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Labour HQ will have spent the last few hours toasting their success in Batley and Spen, after a nail-biting finish saw Kim Leadbeater crowned the newest MP. But with a majority of just 323, the reality is a little more mixed.  Sir Keir Starmer has undeniably bought himself more time at the helm, but unions, donors and a certain faction of MPs want to see proof that he is turning the ship around. I'm told he has a year to do it - but the pressure begins now.  Meanwhile Tories will be asking themselves what went wrong, after their expectations of a (relatively) easy win came to nothi...

Batley and Spen by-election: What's at stake for the main political parties? By Iain Watson image copyrightGetty Images Voters go to the polls on Thursday to elect a new MP for the seat of Batley and Spen. The West Yorkshire constituency voted for Labour's Tracy Brabin at the last general election, but she stood down following her election as West Yorkshire's mayor in May. The parties contesting the seat have a lot riding on the result. So what's at stake? Labour "If we can't win white working class voters in Hartlepool and if we lose South Asian voters in Batley, this raises the question of...

Sir Keir Starmer visits Batley and Spen, where Labour hopes to hold on to the seat on 1 July.

Pundits' comparisons with Hartlepool are wide of the mark, says BBC Yorkshire's political editor.

Labour’s candidate in the Batley and Spen by-election said the poll was about the people of the area and not a referendum on the leadership of party leader Sir Keir Starmer. Kim Leadbeater was speaking after welcoming Sir Keir to the constituency on Thursday as bookies backed the Tories to take the lead in the forthcoming poll. Ms Leadbeater told the PA news agency: “I think it’s really important the Labour leader comes to Batley and Spen. “I’ve chosen to stand as a Labour candidate but I’m under no illusion that the Labour Party has got some work to do.