18/04/2017 North West Tonight

The North West will be a key battleground in the General

Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party is expected to face a tough fight

to hang on to some of its most marginal seats in this region.

But the Conservatives will also be under pressure in areas

where they only just won two years ago.

Our political editor Nina Warhurst has been looking at the marginals.

If we define a marginal as one that requires a 5% swing

from one party to another, there are 11 in our patch.

The closest is Chester snatched by labour in 2015

where the Conservatives would need fewer than 100 votes

The Tories held on to Bury north last time, only just,

and Labour will be working hard to win it.

Remember that surprise when Esther McvVey lost her

The Tories will be determined to take it.

Labour held on to Barrow Furness but lost 5% of their vote.

If they lost any more this time it could turn Blue.

And Bolton West will be a Labour target,

I spent the day in that most marginal of marginals, Chester.

Chester doesn't turn out the same old results, its wings. In 2015 to

Labour, who won by just 93 votes. Constituency like Mark often don't

have lifelong loyalty to the party, though this time his mind is made

up. Theresa May. Why? Besides Jeremy Corbyn has some very admirable

qualities about him, we need someone who is strong enough to carry us

forward in these challenging times. It is because you think she can

deliver a good Brexit? I think she can, yes. Could be called in fact

Labour MPs across the Northwest? I have been there two years but I like

to think I have a reputation for hard work and proper representation

and treating all of my constituents with respect. I have a good record

and the Conservatives have a shocking record, and I am up for the

fight. Gesture's population is socially diverse, move outside the

pretty centre and the pockets of poverty and deprivation. Beyond that

other rolling hills of Cheshire housing millionaires and it is that

makes demographic that makes Chester one of the key marginals in the

Northwest. In many ways tester and other seat in the Northwest will

decide the election outcome, whoever wins those seats will win the

election. Turns out to Cheadle and the Lib Dems are already

campaigning, here in nearby Hazel Grove they went from them to the

Tories but here people voted to remain in the EU and the Lib Dems

believe that this will see seats swing back the way. Theresa May has

gone the route of a hard Brexit, that is not the people voted for.

The selection gives people the opportunity to say to Theresa May

you are going down the wrong road and we need to do things

differently. Into wider region of 53% of voters backed league

campaign, you could say they are the only party who will deliver. The

Northwest for the two leaves last year, 17.4 million people across the

UK voted to leave. The only party they can trust to deliver Brexit

either in government or by putting pressure on the government is Ukip.

If you live in Cheshire Cheadle or most parts the Northwest the coming

for you and your vote. The clock is ticking.

Nina Warhurst is with me now. What impact is this going to have on the

elections for mayor in the Liverpool city region, greater Manchester and

the by-election? As I understand the mayoral contest

in Manchester will go ahead as planned on the 4th of May but it is

the by-election that has everybody scratching their heads, a

by-election when Parliament has been by-election when Parliament has been

dissolved. That decision will come to Manchester City Council where the

returning officer is based. They told me they are seeking legal

advice that will make a decision tomorrow.

We had breaking news about Andy Burnham tonight.

He has been MP for release since 2001 but has told BBC radio

Manchester tonight that it is his intention not to stand for the

Labour Party if there is an election that goes ahead, that is because he

on the upcoming mayoral race for on the upcoming mayoral race for

greater Manchester which as we said will definitely go ahead on the 4th

of May. Following this bulletin there is a

debate with the candidates for mayor of Manchester, that is on BBC One at

around 11 o'clock. A friend of an unarmed man shot dead

by Greater Manchester Police has denied they were about to commit

an armed robbery. David Totton also told the public

inquiry into Anthony Grainger's death that there was no warning

before officers opened fire Over the last few weeks we have

heard many versions of how this man died, today at the enquiry into

Anthony Granger 's death we heard this man's version. David Tartan was

in the same car sitting next to as a Granger when police opened fire.

Asked about why they were in this car park in March 2012 Little --

rolled up balaclavas on their heads. Insisted to the police that the

theory that they were there to carry out an armed raid was wrong. He was

also asked about his history. In 2060 was the intended target --

target of a shooting at a pub in Salford. He was injured but

survived. The gunmen themselves were shot dead. Giving his evidence David

Tartan was quietly spoken often asked to repeat himself or speak

more loudly. He told the enquiry that he had been friends with

Anthony Granger since they were children. Asked about the evening

when his friend were shot he said they were in a stolen car together

parked in culture. He described another car screeching end and said

Hazard stopped or before it stopped I heard a bang, feeling shards of

glass in my face. He was asked by the lawyer for the Granger family

before the shards of glass did you raise your hands so they were

visible? The answer was no. Did anybody shed show me your hands

before the shards of glass? No. That is at odds with the evidence of the

police officer who shot to insist seizure today warning and said he

was convinced Anthony Granger was reaching the weapon when he fired.

In fact Anthony Granger was unarmed. The enquiry continues.

The funeral has been held of a four year old girl -

who died after being knocked down in St Helens.

Violet-Grace Youens was killed - and her grandmother

seriously injured - when they were struck by a car

Family and friends attending the funeral wore the colour violet -

The HS2 high-speed rail link could destroy some of our region's

most beautiful ancient woodlands, it was claimed today.

The warning's come from the Woodland Trust,

which wants changes to the proposed route between the Midlands

Here's our Chief Reporter, Dave Guest.

Callers would as a true hidden gem, an oasis of rural tranquillity that

is bordered by a housing estate in Partington. This is officially

classed as ancient woodland. We know it is ancient woodland because it

has been an absence of 1600 A.D.. The peace of this place could be

shattered with news that the HS2 high-speed rail line could cut

across the Western fringes. This is one of five Northwest ancient

woodlands which could be affected by the project. The possibility of a

test to passing through here has divided local opinion. It has been

there since I was a kid, I played the kids play on it and I don't

think it is right. Go forward with technology and to the future, the

wood is lovely but you have to do for the time. HS2 Ltd say that there

responsible infrastructure project responsible infrastructure project

the UK has ever seen. They say they do their best to avoid into

woodlands where possible and if it proves to be impossible they will do

their best to replace trees that are lost. Even though they plan to treat

you cannot recreate ancient woodland, you can add thousands of

trees but we can't replace this unique habitat. HS2 serial

continuing getting with the Woodland Trust and no final decisions about

roads have yet been taken. Football in the League 1 game

between Bolton and Berry ended in a goalless draw. Others are pushing

for promotion and two points ahead of place which would. Barrier

fighting to avoid relegation and tonight result leaves them two

points above the drop zone. That's all the news, let's get a look at

the weather. It was a frosty start for some

places, HLA staff are all others but the sun came out and it was a pretty

day. Here it is looking glorious in Fleetwood, I don't think you'll see

too much in the way of sunshine as we had the next couple of days. We

have an area of high-pressure influencing the weather but for the

most part the wind comes towards from the west and north-west, and

that drags up quite a bit of cloud cover. You can see the line of rain

working its way through the Isle of Man, there's nothing showing up

Rhino and that is how we stay through night. As we said it was a

chilly one, no problems with temperatures with a template wind

direction when cloud cover coming in through the early hours of the

morning. Temperatures between six and 8 degrees. It is a while and it

is not like today, it was work leading picture with light and

spotty rain washing M. Generally running then I received from time to

time in its weekend and I think existing mainly of the highest

level. For most of us it is a fairly cloudy picture, loony but with

milder coming towards us so I would not be surprised if the temperatures

without the sunshine at the same as today, 11 or 12 degrees. Not too

much change in the forecast but I leave duty of the next couple of

days you can see that for yourself. 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.