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17
Jul 2023
Local by-election candidates accuse BBC of bias
The three Independent candidates in this week's Selby and Ainsty by-election have accused the BBC of bias.
Harrogate-based Andrew Gray, Tyler Wilson-Kerr and Nick Palmer issued a joint statement last night claiming they had been marginalised by the broadcaster.
The statement said:
Opinion polls suggest the by-election is a two-way fight between the Conservatives and Labour.
Betting company OddsChecker has Labour 1/7 to win, with the Conservatives at 11-2 and the Liberal Democrats at 100-1.
Conservative Nigel Adams, who won the seat in 2019 with a 20,137 majority in 2019, triggered the by-election when he resigned last month. It is one of three by-elections being contested on Thursday.
If Labour wins, it will be the biggest ever overturn of a Conservative majority. The party is expected to send several front bench heavyweights to the constituency this week as part of a final push.
Read more:
- Harrogate man to stand as independent in Selby and Ainsty by-election
- Three schools near Harrogate to share executive head under new agreement
Thirteen candidates are standing in Thursday's ballot.
The joint statement highlight how Independents came third at last year's local elections in Selby and adds:
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