Join The Lead for our election night coverage with correspondents in the North of England and our national editors and Westminster Editors in London, plus contributions from our correspondents and writers throughout Thursday 4 July into Friday 5 July.

Mark Butcher admitted to using technology to reply to comments on Facebook for speed purposes, but denied using ChatGPT.

Starmer has promised no return to austerity politics, but that commitment alone is not enough to heal the problem. 

A mum-of-three was hit with a Section 21 eviction notice after informing her landlord of issues with her home - Shelagh Parkinson reports from the hustings event organised by The Blackpool Lead and Blackpool Gazette

The Charity Commission continues to investigate complaints about a soup kitchen linked to Reform UK candidate Mark Butcher

Bolton West is the Conservatives’ most secure seat in Greater Manchester - but YouGov has them losing

Polling firm YouGov has Labour down to win all of the Teesside seats, with a share of the vote ranging from 39% in Stockton West to 52% in Stockton North

Warrington is a town of reconciliation and community. But its seems even this town cannot forgive 14 years of Tory misrule 

Housing, immigration and Conservative scandal all topics of discussion at our hustings event in Cleveleys

The Lead publishes in Warrington, Altrincham & Sale, Hyndburn, Lancashire, Bury, Burnley and Rossendale in print for the first time - with second editions appearing in Blackpool, Teesside, Bolton and Stoke-on-Trent