Sky News and Sophy Ridge to host political programme live tonight in Grimsby, with Lia Nici and Melanie Onn

Ivan Morris Poxton

25 April 2024 at 9:20 am·2-min read

Melanie Onn, left, and Lia Nici, right, pictured at the 2019 General Election Grimsby count - the pair will feature on Sky News live tonight at Grimsby Town Hall -Credit:Jon Corken/Grimsby Live

Sky News will host a political primetime programme live from Grimsby tonight.

The Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge will be broadcast from 7pm from Grimsby Central Hall. It is the latest instalment in the broadcaster's 'Target Towns' series, which has seen it focus in recent weeks on topics in Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

A week to go to the local elections, the award-winning Sky News political team will speak with Great Grimsby's Conservative MP Lia Nici and her Labour challenger at the next general election, Melanie Onn. It comes as exclusive Sky News-commissioned YouGov polling highlights increased political apathy.

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Sophy Ridge will be joined by a live audience of locals who have said they are disillusioned with the state of UK politics, with many even concerned that there is no party they can vote for. The discussion will delve into the issues affecting the community and the rest of the UK, exploring why many voters have lost faith in politics.

Sky News polling has found that 83 per cent of people believe politicians do not care about them, and 84 per cent believe politicians would fight each other, rather than further the national interest. More than seven in ten 2019 Conservative voters, 71 per cent, also do not the trust the party to keep its promises.

The increase in distrust of the government by voters who voted for Brexit is double that of Remain voters - +33 to +16. Grimsby and Cleethorpes voted heavily to leave the EU in 2016, by almost 70 per cent.

Sky News' Target Town series aims to tell the story of the upcoming general election from the viewpoint of voters across the future Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency. It is high on Conservative and Labour target lists, lying right at the heart of the so-called 'Red Wall' traditionally Labour seats that the Tories won over to triumph in the 2019 general election.

Features already broadcast include East Marsh United's efforts to transform empty, derelict homes, as also previously covered by Grimsby Live. As part of the multiplatform series, Sky News will continue to revisit the area – hearing from locals all the way through to election night – to explore the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and find out what people really want from our politicians.

The Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge Target Towns special will be aired live from Grimsby Central Hall tonight from 7pm – 8pm, on Sky News, available free wherever you get your news, including Freeview, YouTube and the Sky News website.

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