2014 Heywood and Middleton by-election

2014 UK Parliamentary by-election April 2022 2014 Heywood and Middleton by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Heywood and Middleton constituency no 2010 United Kingdom general election 2010 2015 United Kingdom general election 2015 9 October 2014 36% Liz McInnes x160px Labour Party (UK) 11,633 40.9% 0.8 pp John Bickley x160px UK Independence Party 11,016 38.7% 36.1 pp Ian Gartside Con Conservative Party (UK) 3,496 12.3% 14.9 pp Anthony Smith LD Liberal Democrats (UK) 1,457 5.1% 17.6 pp MP Subsequent MP Jim Dobbin Labour Party (UK) Liz McInnes Labour Party (UK) A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Heywood and Middleton was held on 9 October 2014, triggered by the death of incumbent Labour Party MP Jim Dobbin on 6 September. Labour candidate Liz McInnes narrowly held the seat following a recount; the UK Independence Party (UKIP) came second, and increased its vote by 36 percentage points. It was held on the same day as the 2014 Clacton by-election. Background Labour Party MP Jim Dobbin died on 6 September 2014. The writ to trigger the by-election was moved 10 September, and polling day was set as 9 October.Second by-election set to be held on 9 October https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29143285 10 September 2014 BBC News 10 September 2014 The nominations closed at 4pm on Tuesday 16 September.Middleton and Heywood to go to polls in by-election http://www.rochdalenewsroom.com/pressreleases/middleton-and-heywood-to-go-to-polls-in-by-election-1053403 12 September 2014 Rochdale Newsroom 11 September 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140912122653/http://www.rochdalenewsroom.com/pressreleases/middleton-and-heywood-to-go-to-polls-in-by-election-1053403 12 September 2014 Campaign Labour's decision to call for a by-election before Dobbin's funeral was criticised by Paul Nuttall and Steven Woolfe, UKIP MEPs for North West England, with the former describing it as "shoddy politics". Labour MP for Chesterfield Toby Perkins defended the timing, saying "With the agreement of Jim's family, we have moved the writ today as it is vital that the people of Heywood & Middleton constituency are not left without representation for an extended period".UKIP accuses Labour of 'shoddy politics' over Heywood & Middleton by-election date http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2014-09-10/ukip-accuses-labour-of-shoddy-politics-over-heywood-middleton-by-election-date/ 15 September 2014 ITV News 10 September 2014 UKIP candidate John Bickley distributed a leaflet in which he said "Labour's betrayal is no more apparent than with the young white working-class girls of Rotherham and Rochdale where rather than upset immigrant communities, years of abuse were ignored and complaints swept under the carpet".https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/labour-and-ukip-go-at-it-hammers-and-tongs-in-wake-of-rochdale-1.1942088 Labour and Ukip go at it hammers and tongs in wake of Rochdale Hennessy Mark September 26, 2014 The Irish Times 12 July 2022 Of this the Labour MP for neighbouring Rochdale, Simon Danczuk, said "It's now clear that UKIP will try and turn grooming and the death of Lee Rigby into a political football. They're playing politics with horrendous crimes that shocked Heywood and Middleton at a time when the wounds of these events are still healing in our town."Syal Rajeev UKIP accused of politicising child sex abuse scandal by blaming Labour https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/14/ukip-politicising-child-sex-abuse-claim-blame-labour 15 September 2014 The Guardian 14 September 2014 During an interview on Daily Politics, after the leaflet was called "divisive" by his Labour opponent Liz McInnes, Bickley criticised McInnes for publishing a leaflet with the heading "WAITING TO DIE" following the death of Jim Dobbin, saying it was landing on the doorsteps of the terminally ill.