Nine fringe politicians have decided to challenge Labour for control of Batley and Spen.
A by-election has been forced following the death of Jo Cox last June after far right groups and a host of independents decided to stand.
The surprisingly long list of contenders sparked some anger with some saying they should be “ashamed” of trying to capitalise on the brutal killing of Mrs Cox.
Labour’s main political rivals quickly announced they would not contest the seat following her killing, out of respect for the tragic nature of her passing.
The decision of the Conservatives, Green, UKIP and Lib Dems to not put up candidates meant it was potentially possible for Labour’s Tracy Brabin to be handed the seat without an election.
But voters will be made to choose a new face to represent them on October 20 after nine people decided to have a go at beating Mrs Brabin, a former actress who has starred in Coronation Street, Eastenders and a host of British TV dramas.
None of the parties standing against the former soap star featured in the 2015 Batley and Spen election, when Jo Cox won her seat with 43% of the vote beating her Conservative rival by a majority of 6,000.
At least five of the nine candidates are from the far right of politics with little known about most.
Who are the candidates?
Richard Edmonds - National Front
The National Front, a neo-nazi organisation that gained some popularity in the 1970s and 80s, has fielded Richard Edmonds, a veteran far-right politician who came last in the Carshalton and Wallington 2015 general election with 49 votes.
David Furness - BNP
The notorious British National Party, once led by Nick Griffin, has decided to put forward its campaign organiser David Furness. Mr Furness recently stood in the London Mayoral Election but he received just 0.5% of the votes.
He said: “I’m very sensitive to the facts surrounding the tragic death of the previous MP for Batley and Spen, it was a horrific crime and a deplorable attack on democracy.
“It’s vital that this attack on our treasured democracy does not succeed by having this by-election go uncontested.
“I intend to fight this seat on the principles of democracy that I hold dear, and every thing that I’ve read about Jo Cox tells me that she would support my democratic right to put myself forward for election and fight for what I believe in.”
Mr Furness said it was clear Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour branded the entire working class as racist.
He added: “I’m here to assure the people of Batley and Spen that, I do not judge and label them as Labour have, I understand and share their genuine concerns and will campaign during this election against uncontrolled mass Immigration which has been so devastating to our country.”
Therese Hirst - English Democrats
English Democrats’, another nationalist party that wants to see England split from the UK, has offered candidate Therese Hirst, a former leader of Robert Kilroy-Silk’s Veritas party.
The party says it is not racist and is campaigning for a referendum for Independence for England, for St George’s Day to be England’s National holiday, for Jerusalem to be England’s National Anthem, to leave the EU, for an end to mass immigration and for the Cross of St George to be flown on all public buildings in England.
Ms Hirst told the Examiner she was campaigning for better health prospects for the people of Batley and Spen, which has high levels of infant mortality, obesity and cancer.
She said: “Unfairly, far too much of English taxpayer’s money, our money, is going to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“UK government spending by country puts England as below the average UK spending by -3%, whilst Scotland is +16%, Wales is +11% and Northern Ireland is +25%.
“That unfair allocation of your taxes directly impacts on the health of people living in Batley and Spen.”
Jack Buckby - Liberty GB
Another right winger contesting the seat is Jack Buckby, a 23-year-old who left the BNP because it was “becoming racist”.
Mr Buckby was the first to announce he would stand last June as the candidate for Liberty GB, a nationalist party that says it wants to “save Britain”. His candidacy states his party as ‘No to terrorism, yes to Britain’.
Waqas Ali Khan - Independent
Right wing voters have a further choice with Waqas Ali Khan, a Ukip member from Bradford who is standing as an independent.
Mr Khan, 27, who stood for Ukip at the 2015 general election in Shipley, coming third behind Tory Philip Davies, said he was standing to oppose Mr Buckby, who he said would cause racial hatred and division in the constituency.
Garry Kitchin - Independent
The only local candidate is Batley’s own Garry Kitchin.
He defended his decision to stand as an independent by saying he believes “basic democratic principles mean that, in every constituency, people have the right to a full range of candidates to choose from when they select their MP.”
ANTI Corbyn – By-election Protest
One unknown candidate has entered the race to be elected with the name “Corbyn Anti”, meaning he or she will appear on the ballot paper as “ANTI Corbyn – By-election Protest”.
Shortly before her death, Jo Cox famously wrote a column calling for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to stand down.
Ankit Love - One Love Party
Henry Edmund Burke Mayhew - Independent
The final two challengers include Ankit Love from the One Love Party, a party whose main ambition is to tackle air pollution, and Henry Edmund Burke Mayhew - Independent.
Thomas Mair, 53, has been charged with the murder of Cox and will next appear in court in November for a plea hearing.
