment . I think that is about right, is a fair assessment . I think that is about right, yes. Is a fair assessment . I think that is about right, yes. Its| that is about right, yes. Its understandable in many ways because understandable in many ways because losing another seat in a By Election to the Governing Party a By Election to the Governing Party would set a record but only party would set a Record But Onlyjeremy party would set a record but only Jeremy Corbyn Party would set a Record But Onlyjeremy corbyn did not do that, Onlyjeremy Corbyn did not do that, leaders for, you know, many, that, leaders for, you know, many, many decades have not done many, many decades have not done that, many, many decades have not done that, so It would be devastating for the Labour Party devastating for the Labour Party and of course Keir Starmer party and of course Keir Starmer would have to find that and Take Starmer would have to find that and take responsibilIty for It. Where and take responsibilIty for It. Where It and take responsibilIty for It. Where It looks like If labour does where It looks like If labour does manage to scrape a win, It looks does manage to scrape a win, It looks like does manage to scrape a win, It looks like If does manage to scrape a win, It looks like If that does happen It would looks like If that does happen It would be by may be hundreds of votes. It would be by may be hundreds of votes, up 1000 votes. And then of votes, up 1000 votes. And then really, It seems as though a lot then really, It seems as though a lot of then really, It seems as though a lot of that will be down to the Fact a lot of that will be down to the Fact she has a personal vole the Fact she has a personal vote in the Fact she has a personal vote in the constItuency, the Only Vote in the constItuency, the only Local Vote in the constItuency, the only local Candidate standing. There only local Candidate standing. There were lots and lots that make there were lots and lots that make Its there were lots and lots that make Its a long Ballot Paper wIth make Its a long Ballot Paper wIth lots make Its a long Ballot Paper wIth lots of Candidates standing and she is the only one standing and she is the only one wIth standing and she is the only one wIth really strong local roots one wIth really strong local roots in one wIth really strong local roots in the seat and going around roots in the seat and going around the tory area, the constItuency, It was clear that people constItuency, It was clear that people were saying im voting for kim, people were saying im voting for kim, not im voting for labour for kim, not im voting for labour. And on her leaflets as Well, labour. And on her leaflets as Well, On Labour. And on her leaflets as Well, on some of them that were distributed in those sorts of areas. Distributed in those sorts of areas, there was not one nrention areas, there was not one mention of the Labour Party on the leaflets, It was all about kim, the leaflets, It was all about kim, the the leaflets, It was all about kim, the Candidate. The leaflets, It was all about kim, the Candidate. One of the fairly high kim, the Candidate. One of the fairly high profile, kim, the Candidate. One of the fairly high profile, i kim, the Candidate. One of the fairly high profile, Ithink kim, the Candidate. One of the fairly high profile, i think It fairly high profile, i think It is fair to say, Candidates in the By Election is George Galloway. He has of course had a victory in the past in that region. Having taken bradford in 2012. Midwest, sorry, in 2012. What effect do you think his standing will have on the vote in terms of splItting any potential vote, mo . Vote in terms of splItting any potentialvote, mo . Potentialvote, mo . George galloway potentialvote, mo . George galloway has. Potentialvote, mo . George galloway has. Sorry, potentialvote, mo . George galloway has. Sorry, was| potentialvote, mo . George galloway has. Sorry, was that to me . Galloway has. Sorry, was that to me . ,. ,. ,. ,. , to me . You go ahead and mo, we will come to me . You go ahead and mo, we will come to to me . You go ahead and mo, we will come to you. To me . You go ahead and mo, we will come to you. He to me . You go ahead and mo, we will come to you. He has to me . You go ahead and mo, we will come to you. He has stood i will come to you. He has stood in this constItuency, will come to you. He has stood in this constItuency, in will come to you. He has stood in this constItuency, in this in this constItuency, in this By Election, wIth the explicIt aim of By Election, wIth the explicIt aim of forcing a Labour Defeat and putting pressure on Keir Starmer and putting pressure on Keir Starmer to resign. That has been starmer to resign. That has been His Starmer to resign. That has been his objective in this By Election. He has used quIte divisive By Election. He has used quIte divisive tactics in order to do that divisive tactics in order to do that and divisive tactics in order to do that and he has explicItly tried that and he has explicItly tried to that and he has explicItly tried to peel away labour votes. Tried to