But not long to find out! Will be on air later this morning on the BBC News channel as the results come through. There’s absolutely no world in which you shouldn’t stay up for it, frankly
As ever for those asking, no exit poll. Only done at general elections.
Again as I reported yesterday there’s some cautious optimism in the Labour camp. But let’s see. Many exciting hours to come! Expecting a result after 4am
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In terms of what's happened in the constituency, several things were at play
1) As reported a few days ago, Labour felt its GOTV had really worked this time. 2) Leadbeater was a good candidate and respected locally. Attracted Tory support.
3) Galloway was successful at eating into Labour Muslim vote but intriguingly Labour likely did better than expected solidifying more traditional support and potential waverers. Maybe even bits of Tory vote 4) Part of that may have been Galloway himself. Those who REALLY didn't..
While we’re waiting, some by - election trivia, because, let’s face it, up you’re up you are going to enjoy it
In modern British political history there have been four full calendar years without a single by election
1992, 1998, 2010 and 2020
(These were bad years)
Winston Churchill contested no fewer than five by elections
1899-Oldham
1908-Manchester North West
1908-Dundee
1917-Dundee
1924-Westminster Abbey
Labour might think it’s having a poor run at the moment but nothing by comparison to its longest stretch without a by election gain, 18 years between the 1939 Brecon and Radnorshire by election and 1957 in Lewisham North
Yesterday we broadcast the latest of our pieces on the building safety crisis. So often it's supposed the costs for leaseholders are arising as a result of changes in building safety law now. But it can also be about a failure in building safety which goes back decades.
Leaseholders at Transport House, as in many other places, believe that their building did not necessarily comply with building regulations even when it was built- in 2004. If so, it adds another layer of deep injustice to an already unjust story. Are they right to be concerned?
To try to answer that we have to go back to the relevant building regulations as they were then-the 2000 building regulations, which on fire spread said: “The external walls of the building shall adequately..."
NEW: Matt Hancock has resigned from the government.
“Those of us who make these rules have got to stick by them and that’s why I’ve got to resign.”
Question is why that conclusion wasn’t reached yesterday when the govt line was it was a “private matter” and indeed at the start of the day that no “rules” had been broken.
Mr Hancock’s resignation letter:”We owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down as I have done by breaching the guidance.”
Until this afternoon the No 10 line was that the PM “considered the matter closed.” What changed?