General Election | The Lead

Layton's Hidden Garden aims to provide green space for people without their own garden

The space, at Layton Library in Blackpool, will be officially opened tomorrow (21 August)

Metropole Hotel 'wholly inadequate' to house refugees but has been their home for three years instead of three months

Webb believes more appropriate accommodation than the hotel chain named worst in the UK for 11 consecutive years should be found

By Shelagh Parkinson

'People behave like this, leave, call it a shithole': Sexual harassment reality in Blackpool

I began the Reclaim Blackpool campaign to help women share their experiences of sexual harassment in the town. Here, those people tell their stories of spiking, verbal abuse and feeling unsafe out in Blackpool

By Antonia Charlesworth Stack

Blackpool's £65m Multiversity project means second forced upheaval in three years for one business

Omasan and his business have been by Blackpool’s ambitious development projects, which have delivered blow after blow to his trade

By Rachel Howarth

Three from Blackpool plead guilty to their part in weekend disorder

Roger Haywood, Ben Smith and Tyla Chalmers-Millington will all be sentenced in September

By Luke Beardsworth

Ride The Lights Blackpool offers first look at Illuminations

All the info you need from parking, route, length, safety information and more as the annual cycling route runs the length of the Prom

By Ed Walker

Historical chemical contamination under investigation at Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone

Wyre Council said sampling was set to get underway next week to consider whether historic contamination has occurred from Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone

By Shelagh Parkinson

The Turner Prize is just the start of Blackpool’s cultural ambitions

Arts leaders in Blackpool are working with the local authority to draw up a five-year Cultural Plan - so now is the right time to set out big aspirations.

By Laura Davis

Fylde general election hustings to be held in Lytham

The Lancashire Lead is teaming with The Lancashire Post and Blog Preston to give you the chance to quiz the candidates to be your next MP

By Ed Walker

Police promises to handle any further Blackpool disruption robustly

“If there are outbreaks of disorder, we will robustly investigate any offences committed to ensure those responsible are brought to justice."

By Luke Beardsworth

The Lancashire Lead is going into print - ahead of the general election

Including a list of every supermarket you can pick up your free copy of the first ever edition of The Lancashire Lead

By Ed Walker

Fylde general election hustings to be held in Lytham

The Lancashire Lead is teaming with The Lancashire Post and Blog Preston to give you the chance to quiz the candidates to be your next MP

By Ed Walker

Repairing housing is key to Britain’s economic recovery

Labour’s manifesto suggests it understands how a dysfunctional housing sector destroys lives, but do the party's commitments go far enough?

By Hannah Fearn

The classroom crisis can't continue under Labour

The teaching profession has been devalued to the point of absurdity, with staff drafted into classrooms with little or sometimes no qualifications.

By Cherry Casey

Don't engage with Farage, no matter how mainstream he gets

The most toxic man in British politics is likely to play an outsized role as an opposition spokesman in the next parliament. This doesn't make his ideas worth compromising with.

By Diyora Shadijanova and Dimi Reider

Blackpool North general election hustings to be held in Cleveleys

The Blackpool Lead is teaming up with The Gazette and Shelter Lancashire to host the chance of you to quiz those seeking to be your MP on 4 July

By Jamie Lopez

Blackpool general election result will show if town has had enough of Conservatives

Chris Webb is heavy favourite to be re-elected in Blackpool South with a tight contest for second place, while Blackpool North and Cleveleys will see Labour hope to claim the seat from the Conservatives

By Michael Holmes

Job creation and delivered promises crucial to Stoke-on-Trent general election results

The last general election saw three Conservative MPs elected in the city for the first time - but that's unlikely to be repeated

By Hannah Hiles

Altrincham & Sale West could shun the Conservatives for first time in over 100 years in general election

Support for the Conservatives is so strong that it hasn't elected a non-Tory in over 100 years but latest YouGov polling suggests a first-ever Labour win is now the most likely outcome for the seat

By Jamie Lopez

Swinging pendulum of Hyndburn likely key indicator of general election result

Sara Britcliffe benefitted from a huge swing from Labour to Conservative in 2019 - but Labour will see it as a key target this time around

By Jamie Lopez

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