Lucy McLaughlin

It’s Wednesday afternoon, the day before one of the most consequential by-elections in British history, and outside a pub on the southern outskirts of Wigan, the atmosphere is feverish. A Restore Britain meeting is underway: around 40 people mill around benches wearing party paraphernalia, while campaign leaflets are piled high on tables between them. But I’m encountering a problem: nobody will talk to the media. “We’re busy.

Rio twists his neck towards me and just for a moment we lock eyes through a big glass box. The parrot – a gorgeous blue and gold macaw with moss-green markings on his sloping forehead – has no idea of the nationwide furore his presence has set off. Just yesterday, footage of Rio in his new home – a glass box in the centre of a brand new “luxury dining and shisha experience” – was shared by the Instagram account ‘Vegan Manchester’. Within less than 12 hours, the RSPCA received a flood of complaints.

The ringing of the phone wakes Jasmine up. It’s half past one in the morning, and she rolls over in bed to check the number — No Caller ID. She’d never normally answer anonymous calls, least of all when she’s alone in the middle of the night, but curiosity gets the better of her. She picks up. “Hi, Jasmine,” a voice says. It’s the voice of a man, perhaps in his early 20s, speaking clearly and with no attempt at hiding his true identity. It’s not a voice she recognises. Jasmine stays silent.