Blackburn's division exposed as election looms
Plus: Jay Slater search ends; final hustings held; and deadly battle remembered
Hello and welcome to today’s edition of The Lancashire Lead. It arrives at an earlier than usual time as this evening’s focus turns to both England v Slovakia and our election hustings which is taking place in Fylde at the same time (an unavoidable clash in the end).
It’s the fourth such event we’ve organised in Lancashire ahead of the General Election and I’d like to take a moment to praise my colleagues at The Lead and partners including Blog Preston, Lancashire Post, Blackpool Gazette, Shelter Lancashire and Lytham St. Annes Express for their endeavour and hard work in getting the events together. It’s not an easy process but the results have proved more than worthwhile.
I’ll also offer a welcome to any new subscribers who’ve signed up as a result of those hustings. I hope you enjoy what you find here and would welcome any feedback through the contact form or on jamie@thelead.uk.
Moving away from the Fylde coast to East Lancashire, the Blackburn constituency has been a regular topic in this newsletter and it’s worth examining once more thanks to this detailed piece from The I’s Aasma Day.
Aasma has spoken with various residents, business owners and candidates to understand what is happening in a town where the large Muslim and Asian population has been both mobilised and divided by the national Labour Party’s response to the Gaza crisis.
In what would otherwise have been expected to be a straightforward and comfortable seat retention for Labour, we’ve seen large numbers vocally abandon the party, multiple candidates stand on a pro-Palestine banner and then one drop out and another face pressure to do so too.
The I’s article is the most in-depth I’ve read on the subject and it’s well worth a few minutes of your time if you want to understand what is happening there.
“The only time we can do something about it is at a general election when we can vote them in or vote them out. I don’t have any faith in the Conservatives – I never did. I have always been a Labour voter and so have most of my family as they stand for working people.
“But this time, I am 50/50 whether I’m going to vote for Labour, mostly because of their stand on Gaza and many people in Blackburn feel the same.”
Max Chand, owner of Lancashire Dry Cleaners, speaking to The I
Sticking with The General Election, the latest major polling has dropped and it remains very sorry reading for the Conservatives. Working with polling firm WeThink, The Economist’s analysis of more than 18,000 respondents resulting in predictions of a Labour clean sweep across Lancashire.
Nationwide, the picture is just as dramatic:
“This mega-poll finds that Labour is on track to win 465 of the 632 seats in England, Scotland and Wales, giving it the biggest majority since the second world war. Meanwhile, the ruling Conservative Party, which won 365 seats in 2019, is set to collapse to a mere 76, the fewest in its history.”
The idea of the Tories not coming close to 100 seats feels pretty incomprehensible but with just four days to go, there is little cause for optimism within the party. It’s increasingly noticeable there’s been a shift from MPs asking for people to focus on their individual record rather than the government’s to effectively requesting their vote in spite of it.
At the same time, the party is facing internal accusations of abandoning Northern seats like those in Lancashire and while we did see David Cameron visit Oswaldtwistle this week, the absence of senior figures in the county has been very noticeable.
On the subject of the election, well done to Wyre Council for adding audio ballot papers at its polling stations for the first time. You can read more about the accessibility move in its press release here.
Looking elsewhere, there’s plenty of excellent coverage from The Lead’s Blackpool and Hyndburn titles to enjoy this week. For the former, Rachel Howarth highlights the case of a business owner who is being forced to move for a second time and is counting the cost, while Kevin Gopal has news of the charities watchdog’s investigation into Blackpool South’s Reform candidate Mark Butcher.
There’s also an important piece from our hustings in Cleveleys where the case of a mum-of-three facing eviction from her rented home was raised.
"She had been living in her house for 16 years. She had some issues with damp and mould and she told the landlord and the council. Now she has got a Section 21 (eviction notice) and has to be out in two months with three children. She is terrified. She doesn't know where she is going to live in two months."
Hope Barnes, community organiser at Shelter Lancashire
For Hyndburn, Amy Farnworth has taken a look at efforts to turn Great Harwood into a much improved visitor destination. As well as being able to read these articles before anyone else, subscribing to The Blackpool Lead and The Hyndburn Lead will give you access to other features which aren’t published anywhere else. I may be biased, but I would recommend doing so - you can also see The Lead’s non-Lancashire titles by clicking on the “menu” button on its site.
Subscribe to The Blackpool Lead | Subscribe to The Hyndburn Lead
Spanish police today issued a significant update in their search for missing teenager Jay Slater - but not one his family would have hoped to see. According to various reports, the search operation has now ended.
The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle, has been missing since June 17 and a large search operation has been ongoing ever since. Expert volunteers were recruited to join expanded search operations yesterday but that now appears to have ended without any significant discover. The Mirror quotes a Civil Guard spokesperson as saying: “The search operation has now finished although the case remains open."
🚓 Pub-goers in Leyland are being asked to come forward following the death of a man who had earlier been pushed over in a beer garden (LancsLive).
🎖️ The Royal Navy veteran who lost medal during this month’s D-Day procession has been given a replacement (Blog Preston).