peel away labour votes, particularly in the south votes, particularly in the South Asian communIties in the seat, South Asian communIties in the seat. But South Asian communIties in the seat, but in order to do that, he has seat, but in order to do that, he has arguably, you know, really he has arguably, you know, really developed tensions wIthin really developed tensions wIthin those communIties and that has wIthin those communIties and that has also seen, you know, violence that has also seen, you know, Violence And Aggression towards labour Violence And Aggression towards Labour Activists and the Candidate'>Labour Candidate. Labour activists and the Candidate'>Labour Candidate Candidate. No, do you think georae Candidate. No, do you think George Galloway Candidate. No, do you think George Galloway Standing I Candidate. No, do you think l George Galloway standing has splIt the vote to the advantage of the conservatives mot. To of the conservatives mot. To a certain of the conservatives mot. Trr a certain extent. He will have taken away from votes from people that would like to vote labour so in that sense, yes, but what i think has been more damaging, which is what siana alludes to, is an ill tempered and divisive campaign, not the kind of thing we are seeing in a widely democratic process, pandering to division, rather than bringing people together. Its very, very sad, given the very tragic thing that happened Tojo Cox only a few very tragic thing that happened to Jo Cox only a few years very tragic thing that happened Tojo Cox only a few years ago in this very part of the country. In this very part of the country in this very part of the country. In this very part of the count. � �. ,. , country. And, im glad you reference country. And, im glad you reference to country. And, im glad you reference to that country. And, im glad you reference to that because l country. And, im glad you J Reference to that because i mean, at points of the campaign, It has got quIte nasty and siana did that take you by surprise, given the history, the tragic history, of the seat and the previous, the murder ofJo Cox . The seat and the previous, the murder of 10 cox . Murder of 10 cox . Ive always thou~ht murder of 10 cox . Ive always thought that murder of 10 cox . Ive always thought that not murder of 10 cox . Ive always thought that not enough thought that not enough attention actually has been given attention actually has been given to the murder ofJo Cox and given to the murder ofJo Cox and how given to the murder ofJo Cox and how that really should have shaken and how that really should have shaken polItics to Its core, and shaken polItics to Its core, and It shaken polItics to Its core, and It didnt seem to the extent and It didnt seem to the extent that i would have liked to see extent that i would have liked to see and the Fact that, you know. To see and the Fact that, you know, labouractivists to see and the Fact that, you know, Labour Activists on the doorstep know, Labour Activists on the doorstep were assaulted on sunday. Doorstep were assaulted on sunday, over the weekend, and tracy sunday, over the weekend, and Tracy Brabin who vacated the seat Tracy Brabin who vacated the seat which is why the By Election was called does make By Election was called does make had to call the police and they make had to call the police and they took make had to call the police and they took statements and the Fact that they took statements and the Fact that happened so near to where Fact that happened so near to where Fact'>Jo Fact that happened so near to where Jo Cox was murdered as a sItting where Jo Cox was murdered as a sItting mp where Jo Cox was murdered as a sItting mp is obviously devastating and the Fact also that kim, the Candidate, is her sister that kim, the Candidate, is her sisteriust that kim, the Candidate, is her sisterjust makes It all the more sisterjust makes It all the more personal. Sisterjust makes It all the more personal. Ok, siana and mo, we more personal. Ok, Siana And Mo. We will more personal. Ok, siana and mo, we will come more personal. Ok, siana and mo, we will come back more personal. Ok, siana and mo, we will come back to more personal. Ok, siana and mo, we will come back to you| more personal. Ok, Siana And L mo, we will come back to you in just a moment but for now, thank you very much for your Insight And Analysis there. Joining me in the studio is lewis goodall. Youve been on your phone, im sure, contacting people on the ground, are we any clearer about limIted or otherwise result . I about limIted or otherwise result . ~ about limIted or otherwise result . ,. , result . I think certainly It seems they result . I think certainly It seems they are result . I think certainly It seems they are very result . I think certainly It| seems they are very close result . I think certainly It. Seems they are very close to counting the votes and i think the question now becomes i understand most of the Candidates are not in acCounting Centre or were not about five minutes ago until they arrive there wont be a declaration really some of them mother that wont be a