votes are being counted in a crucial by election here in the uk. the labour party is hoping it can retain the seat of batley and spen in the north of england but the race with the governing conservative party is tight. the contest has wider implications for politics in britain because many are seeing it as a test of the leadership of the labour party under sir keir starmer. let s talk to our correspondent at the account in huddersfield in west yorkshire. there has been a flurry of activity. tell us what is going on.- us what is going on. good morning. us what is going on. good morning, some us what is going on. good morning, some answer. l us what is going on. good l morning, some answer. all us what is going on. good - morning, some answer. all the talk here had been of the conservatives doing something that a governing party in the uk has not done since the second world war and winning two seats at a by election that it had not held before. but as things stand i don t t
know her at all, kind of mpc will be? i don t know her at all, but - kind of mpc will be? i don t know her at all, but i - kind of mpc will be? i don t know her at all, but i think| kind of mpc will be? i don tl know her at all, but i think it has been clear in this campaign that she is local, she is a chartered accountant, she is committed to the area. she actually stood in the last general election with a10% vote. it is a sign, a real kind of ability to need a ground walker with support from party hq to just get out there and persuade the voters that even though this is a historically blue seat, a conservative seat, it is the 75th safest seat in the country, to persuade them that she can be a voice, a person of integrity and an improvement on both an mp who was stood down as a result of a scandal and they conservative party that seems to mostly be involved in having parties instead of sticking to coronavirus restrictions, she has run this campaign on the sense of what you
candidate, 523. applause guy otten, green party candidate, 436. ravin rodent subortna, official monster raving loony party candidate, 209. cheering david anthony tully, independent candidate, 6,648. cheering and applause that was 6,638. i do hereby declare that george galloway is duly elected. cheering and applause welcome to rochdale. the cheering and applause welcome to rochdale. ., ., , welcome to rochdale. the turnout was 39.7%. welcome to rochdale. the turnout was 39-7%- thank welcome to rochdale. the turnout was 39-7%- thank you. welcome to rochdale. the turnout was 39.7%. thank you, ladies welcome to rochdale. the turnout was 39.796. thank you, ladies and - 39.7%. thank you, ladies and gentlemen. mr galloway. so george galloway will now come to the stage. keir starmer, this is for gaza. applause you have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role that you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied p
each candidate at the said election is as follows. nick the flying brick, the official monster raving loony party, 217 votes. cheering ana savage gunn, liberal democrats, 1422 votes. applause ben habib, reform uk, 3919 votes. applause helen harrison, the conservative party candidate, 7408 votes. applause ankit love jknpp jay mala postmortem, 18 votes. applause gen kitchen, labour party, 13,844 votes. cheering alex merola, britain first, 477 votes. will norris, green party, 1020 votes. applause andre pyne bailey, independent, 172 votes. marion turner hawes 1115 votes. cheering kevin watts, independent, 533 votes. the number of ballot papers rejected was as follows. for want of an official mark, none. voting for more candidates than the voter was entitled to, 14. writing or mark by which the voter could not be identified, none. being unmarked or wholly void, 61. rejected in part, none. the total number of ballot papers that was rejected was 75. vacant seats, one. electorate, 79