UK Labour Party Wins Batley and Spen By-Election
04:29 GMT 02.07.2021 (Updated: 15:14 GMT 28.05.2023)
© AFP 2023 / NIKLAS HALLE'N
Subscribe
The Batley and Spen contest was an important challenge for UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, after the party's defeat in Hartlepool.
UK Labour candidate Kim Leadbeater won the Batley and Spen by-election, holding on to her West Yorkshire seat. Labour received 13,296 votes, narrowly defeating the Tories, who received 12,973.
“I'm absolutely delighted that the people of Batley and Spen have rejected division and they've voted for hope," Leadbeater said.
Kim Leadbeater - MP for Batley and Spen pic.twitter.com/1eLX88ROuC
— Batley and Spen Labour (@BatleyandSpen) July 2, 2021
UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has already congratulated Leadbeater after her election win, welcoming the "fantastic result".
Fantastic result for the brilliant and brave @KimLeadbeater.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 2, 2021
Kim ran a positive campaign of hope, in the face of division.
She will be an outstanding Labour MP for Batley and Spen.
MP Ian Murray also congratulated Leadbeater following the announcement of the election results.
Well deserved for an outstanding candidate. Can’t wait to get working with @kimleadbeater. She’s going to be a wonderful MP for Batley and Spen. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/EBpomwiVF3
— Ian Murray MP (@IanMurrayMP) July 2, 2021
A by-election was held in the UK parliamentary constituency of Batley and Spen after the resignation of the previous MP Tracy Brabin. According to Kirklees Council, the turnout was only 47.6%.
Kim Leadbeater is the sister of Jo Cox, a Labour MP who was murdered on 16 June 2016. Jo Cox was shot and stabbed multiple times by a gunman in West Yorkshire. Cox was airlifted to hospital, where she died of her injuries.