declarations that may delay things a lIttle bIt. The other question of course is where, how the margin is because If the margin is exceptionally close or quIte close, because one of the Candidates will be entItled to ask for a recount in which we could be here for several hours yet but will waIt and see about that. What interesting what mo said in your question about the effect that George Galloway has had on the contest. I think as we were saying earlier, i think labour people are thinking about this race now is that our glad to still be in the race because on paper numerically you would think that given, as a result of a few Factors, the Fact that the conservatives have been doing better in the north of england because of George Galloway potentially taking a large proportion of a signIficant chunk of the muslim votes in that part of the constItuency and the Fact that Ituency'>Backin ConstItuency and the Fact that back in 2019 in the General Election there was an independent Candidate who was a bIt like for all intents and purposes a It-party-Candidate'>BrexIt Party Candidate who did very Well and came third in the early constItuency in 2019 and put all the things together on paper given how poorly labour has been doing, labour would really be struggling. The Fact though that It seems that It is close, that they are still in contention, implies that assuming galloway has managed to eat into a fair bIt of the labour vote, to eat into a fair bIt of the labourvote, perhaps to eat into a fair bIt of the labour vote, perhaps labour im not doing quIte as badly in conservative areas, ive heard a lot from people on the ground saying that Kim Leadbeater has gone down Well in those areas, some of whom is Well those people potential conservative voters or labour voting, worried that George Galloway doing Well and actually the best way of avoiding that is to vote for Kim Leadbeater and the Labour Party so as always wIth By Elections and elections you think things will go One Way Or Another and you try to game It but actually invIted turns out It is quIte a dIfferent date are dIfferent and eloquent things get going. Things get going. Dont go awa , i things get going. Dont go away. I want things get going. Dont go away, i want to things get going. Dont go away, i want to go things get going. Dont go away, i want to go over i things get going. Dont go away, i want to go over to things get going. Dont go away, i want to go over to Nick Eardley who is at the count for us in huddersfield and nick, any signs of movement there . Whats the mood like in your assessment . By, whats the mood like in your assessment . Assessment . A lot of tired Eo Le Assessment . A lot of tired peeple here. Assessment . A lot of tired people here, ben, assessment . A lot of tired people here, ben, but assessment . A lot of tired l people here, ben, but yeah, assessment . A lot of tired people here, ben, but yeah, the Election Agents and Candidates are getting Provisional Results at the moment so we should know wIthin the next wee while how things are looking. Just chatting to some people here to something in the campaign, It does look as though as lewis was saying, really close. The latest sort of intel we are getting is that there could be a few hundred votes in It. NeIther side is prepared to say whether labour or the conservatives have got over the line yet. How close that is will potentially dictate whether or not one of the sides ask for a recount as things stand, wIthin the next 10 15 minutes we should know what the Provisional Result is. {lilia minutes we should know what the Provisional Result is. Provisional result is. Ok, and nick, i mean, Provisional Result is. Ok, and nick, i mean, appreciate, Provisional Result is. Ok, and| nick, i mean, appreciate, Its very dIfficult at a time where youve got all these sort of covid 19 restrictions and Its hard enough in normal times the sort of get a sense of the, you know, the way that both are falling particularly the fight given the resistant thing and so on in place absolutely, in the Counting Centre behind me. There is more space than ive ever seen in a count like this. So you know, absolutely, a lot of frantic activIty around here and i will try to just does make some Breaking Info there will be a Bundle Check. The bundles come in and people check and they give us a rough idea of where things are and on side says yes, close enough for us to check. So we could be here for a wee Well longer. In here for a wee Well longer. In terms of turnout, how engaged were voters in the By Election . Do we know . Do we have a figure for that . ,. ,. For that . Yes, about 4796 which is, i for that . Yes, about 4796 which is. I mean. For that . Yes, about 4796 which is, i mean, Its for that . Yes, about 4796 which is, i mean, Its ok for that . Yes, about 4796 which is, i mean, Its ok for for that . Yes, about 4796 which is, i mean, Its ok for a is, i mean, Its 0kfora By Election, not particularly high, had been some talk about really high engagement because of the Fact that you had quIte a tight race but also, you had George Galloway standing for the Workers Party he often targets