Henry Riley

Reporting for LBC from Ballards Lane in Finchley this morning

Reopening of Hammersmith bridge finally moves a step closer seven years after it was closed to cars | LBC The Department for Transport will reconvene the Hammersmith Bridge taskforce in a key step towards it being reopened, a letter obtained by LBC has revealed.

Read more:
www.lbc.co.uk/article/reop...

Reopening of Hammersmith bridge finally moves a step closer seven years after it was closed to cars | LBC The Department for Transport will reconvene the Hammersmith Bridge taskforce in a key step towards it being reopened, a letter obtained by LBC has revealed.

EXCL

Reopening of Hammersmith bridge finally moves a step closer seven years after it was closed to cars

@lbc.co.uk

www.lbc.co.uk/article/reop...

Roads Minister also signals another meeting of Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce “to discuss next steps once funding arrangements for the Structures Fund have been confirmed”

Labour govt reconvened taskforce post-election in 2024 but so far it’s only met once

Is Hammersmith Bridge about to get fixed?

Answer: Possibly, but very slowly & caveated

Below from Roads Minister Simon Lightwood “Hammersmith Bridge would be a good candidate” for govt Structures Fund

But “contingent on “cost-effective” & “within a reasonable timescale

@lbc.co.uk

😅😂

Hannah Spencer, the Green Party candidate has arrived with leader Zack Polanski

Reform UK candidate Matthew Goodwin is now here

Worth pointing out how big this is for the Green Party

Would be their first ever parliamentary by election win - previous best was just 10.2% in Somerton & Frome in 2023

Looks like Hannah Spencer, local plumber and councillor in Trafford, will smash that record

Now on 5 MP

Labour candidate Angeliki Stogia has arrived

Candidates being called to be told result

Result will be imminent!

Looking like a result in next 45 mins (famous last words, I know)

BREAKING 🟩

Green source 'we are now very confident of a win'

Lucy Powell seeming to concede

“There is a big majority in this constituency that hasn’t voted for Reform”

“On the day the Greens have managed to win that argument that they were best placed to do that”

“Greens have turned out their vote higher than they might otherwise have”

Nope ! Definitely 47.8 according to parliament website & officers here

Everyone trying to listen into what Labour’s Deputy Leader Lucy Powell is saying to Jon Craig

BREAKING

Turnout in the Gorton and Denton by election 36,903 (47.62%)

Only slightly down on general election turnout of 47.8%

🚨 🟩 Green source, sounding confident:

"We've said from the start that we weren't here to be disappointed with Labour but to replace them… The Greens are now the only party that can protect this country from the dangerous threat of Reform. Labour… is not up to the job”

Interesting… Labour predicting the Greens have done well

Labour sources: “early signs at the count indicate the Greens have been able to turn out support in a way they wouldn't be able to replicate at a General Election”

My interview with the Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate

He says they’ve had a few beers and want to massage speed bumps as their policy

“Think big, vote pig”

It just got louder in here… Sir Oink A-Lot from the Official Monster Raving Loony party has arrived

Manchester City Council responds saying

"No such issues have been reported today”

"If Democracy Volunteers were so concerned about alleged issues they could and should have raised them with us during polling hours so that immediate action could be taken”

Democracy Volunteers - the election observers group have claimed their team witnessed "concerningly high levels" of family voting

They attended 22 of 45 polling stations in the constituency, spending 30-45 mins in each - they say they saw family voting in 15 polling stations

Reform UK source: “We have had over 1000 activists out in the seat today, and we have done all we can in our 440th target seat”

‪Labour’s Andrew Western MP‬

‪“run a positive, local campaign focused on bringing communities together…firmly rejecting the toxic politics of Reform’s Matthew Goodwin”‬
‪ ‬
‪“By-elections are always difficult for incumbent governments”‬
‪ ‬
‪“Labour will always choose unity over division”‬

Green source:

"We've thrown everything at this election, and we know we've given Labour the scare of their life in what was not so long ago one of their safest seats. We're confident that despite the Labour dirty tactics and despite the well-funded Reform machine, the Green vote has held up well."

🗳️ I’m live from Manchester covering the Gorton and Denton by election for @lbc.co.uk

Stay tuned for updates… as has been widely reported no one claiming victory at this stage

A possible three way battle between the Green Party, Reform UK and Labour

📻 On @lbc.co.uk again from 1-4am if you’re up!

- Should Kemi Badenoch apologise after claiming Labour is being called a “paedo defenders party”
- How can we address rough sleeping in the UK?
- Dame Tracey Emin says the wealthy should pay to keep museums free for others

Hosting a bumper show on @lbc.co.uk tonight from 10pm-4am…

Stay with us for live coverage of Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, with @jonsopel1.bsky.social & @simonmarksfsn.bsky.social

Plus student loans, supermarket chocolate now in plastic boxes & 7,000 hacked hoovers

Thanks Pat!

It’s called a discussion! And I gave the individual a good platform to express his views- not everything needs to boil down to being “schooled” or having a massive argument - he was happy with the convo!