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:

“Absence of the Independent candidates from BBC coverage gives the electorate the impression that they are not able to win; that they are not working hard.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. The mood of the constituency is one of change. Most people we speak to do not align with any political party.”

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.

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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:

“With so many candidates, the likely margin of victory is likely to be small. The State Broadcaster’s position could sway this election.

“Tyler, Nick and Andrew all bring valuable experience to this election. The habit of mainstream media to treat elections as a largely binary choice is both insulting to Yorkshire voters and damaging to democracy.”

Selby and Ainsty by-election candidates have their say – Part 3

This article is the third of a series of six.

Voters across parts of the district will be heading to the polls next Thursday (July 20), when Selby and Ainsty holds a by-election triggered by the dramatic resignation last month of MP Nigel Adams. 

Most of the Selby and Ainsty constituency lies beyond our district’s borders – it stretches almost as far as Goole and Doncaster – but its northern end does encompass Huby, Follifoot, Spofforth and some of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Tockwith, Green Hammerton and Long Marston. 

There’s a broad field to choose from – there are 13 candidates – but who are they, and what do they believe? 

In the lead-up to the by-election, we’re spotlighting two or three each day, giving constituents the opportunity to read about the people who wish to represent them at Westminster – in their own words. 

So far, we’ve featured independent Andrew Gray, Claire Holmes of the Conservative Party, Mike Jordan of the Yorkshire Party and Dave Kent of Reform UK.

Continuing to take their surnames in alphabetical order, today’s candidates are Keir Mather of the Labour Party, independent Nick Palmer, and Guy Phoenix of the Heritage Party. 

Tomorrow: Sir Archibald Stanton (Official Monster Raving Loony Party), and Matt Walker (Liberal Democrats).

Keir Mather, Labour Party

Keir Mather was born in Hull and grew up near Selby before going to Oxford University. Keir has most recently worked at the CBI (Confederation of British Industry). His candidacy was supported by the GMB and Unison. 

“I’m standing to be Selby and Ainsty’s MP because this brilliant place has been let down for too long. We are facing the biggest hit to living standards in a generation. Mortgages, food and fuel prices are all soaring. Our public services are broken. Meanwhile the Conservative Government is too distracted by its own infighting and chaos to deliver, and the MP for Selby and Ainsty abandoned the people he was elected to serve, all because he didn’t get a peerage. 

“I have been having thousands of conversations on the doorstep, hearing directly about what matters most to our local communities. These conversations shaped my plan for Selby and Ainsty, which starts with supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis, with our Warm Homes Plan to bring down energy bills by £1,400 and financial support surgeries across the constituency to provide vital support immediately in the crisis. 

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and in their communities, but in North Yorkshire theft is up 14% in the last year, and knife crime is now nearly twice as high as it was in 2010. Where the Conservatives have cut police on the streets, Labour will restore neighbourhood policing with 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs. 

“My plan will also see us restore frequent and reliable public transport, protection from flooding and sewage dumping, and ensure our NHS services are built for the future. It’s time for a fresh start in Selby and Ainsty. If you’ve felt taken for granted or let down, I urge you to put your faith in me on July 20.” 

Nick Palmer, Independent 

One of the few candidates to live in the constituency, Nick Palmer has an MBA from Vlerick Business School in Belgium and is managing director of Bizenko, a social enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between the worlds of education and employment. 

“How many voters feel politically ‘homeless’ in the United Kingdom? I doubt anybody knows the true scale of this problem. But we should. I pledge to find out. 

“Voters hate broken promises and tribal squabbling from the different political parties. It makes them feel angry and frustrated. When voters are angry and frustrated, it becomes a problem for society. I’m standing as a candidate to give frustrated voters a meaningful option on Thursday, July 20. 

“Despite being a Westminster election, the Selby and Ainsty by-election will have zero impact at Westminster. Frustrating, isn’t it?! 

“The day after this by-election, Rishi will still be the Conservative Prime Minister, with a healthy majority in Parliament. Sir Keir will still be the Labour leader of the Opposition. 

“Many voters tell me that they can’t stand one party, and can’t trust the other. They feel they have to vote for a ‘big’ party in order to deny their enemy ‘sneaking in’. But that won’t mean anything here. The Westminster situation is already determined. There will be no change. 

“Tactical voting to block either main party, even in desperation, is a missed opportunity. We can make our vote more meaningful!  

“Typically, challenger parties cannot ‘win’ their argument and implement their by-election plans unless they win a general election. Until then, we have the Conservatives. 

“Traditionally, only two parties can win a general election. Which fuels the toxic culture that depresses so many voters. Therefore, this by-election is a ‘free hit’ to send a protest vote. As long as the protest vote doesn’t need a general election victory to come true, then we can make our vote meaningful. 

“Let that message be ‘#DoBetter, Westminster! We want better politics, and until you improve your culture, we choose an independent MP!’

“For floating voters, the most meaningful vote here is for an independent candidate who is not trying to win a general election. A candidate with a skillset for identifying failed systems, processes and cultures. Someone who can highlight the change needed to restore trust in politics.  

“In this by-election, that means a vote for Nick Palmer.”

Guy Phoenix, Heritage Party 

Guy Phoenix is owner and managing director of Ripon-based IT support firm Fresh Mango Technologies, which has two other offices in Yorkshire and provides an out-of-hours service from a team based in the British Virgin Islands. The Heritage Party is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist and socially conservative party founded in 2020. 

“I am a local businessman with offices in Ripon, Leeds and Skipton, employing 23 people. I have been canvassing door-to-door across the constituency and I’m hearing the same comments from people – we want change. 

“So, I ask them if they want real change, and when they say yes then my response is simple. The only way to get that change is to discard the old parties and vote for a new, socially conservative and principled party. That’s the Heritage Party.”

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