asian communIties, muslims, and there had been some speculation that the turnout might go pretty high. It does not seem to have been the case. I think theres a bIt of Election Fatigue here. This is a constItuency that Saw A By Election in 2016, General Elections in 2017 and 2019 and they have been a vote recently for the local mayor which led to the By Election we are having tonight. Its also been quIte a heated campaign. There have been some claims of intimidation, some people having to have police escorts when they were going about campaigning. And there was a bIt of a sense in the constItuency that some people i think were a bIt Fed Up of some of the quIte heated polItics weve had in the uk over the last few years so what is sent, what It means for the result, 47 , what It means for the result, 47 , what It means for the result i will not go there. You are a braver man than me to make a call but what i can say is It is very close, they are having a check of some of the bundles and Its not a full recount, It means they are basically checking some of the Headline Numbers so It will be a wee while before we have a result yet and we will bring you It as soon as we know. {lilia you It as soon as we know. Ok, nick, for you It as soon as we know. Ok, nick, for the you It as soon as we know. Ok, nick, for the moment, you It as soon as we know. 0k, nick, forthe moment, thank nick, for the moment, thank you, we will come back to you as soon as we get any movement on It and speaking of movement, thatis on It and speaking of movement, that is alive shot of where the count is taking place and in the far distance you can see the far distance you can see the podium wIth Returning Officer at some point, step forward and give the results a live shot. As we are hearing from nick, they are doing what is called a bundle review. So that may delay things just a lIttle bIt longer than we expected but we will keep a close eye on proceedings in that Counting Call in huddersfield but in the meantime lets go back to Sienna Rodgers and mo hussein, siena is the edItor of labour list. Election fatigue so did you detect a sense of that . Hat you detect a sense of that . Not overwhelmingly. There was quIte a lot of overwhelmingly. There was quIte a lot of apathy and especially from a lot of apathy and especially from muslim voters, i found. I expected more and physio six support i expected more and physio six support for galloway enthusiastic. There was more apathy enthusiastic. There was more apathy. People were talking about apathy. People were talking about having to vote in successive years. One of the most successive years. One of the most common themes was anger that Tracey Babin who was a labour that Tracey Babin who was a Labour Mp had left in order to id Labour Mp had left in order to go to Labour Mp had left in order to go to this Labour Mp had left in order to go to this mayoral role. The first go to this mayoral role. The first female mayor of yorkshire and that first female mayor of yorkshire and that was one of the most consistent themes. Do and that was one of the most consistent themes. And that was one of the most consistent themes. Do you think the conservatives consistent themes. Do you think the conservatives have consistent themes. Do you think the conservatives have gone the conservatives have gone into this By Election wIth more weight of expectation than normal given the shocked victory . Normal given the shocked victo . , normal given the shocked victo . ,. , , victory . There has been a Sense Ofthat Victory . There has been a sense of that and victory . There has been a sense of that and the victory . There has been a sense of that and the expectation of that and the expectation both internal and external to see If the messages of the conservative parties and the direction they are going and wIth the focus on the north and midlands and other parts of the country which are not tradItionally conservative heartland is cutting through and working. Again, It is quIte dIfferent to hartlepool. It was conservative previously before 1997 and the context will be quIte dIfferent as Well. And when the conservatives lost the seat to the Lib Dems in chesham and amersham the issues around planning, the hs to, so each constItuency will have dIfferent issues that come to play as Well. 2. WIth the majorIty the conservatives do have and the success they have seenin have and the success they have seen in the north and the errors around Batley And Spen, there will be some sense of that. ~. , there will be some sense of that. ~ ,. ,. , there will be some sense of that. ~. , that. We will come back to you for a bIt more that. We will come back to you for a bIt more analysis that. We will come back to you for a bIt more analysis shortly| for a bIt more analysis shortly but i want to go back to lewis goodall. Looking at the dIfferent possible outcomes, what will the fallout be for labour If they win or lose . Just to let viewers know, talking about the Bundle Check which sounds very excIting, basically they check the Headline Numbers on the top of each bundle. The interesting thing is, Itappears each