18/04/2017 East Midlands Today

And now the news for the East Midlands.

First tonight, the snap election on June the 8th will throw

the spotlight onto the East Midlands once again as a key

In a moment, I'll be talking to our reporter Navtej Johal,

who's been getting reaction in our most marginal seat.

But first, this is how the political map looks now -

Two years ago, the Conservatives took 18

parts of the countryside, while Labour's power lies

in the cities and former mining areas, with 14 MPs.

The Lib-Dems failed to make an impression.

On the streets of Nottingham and Leicester today,

people gave their reaction to the unexpected election news.

Well, I think it's about time we had one.

I didn't think there would be one so soon.

I just read one headline that said, a snap annihilation

That's probably what they're going with.

One vote is one vote and to go through it all again

is going to confuse people, so I think it shouldn't

Everybody in their lives, they need change.

I don't think it was the right action.

Unless she felt as a leader but she didn't actually have the support

from the country that she felt that she had to do that.

I've only just seen it on the train so it's a bit of a shock.

I thought she was only here for the long haul to get Brexit over and

Anyone that was leading anything, a business or a country,

would want to have a mandate and I think that's

Well, she wasn't really elected, was she?

She was put in there, so this will show how popular she is.

I voted for Brexit and I will vote again.

I think it's a really good tactic and it's a guaranteed win, isn't it?

The Prime Minister's announcement seems to have caught

After she repeatedly said it was not an option,

she's changed her mind and it is now happening.

Navtej Johal has been looking at the reaction of some

of our MPs and you've also been to the most marginal

Derby North was not only the most marginal seat

in the East Midlands, but the most marginal

Two years ago, the Conservatives' Amanda Solloway beat the Labour

incumbent Chris Williamson by just 41 votes -

it was so tightly contested that it took three

I went to two very different parts of her constituency to see how

people would be voting this time round.

Whoever puts forward remain, I'll be voting for them.

So Brexit has affected the way you would vote?

Well, I'm a Labour voter, but I quite like Theresa May.

I probably used to vote Conservative, but now I'd

It's just a lifelong, family tradition.

I normally vote Conservative and I'll

I'm one of those that I'll have to do my

Well, Amanda Solloway was in London at a photo call for the marathon

earlier today when she heard the news about the election.

Well, I hadn't expected it this morning, I have to say.

And then, now that I'm hearing about this

general election, I can really understand why it's happening.

At the moment, economically, the country is doing great.

There are lots of good things happening in education.

One of the things that I am really driving is

And I feel that we are doing more now than we ever have done.

So I actually feel that there is a lot is being done by the

Government and I am very, very hopeful that we will increase our

My majority in my constituency is 41.

I've always had a really simple philosophy that all I

And I thought it was going to be five years, now two so far.

And we will now find out on June 8th whether I have done enough

And any reactions from some of our other MPs?

Well, it's certainly come as a surprise and

On social media, Anna Soubry the Broxtowe Conservative called

the Prime Minister's decision brave and principled.

And she said winning the General election would give the PM a mandate

she needs for the Brexit negotiations.

On the other hand, Lilian Greenwood called it a chance to,

quote, "Kick out this lousy Tory Government."

"Bring it on," says the Labour MP for Nottingham South.

And Jon Ashworth, the Shadow Health Secretary

a text which indicates that Labour want to campaign on far more

than Brexit - the NHS, providing every child with the very

best education, and building the economy.

There's uncertainty over which of our MPs will decide

There's much interest in Rushcliffe's Ken Clarke,

He said he'd stand down in 2020, but the election has come

early and the Rushcliffe seat survives being carved up

in proposed boundary changes, which won't now go ahead.

We'll be hearing from more candidates in the coming days

and weeks, but if it passes the vote in the House of Commons tomorrow,

the election will be just seven weeks away.

A Derby man has admitted seven sex offences, including

Ilija High from Chaddesden pleaded guilty to attacking three

women in Spondon and Darley Abbey, between September 2014

The 23-year-old will be back in front of the Crown Court again

in June and has been told to expect a significant sentence.

A Nottinghamshire family have been speaking about their escape

Two crews were called to the blaze in Eastwood

Everyone in the property managed to escape,

but the house is un-inhabitable, because of smoke damage.

The Fire Service believes it began with an electrical fault.

I was just watching telly with my kids and we started to smell

I just saw it sparking and popping and I just got the kids out and ran

them up to my friend's house and I came back and it was ablaze.

Onto football and Leicester City's dream of making the Champions League

They drew 1-1 with Athletico Madrid at the King Power Stadium.

Over now to Colin Hazelden at the King Power Stadium.

Heroine failure. All is likely. No one here at Leicester was going to

leave wondering what might have happened had they given a little bit

more. The staff, the fans in the stand, all with their game. The

players around themselves absolutely ragged. It didn't work. There were

very nearly turned into a very very nearly turned into a very

very nearly turned into a very special night.

Leicester were putting on a show, whether this

was to be the end of their European journey or not.

They needed at least two goals and were looking the more

But Atletico had been in two of the last three Champions

League finals and they found a killer goal of simplistic quality.

With Europe's away goals rule, it meant Leicester needed to score

three times in an hour to make the semifinals,

Leicester made half-time changes for one final fling,

One of the subs, Ben Chilwell, with the ball across, Vardy,

Two needed in 30 minutes, Leicester were racking up

the attempts on goal and coming close.

Their football was no direct, but it had the

And the European tour was finally over.

The last English team in the competition went out fighting

to the end and Atletico Madrid were relieved to stay in.

The fans remained behind, savouring every

Not knowing when or if they will be back in it.

It is the end and it's the end not just of the Champions League, but

what has been an absolutely wild to your right. Encompassing the great

escape and of course that Premier League title. The question for

everyone here is, what on earth happens next to this club? Standard

football rules the go back to being just another side in mid-table, but

for many years, standard football rules have not applied here. They

certainly haven't, Colin. Thank you very much indeed.

As we go through the next few with your weather now, here's Alex.

As we go through the next few days, we have a settled spell of weather

ahead. This was the picture area on today. Blue skies across much of the

region. Thank you to our weather watchers for sending in those

pictures. As we have a look at the track high pressure is not going

anywhere any time soon. We're sticking with settled conditions. A

few week weather funds coming in our direction in places, so we may see a

little bit of patchy rain. Overnight tonight, clear spells to begin with

and that means the temperatures falling away. In towns and cities,

we may seize temperatures around three or four Celsius. It may drop

below freezing in the countryside. As we go through tomorrow morning,

we will start off on a bright note, but then it will turn his air over

the course of the day, with thick clouds starting to move down from

the north. The odd shower here and there. As we have a look ahead

towards Thursday, more of the same. Variable amounts of cloud,

temperatures recovering just a little there. High pressure still in

charge towards the end the week, with showers. Here is

The weather hasn't been too dramatic of late. That is not say it's not

without problems. One of those could occur as early as tonight. There

could be a sharp rural frost around especially so in the southern half

of the British isles. I make the distinction between south and north,

further north we have a weather front, a weak affair from the

Atlantic. It has enough breeze and cloud to help to keep the

temperatures up relative to the south. Now there