Leo Barraclough International Features Editor For more than 40 years, Aardman Animations has been producing classics like “Wallace & Gromit,” “Chicken Run” and “Shaun the Sheep.” Now, following in the footsteps of pioneers such as Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Nick Park, new recruits have come on board at the company’s headquarters on Spike Island in the port city of Bristol, in the West of England, replenishing its creative treasure chest. Variety steps along the gangplank to meet some of the more recent additions to the crew: Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, the creators of Oscar-nominated “Robin Robin” (see here); kids’ comedy series “Lloyd of the Flies” creator and director Matthew Walker, and co-director and voice director Jane Davies (see here); and Lucy Izzard, the creator, writer and director of “The Very Small Creatures,” a BAFTA nominated preschool series (see below).
When is the next general election in the UK?
04.01.2024 - 15:11 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The country will go to the poll within the next 12 months to choose a new government. The last general election took place in December 2019 when Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party won a landslide victory with a majority of 80 seats.
As a result, it means the next general election must take place by January 2015. Before then there will be local elections up and down the coutnry in May - with mayors and council seats up for grabs. In Greater Manchester, a third of seats will be up in all 10 local councils and mayors Andy Burnham and Paul Dennett will also be defending their positions.
These elections are due to take place on May 2 and there had been speculation that a general election could also take place on the same day. However this now appears unlikely.
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On Thursday, January 4, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it is his “working assumption” that he would not be sending the public to the polls in the spring.
He told broadcasters on a visit to a youth centre in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire: “So my working assumption is we’ll have a general election in the second half of this year and in the meantime I’ve got lots that I want to get on with.”
The Conservative leader declined to rule out a May election categorically but repeated his intentions to go for later in the year.
It comes as opposition leaders continued to call on the Prime Minister to call an earlier election - accusing him of of 'squatting' in Downing Street.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused him of “dithering and delaying” while the Liberal Democrats claimed Mr Sunak had “bottled it” amid dire polling for the Tories.
Sir Keir told Sky News: "We are ready for
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The Mancunian Way: Powering up The North
Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.
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