bundle. The interesting thing is, It appears It is the Conservative Party who have asked for that cheque. That would indicate they are behind and they have been told they are currently behind into the overall figure so they are asking for a Bundle Check to make an assessment about the recount. But If those numbers stand, assuming that is correct, It would at least indicate that the Labour Party is in front and may have held on to the seat. If that is the case, on the one hand, that should not be a miraculous achievement for Sir Keir Starmer. It has been a labour since since 1997. It has a reasonable majorIty in the election called Butjeremy Election called but Jeremy Corbyn. Election called butJeremy Corbyn. The best result for 20 years but given all of the countervailing clinical forces we have been talking about, the expectation, It is no doubt It will be an enormous relief for Sir Keir Starmer, labour Fighting Back in these parts of the world. 0thers Fighting Back in these parts of the world. Others would say, If they have one by such an error majorIty, that would be seen locally as a victory for Kim Leadbeater. She has made great play of the Fact that she lives and works in the constItuency and works in the constItuency and when youre talking potentially about a contest wIth tight margins, that sort of personal vote, It doesnt have an enormous impact when you have a landslide, but in a context like this, that might have made a Ifference-stop'>DIfference Stop and we do not know the result yet. It sounds like a pressure to deliver and perform in this By Election really On Labour and for the conservatives perhaps a lot more leeway in terms of any potential Iticism'>Fallout Or CrIticism If things dont go that way was maybe a majorIty for labour in the couple of hundreds, maybe. The conservative hundreds, maybe. The Conservative Party,. Hundreds, maybe. Tie Conservative Party, despIte the Fact It has been in government for 11 years has been on the advance, in every single election has been in office. Gradually this would erode over time. Suddenly they are on 360 at the 2019 General Election and each time they have been adding votes and becoming more hegemony. Labour have been declining and on the retreat. That forms a big picture of our polItics and even now, in a By Election, we expect government to be going backwards, that still forms general expectation. We should say, Sir Keir Starmer, was elected in 2019 as the so called antidote toJeremy Corbyn. People who dislike Jeremy Corbyn said we just need a winner, someone who wins seat. UnlikeJeremy Corbyn who did win in 2017 30 seats but then went backwards. He does not have a massive ideological division, Sir Keir Starmer, likeJeremy Corbyn. But he needs to be winning things like hartlepool but also conservative seat that labour have not held since 2010. They will be enormously relieved If they win the seat and enormous relief of Kim Leadbeater. The fred of a Leadership Challenge to Keir Starmer will not occur but we should not forget that labour should be holding the seat. � ,. , labour should be holding the seat. � ,. ,. , labour should be holding the seat. � ,. ,. , seat. Lets go back to Nick Hadley at seat. Lets go back to Nick Hadley at the seat. Lets go back to Nick Hadley at the counter seat. Lets go back to Nick Hadley at the counter in i hadley at the counter in huddersfield. Any sign of movement . Huddersfield. Any sign of movement . Not anything definItively. Movement . Not anything definItively. But movement . Not anything definItively. But the movement . Not anything definItively. But the Fact-l-movement'>Fact L Movement . Not anything i definItively. But the Fact that the conservatives have asked for this Bundle Check, by the way they have another one is happening so It could be a while yet, It makes It clear that labour are ahead at the moment. Sources are suggesting It is by around 300 votes that we think the Candidate'>Labour Candidate Kim Leadbeater is ahead. If the conservatives thought It was really close, they could even ask for a recount and that means we could be here for some time yet but as things stand, the could be a bIt of an upset on the cards because labour seemed to be ahead by a few hundred votes. The expectation here was that the piles were suggesting the conservatives were going to take this seat. Poles. It is a seat that the conservatives one from labour in a By Election and put more pressure on the Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer. I have done enough elections to know these things can change over time but as things stand, the intel here is that labour were ahead on the first count by around 300 votes. ~. ~ the first count by around 300 votes. W. ,. , votes. Nick, thank you very much. Lets votes. Nick, thank you very much. Lets get votes. Nick, thank you very much. Lets get a votes. Nick, thank you very much. Lets get a final i votes. Nick, thank you very i much. Lets get a final thought from lewis goodall. As people wake up in the constItuency, and that still may not be a result, what dIfference will It make to them depending who emerges victorious . It is make to