Wednesday 12 January 2011
Here's Emily with news of tonight's special programme:
Tonight we're in Oldham East and Saddleworth, and joined by a live studio audience and top politicians to mark this first electoral test of the Coalition.
I've just walked into a tea dance in the very room in which former Labour minister Phil Woolas was ejected from his seat.
There, to the strains of a sequence waltz, Oldham's rather sprightly seniors are showing that even on the greyest day of year this place does not conform to the nickname bestowed on it by (largely southern) journos. Old and Sad it ain't.
Tomorrow the dancers and the rest of this Pennine-nestled town will be asked to vote in the first by-election of the year, and of the Coalition government.
Luminous orange works well in the dark and, if the poster campaign is anything to go by, the Lib Dems have won that contest at least.
But they might not get the same glow from the voters themselves this time - by-elections tend to be much less cuddly when you're in government.
Tonight a studio audience of local voters from across the political spectrum get to put their questions to Conservative Baroness Warsi, President of the Lib Dems Tim Farron, and the shadow work and pensions secretary, Douglas Alexander.
Michael Crick reports from the ground, plus we bring you the latest from PMQs, and new revelations about the government's plans to curb bankers' bonuses.
Will Oldham's MP be voted in on local issues? Or will the politics of Westminster, the issues of trust and the grievances that people feel more widely with their leaders define the result?
It's all to play for here on the last day of the campaign.
Join me at 10.30pm on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two from Oldham.
Emily
You can get more news and chat about the programme on (don't forget to use the hashtag #newsnight) and on .
Comment number 1.
At 12th Jan 2011, DebtJuggler wrote:"BY-ELECTION BATTLE - THE FIRST TEST"
Now, now!...language like that (i.e. use of the word 'battle') can be blamed for inciting extremist violent actions - such as that which occured last weekend in Tucson, Arizona.
Talk about hyping-it-up!
Though it does sound more like the start of a int'l cricket match series.
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Comment number 2.
At 12th Jan 2011, jauntycyclist wrote:Not PC
..Did PC Kennedy have sexual relations with Anna to obtain information for the British state? If so, then this looks like state-sponsored sex abuse....
er isn't that what spies do? Should James Bond be on the sex offender's register?
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Comment number 3.
At 12th Jan 2011, worcesterjim wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 4.
At 12th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:LOSING MY CROWN TO WORCESTERJIM (#3)
First 'Sodom and Begorrah' now 'Brown Owl' superb spleen. I yield Jim.
In passing - Dave says 'we face an enormous terrorist threat'. I suggest Johnnie Foreigner faces an INCREDIBLE (Dave's favourite word) threat, out of all proportion to the one we face, as we murder him, and his, into friendship.
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Comment number 5.
At 12th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 6.
At 12th Jan 2011, worcesterjim wrote:4 and 5...Barrie..the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ are far too wise to be taken in by your devious attempts to paint me with your rabidly extremist Jackson Pollock colours.You can keep your crown Your Highness...I am but a simple seeker after truth and wisdom and my Holy Grail is Newsnight followed by the Channel 5 "New Sky at Night" featuring Jordan and her celestial orbs!
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Comment number 7.
At 12th Jan 2011, stevie wrote:excellent NN last night and so much was crammed in which can be a problem as some items are cut short i.e. the by-election...Emily very good and a good flow....
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Comment number 8.
At 12th Jan 2011, brossen99 wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 9.
At 12th Jan 2011, brossen99 wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 10.
At 12th Jan 2011, brossen99 wrote:It would appear that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is attempting to put a set of blinkers on the said by-election debate in order that only Lib/Lab/Con " Corporate Nazi Ideology " thought police approved party policies are taken into consideration without question, keep the electorate in the dark about what's really going on.
/news/uk-politics-12170003
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Comment number 11.
At 12th Jan 2011, worcesterjim wrote:10 Well said Brossen99...and Mardell is up to similar tricks over in the Beebs beloved USA...but cosole yourself that you are an honest person of integrity...and would never get get a job in the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ liberal propoganda machine!
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Comment number 12.
At 12th Jan 2011, JunkkMale wrote:A lot of folk so far referring to stuff that is now... 'referred'. Quaint.
'1. At 12:00pm on 12 Jan 2011, DebtJuggler wrote:
Now, now!...language like that (i.e. use of the word 'battle') can be blamed for inciting extremist violent actions
Wot, like Mr. Mardell is digging a professional hole over currently a few blogs to the lef... er, another location of here?
I'm simply intrigued by the precedents being set.
As half (I use the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s measuring system for effect, whereby 'split' can be 100:1 when it suits) the Newsnight production team seemed to be tweeting away recently with folk at the heart of coordinated fire extinguisher lobbing and property destruction, establishing causal linkages between actions and inflammatory incitement from establishment quarters could prove productively amusing... in a multiple standard sort of way.
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Comment number 13.
At 12th Jan 2011, DebtJuggler wrote:Newsnight tonight...pure theatre...total pantomime.
If you are/were taken in by any of tonight's facade - dream on.
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Comment number 14.
At 12th Jan 2011, Lara wrote:Why didn't anyone pick up that the Lib Dem guy doesn't know what the National debt is? He quoted £160-170billion which is the National Deficit, not debt. National debt is in the region of £4.8 trillion (per 'Britains Trillion Pound Horror Story')- just a tad more.
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Comment number 15.
At 12th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:WARSI ALWAYS GIVES ME THE IMPRESSION SHE IS NOT VERY BRIGHT.
Tonight was no exception.
The lady head teacher did well to keep pointing out Warsi's failure to address the subject raised. Such a shame that Emilie did not weigh in on the head's behalf.
I am still waiting for the Baroness to be challenged on homosexual equality again. Dimbleby let her off the hook on Question Time. We need to see a bit of ‘DO ASK - DO SAY’ there. It could throw an interesting light on matters multicultural, at Westminster.
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Comment number 16.
At 12th Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:'ENDED UP WITH A SHADOW CHANCELLOR WHO CAN'T, A LABOUR LEADER WHO DOESN'T'
And a Prime Minister who is a 'complete'.
PMQ's at is most pathetic and banal.
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Comment number 17.
At 13th Jan 2011, jauntycyclist wrote:alarm clock britain?
what time do those millionaire landowners get up to open their 4 billion a year public subsidy checks?
what time do those who own the carbon exchanges get up to count their profits?
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Comment number 18.
At 13th Jan 2011, stevie wrote:Baroness Warsi......she reminds me of Thatcher without the ranting....
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Comment number 19.
At 13th Jan 2011, Simplemovingaverage wrote:Some By-election special. There were only three parties in the debate that I have no connection with, and the only reference to UKIP being something about Nigel Farage wanting to move into Stuart Wheeler's castle, I guess in an attempt to belittle a party that is against one of the bbc's financial supporters. For something that is completly dominating our lives for the worst, the bbc did not hardly touch on the eu. It's just poor. We need to have a serious look at axing the bbc.
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