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Cduz9Vf_Q Labour's dirty campaign 6 October 2014 YouTube 7 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160307183127/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Cduz9Vf_Q dead Candidates On 16 September 2014, Rochdale Borough Council published the statement of persons nominated, which confirmed five candidates would contest the by-election.STATEMENT AS TO PERSONS NOMINATED AND NOTICE OF POLL http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/pdf/2014-09-16-SPNNOP.pdf Rochdale Borough Council 16 September 2014 PDF Labour candidate Liz McInnes is a local councillor on Rossendale Borough Council.Lancashire councillor Liz McInnes to stand as Labour candidate in Heywood and Middleton by-election Manchester Evening News The Liberal Democrats selected Anthony Smith, a local businessman.Lib Dems select Anthony Smith for Heywood and Middleton contest http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/91355/lib-dems-select-anthony-smith-for-heywood-and-middleton-contest https://web.archive.org/web/20160309075107/http://rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/91355/lib-dems-select-anthony-smith-for-heywood-and-middleton-contest usurped 9 March 2016 20 September 2014 Rochdale Online 15 September 2014 The UK Independence Party announced on 11 September that their candidate would be John Bickley, a software businessman who had stood in the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election in February, in which he had come second.Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election: Labour wins https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26184146 12 September 2014 BBC News 17 February 2014 The Green Party announced their candidate on 14 September as Middleton resident Abi Jackson, a recent graduate of the University of Huddersfield with a master's degree in psychology.Rochdale Green Party Announce Abi Jackson as their candidate for the Heywood & Middleton by-election http://rochdale.greenparty.org.uk/news/2014/09/14/2014-09-14-middleton-heywood-byelection-green-party-candidate-abi-jackson/ 15 September 2014 Green Party of England and Wales 14 September 2014 5 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305151956/https://rochdale.greenparty.org.uk/news/2014/09/14/2014-09-14-middleton-heywood-byelection-green-party-candidate-abi-jackson/ dead Polling Date(s)conductedPolling organisation/client Sample size Lab Con LD UKIP Green Others Lead9 Oct 2014 Heywood and Middleton by-election Result 28,472 40.9% 12.3% 5.1% 38.7% 3.1% - 2.2% 4 Oct Lord Ashcroft 1,000 47% 16% 5% 28% 4% - 19% 30 Sep Survation/The Sun 551 50% 13% 4% 31% 3% - 19% 6 May 2010 General Election Results 46,125 40.1% 27.2% 22.7% 2.6% - 7.4% 12.9% Result 2014 Heywood and Middleton by-election Labour Party (UK) Liz McInnes 11,633 40.9 0.8 UK Independence Party John Bickley 11,016 38.7 36.1 Conservative Party (UK) Iain Gartside 3,496 12.3 14.9 Liberal Democrats (UK) Anthony Smith 1,457 5.1 17.6 Green Party of England and Wales Abi Jackson 870 3.1 New 617 2.2 10.7 28,472 36.0 21.5 Labour Party (UK) Labour retained the seat with a small increase in vote share but a reduced majority. The 36-point increase in UKIP support is one of the largest increases in vote share ever recorded in a by-election. Only in six previous contests in Great Britain has a party enjoyed a larger increase. It is also the highest increase ever recorded for a party that did not win the by-election. Conversely, the fall in the Liberal Democrat vote was the largest recorded for that party in any of the by-elections they have contested since their formation.https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/clacton-byelection-the-ukip-bubble-shows-no-signs-of-deflating-quite-yet-9788116.html Clacton by-election: the UKIP bubble shows no sign of deflating yet Curtice John 10 October 2014 The Independent Previous result General election 2010: Heywood and MiddletonElection 2010: Heywood and Middleton http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/c20.stm BBC News 9 September 2014 Labour Co-operative Jim Dobbin 18,499 40.1 8.2 Conservative Party (UK) Mike Holly 12,528 27.2 5.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Wera Hobhouse 10,474 22.7 2.5 British National Party Peter Greenwood 3,239 7.0 2.6 UK Independence Party Victoria Cecil 1,215 2.6 0.7 Independent politician Chrissy Lee 170 0.4 New 5,971 12.9 13.6 46,125 57.5 3.7 Labour Co-operative 6.8 See also Politics United Kingdom Greater Manchester List of United Kingdom by-elections Opinion polling for the 2015 United Kingdom general election Notes 30em Heywood and Middleton by-election Heywood and Middleton by-election Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Greater Manchester constituencies Heywood and Middleton by-election Category:Elections in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale Category:2010s in Manchester