The Greens have produced a video of their candidate Hannah Spencer speaking in Urdu. Here’s a translation of the key passages:
“A cruel politician can win if we don’t vote Green to stop the Reforms…
Workers, cleaners, drivers, mothers – it’s us who keep this area running. But the politicians are not working for us…
The Reforms want to break up our communities. They want to deport families who have lived here for years, and they want to tax people born abroad even more. They give air to Islamophobia, and they put our safety and dignity at risk. But there is another way…
I know, wherever I am in the world, whom I represent. I know what it means to work hard to earn a living, and I also know how to hold power and greed accountable. On February 26th let’s unite our vote behind the Greens.”
The accompanying visuals are striking. Blatant from the Greens…
The party is conducting a major last push. It told activists on the weekend:
“We hit all 14 mosques this Friday – 14/14! Thank you, everyone…
Our Ramadan cards went down a treat, even with the battle of the leaflets against Labour! We are now in our critical final 5 days, and we need volunteers to help with Taraweeh conversations and leafleting.
Do you attend evening Taraweeh at any of these mosques? If so, can you help with leaflets and conversations after prayers?”
Greens trying hard to mobilise their targeted ground campaign…
Election Maps has crunched the numbers on every council by-election since the 2025 locals. There have been 202 contests so far – and Reform is hoovering them up, with a net gain of 61. Unsurprisingly Labour has tanked…
RFM: 72 (+61)
LDM: 58 (+20)
CON: 23 (-24)
LAB: 16 (-46)
GRN: 15 (+2)
Ind: 9 (-6)
Local: 5 (-5)
SNP: 4 (-1)
PLC: 3 (-1)
No doubt this trend will be reflected in May’s locals. Guido members can read what’s really going on behind the scenes in our weekly Bursting the Bubble…
Mark your calendars…
Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North MP Liam Byrne is taking flak today for extending his luxury trip to Japan instead of returning to his bin-struck constituency. Being recess there is no Westminster in which to hide…
Guido can reveal Byrne isn’t the only local elected Labour representative to keep his distance. Glasgow North MP Martin Rhodes popped down to Runcorn to campaign yesterday – he posted a picture of himself in the afternoon signing Labour’s “activist wall” where those who had campaigned could sign their names. Guido had a look at them…
Right in the middle of the board are the names of at least three identifiable Birmingham councillors – Waseem Zaffar, Bushra Bi, and Saima Suleman. Other Birmingham signatories use nicknames. They are also joined on the board by Paulette Hamilton, the MP for Birmingham Erdington. Seeing as Mike Amesbury resigned on 17 March, five days after the bin strike started, that means these individuals abandoned their patch to campaign for the party 100 miles away. Those signatures look fresh…
Mike Amesbury has done a sit down with GB News’ Gloria De Piero today. He says today is the day of his resignation:
“As of today I will no longer be the Member of Parliament for Runcorn and Helsby after nearly eight years as an MP.”
Amesbury adds that he “should have walked away” instead of punching Paul Fellows in the head before continuing to punch him once he had fallen to the ground. He says: “I don’t recognise myself… but it is me and it’s very important that I own that.” The soon-to-be former MP explains his presence outside a pub at two in the morning: “It was a tough time in parliament.” He adds he will have to wear an alcohol tag as part of his sentence. The by-election looms…
UPDATE: Amesbury has written to Rachel Reeves to formally resign.
Read his letter in full below:
Continue reading “WATCH: Amesbury Says He Is Resigning as an MP Today”
Reform is straight out of the traps to call for a by-election in Mike Amesbury’s constituency of Runcorn & Helsby. Chairman Zia Yusuf says “the great people of Runcorn deserve far better than this. We call on Mike Amesbury to do the honourable thing and resign immediately so a by-election can be held.” Otherwise it’s a wait for the recall petition…
Bookmaker Star Sports have some odds on a potential by-election:
- Labour: 8/11
- Reform UK: 7/4
- Conservatives: 11/2
- Liberal Democrats: 33/1
- Greens: 40/1
Reform was second at the general election last year and have performed well nationally since. A nearby council by-election saw Farage’s party pick up a seat from Labour. Reform leaflets have been circulating (featuring photos of Amesbury) heavily since mid-November – activists have campaigned there every weekend since October’s altercation and party HQ says they are “throwing the kitchen sink” at the seat. Runcorn’s predecessor seat Weaver Vale voted Tory twice in the last decade. There may not be much love for Starmer locally, but a 14,696 Labour majority is a daunting one to overturn…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”
