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2 months ago | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
The Whitehaven coal mine has looked increasingly unlikely to happen for a number of months, but the company behind it withdrawing its application for planning permission is still a big moment for West Cumbria. Whitehaven has been at the centre of a controversy lasting for more than a decade, with significant local support for the project, but international opposition from campaigners like Greta Thunberg.
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2 months ago | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
Council tax bills for Band D homes are increasing by £116 on average across the North East, York and North Yorkshire. Most local councils have again opted to increase charges by five percent, which is the limit without triggering a local referendum or getting special permission from the government.
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Jul 4, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
Don't forget, Labour were wiped off the map in Cumbria at the last general election, and haven't had a single MP in the county for the last four and a half years. They've now completed a dramatic comeback, in line with their nationwide triumph. The Conservatives have been kicked out of Cumbria, and kicked out of government.
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Jul 4, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
All sense of time may have been warped by staying up all night for these results, but it does feel incredible that the Hartlepool by-election was only just over three years ago. Then, the Conservatives won more than 50% of the vote against 15 other candidates, taking a seat Labour had held for decades. An inflatable version of Boris Johnson appeared, and there was talk about him being Prime Minister for a decade.
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Jul 4, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
After six weeks of campaigning and with the chance to cast votes officially over, attention is turning to the general election results. Here are five things to watch out for in the North East and North Yorkshire if you are staying up overnight. The race to declare the first resultIt's something the North East has become famous for, and many are proud of, though some councils have been playing down their interest this time.
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Jun 29, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
While of course we all actually vote for who we want to be our local MP, for very many people the party leaders will be in their minds when casting their ballot - and those possible prime ministers dominate the general election campaign. They visit key target or defensive seats, trying to show voters in different parts of the country that they care about what you care about, and win the 'air war' via engaging photo opportunities.
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Jun 24, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
For many years, the Liberals (followed by the Liberal Democrats) were strong in the Scottish Borders, West Cumbria was a Labour heartland, and the Conservatives controlled Penrith & The Border. In the last decade or so, the Tories gradually took over just about everywhere in our region. Their famous 2017 by-election win in Copeland was an example of the traditional Labour 'red wall' crumbling before anyone called it that.
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Jun 19, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
One of the (rather depressing) features of our democracy is that general elections are generally fought over a relatively small number of swing seats. Richmond, North Yorkshire is never normally among them. Its boundaries are changing slightly now and it's being renamed as Richmond and Northallerton, but those are just technicalities. Rishi Sunak finished more than 27,000 votes ahead of his nearest rival there in 2019, making it the safest seat in our region.
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Jun 19, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
The main political parties have now published their general election manifestos. Most of their plans are national in nature, and ITV News has summarised the key points. We have looked through the documents to find points particularly relevant to Cumbria and the South of Scotland. The region is not directly mentioned much in their manifestos, but the parties have strong positions around some of the biggest local issues and controversies. Should the proposed coal mine in Whitehaven go ahead?
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Jun 17, 2024 | 
itv.com | Tom Sheldrick
The main political parties have now published their key general election pledges in their manifestos - or what Reform UK call a 'contract' with voters. Most of those plans are national in nature, and ITV News has summarised the key points. At ITV News Tyne Tees, we have looked through the documents to find the points that are more specific to our region, or particularly relevant to the North East and North Yorkshire.