🔉 A campaign has begun to restore the former home of Edith Rigby, Preston’s most famous suffragette, and turn it into a museum (BBC).
🚗 Footage of a reckless and impatient driver mounting a pavement to avoid waiting behind a bin lorry - narrowly avoiding two men working on it - has been released (ITV). You can see the video here.
❌ Morecambe’s Blue Mountain restaurant will close after more than 30 years serving from its Bay-view location (Beyond Radio).
😀 Blackpool will soon have a new leisure attraction with plans in the offing for the old go-kart site near Sandcastle (Blackpool Gazette).
ℹ️ Full details and new images of Blackburn's proposed £60 million Cyber Skills and Education Campus have been released (Lancashire Telegraph).
🛣️ The £27m Heyhouses-M55 link road has opened two months later than planned (New Civil Engineer).
🏭 Sixty people could lose their jobs thanks to the closure of a Nelson clothes factory. Manufacturer Mackintosh cited Brexit as a key factor in the decision (Drapers).
🏥 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTH) has brought in specialists to help it achieve £58m savings (BBC).
This week saw the 81st anniversary of The Battle of Bamber Bridge, one of the most significant racial disputes of its type in the country and which resulted in the death of Private William Crossland.
The village had welcomed American soldiers in to help the war efforts but locals refused to abide by the segregation which was common among the US forces. Instead, black soldiers were welcomed into all pubs and treated the same as their white counterparts.
On June 24, 1943, soldiers from the 1511th Quartermaster Truck regiment were drinking with English troops and civilians in Ye Olde Hob Inn when passing US Military Police officers tried to arrest Pte Eugene Nunn, claiming he was improperly dressed and didn’t have a valid pass.
An argument broke out with locals pleading with the MPs not to arrest Nunn but trouble accelerated when a bottle was thrown. A night of gunfire ensued and cost the life of Pte Crossland. Gunshots also went into uninvolved homes and to this day the effects can still be seen on some buildings.
One of the reasons a lot of people want Eden Project Morecambe to become a reality is the economic boost it will provide to the town and wider area. The influx of visitors will drive a need for more restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, etc, creating more jobs and seeing more money spent locally.
One person looking to capitalise on that is property entrepreneur Sarah Hurst who is currently refurbishing the first of four seafront holiday apartments in the town. LancsLive reported on her progress in this business-based piece.
Beyond Radio continues to keep on top of all things Eden and it’s reporting this week includes news of the re-arranged date for a Wonder Walk which will allow people to learn more about the plans. The previous July 2 date had prompted concern among cautious council chiefs as it fell during the pre-election period.
The town was the subject of the Daily’s Telegraph’s regular feature looking at Britain’s seaside resorts (£). Even if you fear a touch of snobbishness in these types of article, it can be useful to hear an outsider’s view. Writer Chris Moss was impressed by the landscape and Midland Hotel, if underwhelmed by other aspect’s of the town’s offering.
“Morecambe’s challenges are evident without straying far from the lovely bits. Two art deco buildings next to the Winter Gardens look desperately in need of attention. The entrance to the outdoor market looks like a bomb-site. Some areas have been improved with street art but the whole town looks in need of a paint job.
“There’s a visible shortage of restaurants, even in the mid-market range. The whole of the seafront should be lined with food and drink outlets, small shops, perhaps a few museums and cultural venues. I saw one block taken up by a bra specialist, a pottery shop and a dancewear shop. There are several places to buy tackle and bait. These are fine as niche stores, but short on general appeal.
“The wrecking ball has not been kind to Morecambe and it has chosen the wrong targets. In 1982, a large part of the Winter Gardens complex was demolished; only the theatre remains. The Super Swimming Stadium, a grand Thirties lido, was destroyed in 1975. The town needs new weatherproof leisure, exercise and entertainment spaces.”
Before the General Election took over so much focus, one of the areas identified for this newsletter to focus on regularly is devolution. Lancashire’s deal is effectively in limbo as a result of the election being called before the associated legislation made its way through Parliament - in a special edition of The Lancashire Lead, I’ve taken a closer look at the situation and what could come next.
“The reason all of this matters is because it showcases just how much the deal remains a bitter source of contention. It took years of negotiations and counter-proposals to reach any agreement in Lancashire and even that one has left many unsatisfied.
“With it not being finalised and major changes coming to government, it stands to reason that Lancashire could be sent back to square one with another long period of negotiations to begin.”
Once again, the newsletter finishes with some What’s On stories from around the week. This section is also somewhere I like to mention interesting events around Lancashire so if there’s something you’d like to see featured, get in touch on jamie@thelead.uk
The Grapes in Croston to reopen with restoration and outdoor revamp planned
Young Blackpool musicians from Upbeat Rock Academy to perform at Illuminations switch on
Toadfish leaves Neighbours but is heading out on tour to Blackpool straight after
Trinity Hospice aiming to open new book and music shop in Poulton town centre
Lancaster bar reflects on 'challenging journey' as it celebrates its first birthday
Black Sheep Coffee set to open in former Fat Face site in Preston
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