Rishi Sunak's message to Lancashire voters
Plus: Fylde candidates to face the public and Blackburn's find harmony
There’s just eight days to go until the General Election and the pressure is cranking up. While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is busy battling a betting scandal involving key allies as the latest problem in a disastrous campaign, he has also found himself having to defend the party’s attitude to Northern seats.
Amid reports the party was abandoning even seats it holds in the North to focus on Southern strongholds, senior Conservative figure Jake Berry led calls for a reversal in that strategy (see Sunday’s Lancashire Lead). Sunak and his fellow ministers have spent little time in the county during the campaign but he has now issued a letter directly to the county’s voters.
Writing in the Lancashire Post, the Prime Minister issued a defence of the Government’s record, pointing to Levelling Up and Town Deal funding, and accusing Labour of “taking Lancashire for granted for too long”.
You can read the whole piece here but do be warned it involves a privately educated Oxford graduate and former Goldman Sachs banker who is among the country’s richest people accusing someone else of being “elite”.
“If we are elected, we will press ahead relentlessly with our levelling up plans. From Blackburn to Burnley and Chorley to Clitheroe, the towns across Lancashire and the UK will be thriving once more.
“But you will be left behind and forgotten about if Keir Starmer, the North London liberal elite, gets the keys to Number 10.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
It’s been a busy old time across The Lead’s titles as our election coverage is paired up with organising a series of hustings events. Tonight’s will Blackpool North and Fleetwood candidates being grilled at The Venue in Cleveleys and tomorrow it’s the turn of would-be South Ribble MPs in Penwortham. Once again, thanks to all our partners who have organised the events alongside us.
Not stopping there, we’ve managed to squeeze one more hustings in in a particularly interesting seat. According to YouGov, Fylde is the only seat in Lancashire where the Conservatives are considered the most likely winner but all polls point to it being extremely close.
The event will be staged at The Lowther Pavilion in Lytham on Sunday from 5.30-7pm (doors open at 5pm). You can sign up to attend and submit a question using this form.
“The level of debate online about elections can be increasingly hostile, so it’s important people have a safe, moderated and fair space to hear directly from candidates.
“We are glad to be working with the Post and The Lead to put on this event to ensure candidates are asked the tough questions and see how they fare when faced with real people asking about real issues.”
Ed Walker, founder of Blog Preston CIC and co-editor
Over on the eastern side of Lancashire, Blackburn’s election discourse has taken a different focus to most seats in the country with Gaza much higher on the agenda. This is so much so that rows broke out between three candidates who had positioned themselves as the pro-Palestine option, only to wind up arguing among themselves.
In what is seen as a significant move, independent Tiger Patel - a councillor who quit the Conservatives over the party’s response to the conflict - has stepped back and given his backing to the Workers Party’s Craig Murray.
Fellow independent Adnan Hussain is now being urged to follow suit and also encourage people to back Murray over himself. Regardless of any such decision, all of the candidates officially named will remain on the ballot sheet as the deadline for withdrawing has passed.
Looking away from the world of elections, Blackpool was among the first two places where residents have been invited to share their pandemic experiences in person as part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry
Inquiry staff visited the Grand Theatre in Blackpool on Saturday to meet with members of the public, having done the same in North Wales two days earlier.
The events were the first of a series of nationwide Every Story Matters events to be held in summer/autumn 2024. Every Story Matters is the public’s opportunity to share the impact the pandemic had on them and their life with the UK Inquiry – without the formality of giving evidence or attending a public hearing.
“Thank you to every member of the public who came to meet and speak to us in Llandudno and Blackpool Your experiences really do matter and will help inform the work we’re doing. and . I’d like to thank everyone who made the journey to come and see us
“Both these great towns share a common background as great British holiday resorts and both saw significant change during the pandemic, especially in the leisure and hospitality industry.”
Ben Connah, Secretary to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry
Armed Forces Week is currently taking place a series of events paying tribute to current and former service members. Morecambe held a major event attracting 20,000 visitors last weekend, while there are still plenty more to come including a packed schedule in Blackpool.
To help people attend such events, Stagecoach bus companies is offering free travel on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June to serving personnel wearing their uniform or carrying a military ID card and to veterans carrying a medal or veteran’s badge.
The company also offers free bus travel every year for veterans and military personnel on Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday.
🦸 A supermarket worker who saved a choking toddler has been hailed as a “lifesaver” (Blackpool Gazette).
🏏 Lytham-born Frank Duckworth, the man whose mathematical knowledge helped to revolutionise rain-affected cricket, has died aged 84 (BBC).
🐀 Seagulls, rats and flies are wreaking havoc for residents near an East Lancs tip where it’s claimed rubbish is brought from as far as Blackpool (Lancashire Telegraph). ↪️ In other unpleasant news, a man was recorded throwing dozens of bags of dog poo into a field and at horses (Lancashire Telegraph).
👑 A teenager dubbed Britain’s youngest drag queen has been awarded by fellow classmates after attending prom in full drag (Blackpool Gazette).
"I was a bit nervous driving there but once we pulled up I was completely fine. I hadn't told many people that I had planned to come in drag - then when I got out the car everyone cheered. Everyone was telling me how gorgeous I looked, and how brave I was. It was honestly lovely."
Lewis Fuller aka Kendall Cursed
🍻 The new landlord of a troubled city centre pub has vowed to restore it to its former glory (Blog Preston).
🚑 A woman was taken to hospital after suffering chest and leg bites from an “out of control” dog believed to be an XL Bully (Lancashire Post).
😂 Comedy icon Jason Manford will star in a musical based on '“Bank of Dave’s” Dave Fishwick (LancsLive).
🚌 Changing demand post-pandemic has been cited for yet more changes to Preston’s bus timetable (Blog Preston). ↪️ And fresh off the back of the bumpy start to one road’s change to being bus-only, another in the city could be about to see the same change (Lancashire Post).
Thanks very much for reading today’s edition of The Lancashire Lead. Any feedback is greatly appreciated and if you enjoyed reading it please subscribe and share using the buttons below. I’ll be back with a special edition later this week before the usual Sunday evening issue.
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