them depending who emerges victorious . Emerges victorious . It is a constItuency emerges victorious . It is a constItuency which emerges victorious . It is a constItuency which has i emerges victorious . It is a | constItuency which has had emerges victorious . It is a Ituency'>I ConstItuency which has had five and this one has been extremely divisive. Whoever is going to emerge, Kim Leadbeatersays emerge, Kim Leadbeater says they emerge, Kim Leadbeatersays they will have to try and unIte they will have to try and unIte the constItuency. Enormous repercussions for national polItics. If labour managed to hold on, they were rumours of a potential Readership Challenge to Sir Keir Starmer and that will be gone. Borisjohnson still has a majorIty of 78 in parliament. There will be some disappointment wIth the Conservative Party but polItics at the moment is so malleable that we expected any that this meant he could go into this meant he could go into this summer wIth more step because his reputation is based on the idea he could win an important he did not become a double loser because once the public as an impression of you as a loser, It can be dIfficult to dispel this impression is that It was important for Sir Keir Starmer to try and win this constItuency and he will be very, very pleased If he has done so. ~ be very, very pleased If he has done so. , i. , be very, very pleased If he has done so. ~ ,. , done so. Thank you for your analysis. Done so. Thank you for your analysis, lewis done so. Thank you for your analysis, lewis goodall. I done so. Thank you for your analysis, lewis goodall. We finish this hour still awaIting a result. We will bring It to you as soon as we get It here on bbc news. In the meantime, lets get a check on the weather. Hello there. Thursday wasnt a Bad Day for many of us. It stayed dry across much of the country, apart from a few showers which developed later in the afternoon across southern england. For friday, though, It looks like we could see a few more showers around generally. But that said, there should still be quIte a bIt of sunshine around. Itll feel quIte warm too. So were in between Weather Systems for friday. This area of low pressure, though, will be moving in just in time for the weekend. It could bring quIte a bIt of rain at times and even some thunderstorms. So we start this morning off rather cloudy for many, bIt of Mist And Fog around. That should tend to melt away quIte quickly, and then there will be plenty of sunshine as we head on into the afternoon, but a scattering of showers will develop. Some of them could turn out to be heavy and thundery. I think the focus of them towards central and eastern parts of the country. Some areas avoiding them completely and staying dry, and It will be quIte warm too top temperatures around 24 degrees. Those showers continue into the evening, push their way further northwards, and then we start to see the influence of that area of low pressure arriving across the south west, sending a band of Showery Northwards and eastwards across wales, the west country, into the midlands, and some of the rain could be quIte heavy and thundery by The End of the night. And generally double figure values for most, so Its going to be a mild night. So for this weekend, It is looking decidedly unsettled, as low pressure will be nearby. Here It is, very slowly moving Its way north eastwards as Its pushing against this area of high pressure. Its likely to bring spells of heavy rain, maybe longer spells of rain at times on saturday. And then into sunday, widespread showers develop, and some of these could really be quIte intense. So this band of rain will continue to journey Its way northwards across england and wales through saturday morning. Again, some of It could be thundery. Scotland could start dry wIth some good spells of sunshine, before Showery Rain arrives there later on. Further south, there will be some sunshine appearing, but again showers will develop when temperatures reach highs of around 21 or 22 degrees. Sunday, i think generally looking more unsettled across the board. Well start off wIth some sunshine, but then showers will get going some of these will be heavy, some thunderstorms mixed in there. We could see some localised flooding in places, in Fact. And temperatures might be a degree or so down range from around 17, generally, to around 20 or 21 celsius. And then into the start of next week, low pressure sticks nearby. In Fact, we could see a deep low which could sweep through, to bring some wet and windy weather for a time. This is bbc news. Im Samantha Simmonds wIth the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. A key test for brItains opposItion Labour Party. A result in the Batley And Spen By Election is expected shortly. Lawyers from the Trump Organization and Its Chief Financial Officer plead not guilty to Tax Fraud at a court in new York Dick Australia plans to halve Its number of international arrivals because of an outbreak of the Delta Variant of covid 19. Meet the woman heading to Outer Space in her 80s after being picked by Jeff Bezos Tojoin him on his mission next month