2009 Norwich North by-election

2009 by-election won by Chloe Smith February 2014 February 2014 2009 Norwich North by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Norwich North parliamentary seat no 2005 United Kingdom general election 2005 2010 United Kingdom general election 2010 23 July 2009 45.9% File:Chloe Smith (3x4).jpg Chloe Smith Conservative Party (UK) 13,591 39.5% 6.3% Labour Party (UK) Chris Ostrowski Labour Party (UK) 6,243 18.2% 26.7% File:April Pond City College Norwich (3671117299).jpg April Pond Liberal Democrats (UK) 4,803 14.0% 2.2% File:Glen Tingle (3894858740) (cropped).jpg Glenn Tingle UK Independence Party 4,068 11.6% 9.4% File:Rupert Read-IMG 4059.jpg Rupert Read Green Party of England and Wales 3,350 9.7% 7.0% MP Subsequent MP Ian Gibson Labour Party (UK) Chloe Smith Conservative Party (UK) A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Norwich North was held on 23 July 2009, following the resignation of incumbent Labour Party MP Ian Gibson after being banned from standing as the party's candidate at the next general election due to the MPs' expenses scandal. It was won by Chloe Smith of the Conservative Party, who at 27 years old became the youngest member of the House of Commons, known as the Baby of the House. Background In May 2009, sitting Labour MP Ian Gibson became embroiled in the MPs' expenses scandal, reportedly claiming for a flat in which his daughter lived rent-free before selling it to her for half its market value. As a result of this, he was blocked from standing in the 2010 general election by a Labour Party disciplinary panel, which his constituency chairman called a "kangaroo court", resulting in the resignation of the constituency chairman from the role and the party. Gibson was said to be "deeply disappointed" by the panel's decision. Saying that his position was "untenable", he announced his resignation as an MP on 5 June 2009 by applying for the Chiltern Hundreds.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8085910.stm MP quitting to force by-election BBC News 5 June 2009 5 January 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090702052034/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8085910.stm 2 July 2009 live The writ to trigger the by-election was moved on 30 June.http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=NewsSplash&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED24%20Jul%202009%2008%3A51%3A56%3A570 International interest in Norwich vote Dan Grimmer 24 July 2009 24 July 2009 Boundaries As boundary changes did not come into effect until the 2010 general election, Norwich North was fought on those boundaries in place at the 2005 general election. The constituency includes parts of two local government areas, Norwich and Broadland, with the majority of the electorate in Broadland. Nine wards of Broadland (Mile Cross, Crome, