Batley and Spen by-election: Voters 'not focused on Hancock row' says PM

Mr Johnson made his comments during a visit to a paint factory in the constituency

Boris Johnson has said voters in Batley and Spen are focused on "a positive change" in the area rather than the row over ex-health secretary Matt Hancock.

The prime minister was in the West Yorkshire constituency ahead of Thursday's by-election.

He was asked if Mr Hancock's resignation had damaged the campaign.

Mr Johnson said: "I think what people are focused on, what people on the doorsteps are saying... is that we want to have a positive change in Batley."

He told reporters during a visit to the Johnstone's Paints factory in Batley: "I read about that story on the Friday, and we had a new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on Saturday.

"And we see the opportunity, now that we're coming towards the end of the pandemic, as we get all the jabs in, we see an opportunity for a jobs-led recovery here in Batley and Spen and across the whole country."

He said the Conservative Party's contender, Leeds councillor Ryan Stephenson, was a "fantastic local candidate" who was "passionate" about the area he hoped would become his constituency.

The by-election was triggered after Tracy Brabin, who won the seat for Labour in 2019 with a 3,525 majority over the Conservatives, was elected as the mayor of West Yorkshire in May.

A total of 16 candidates will contest the by-election on Thursday.

These are the candidates (listed alphabetically by surname):

• Paul Bickerdike - Christian Peoples Alliance

• Mike Davies - Alliance For Green Socialism

• Jayda Fransen - Independent

• George Galloway - Workers Party

• Tom Gordon - Liberal Democrats

• Thérèse Hirst - English Democrats

• Howling Laud Hope - The Official Monster Raving Loony Party

• Susan Laird - Heritage Party

• Kim Leadbeater - Labour Party

• Oliver Purser - Social Democratic Party

• Corey Robinson - Yorkshire Party

• Andrew Smith - Rejoin EU

• Ryan Stephenson - Conservative Party

• Jack Thomson - UK Independence Party

• Jonathan Tilt - Freedom Alliance

• Anne Marie Waters - The For Britain Movement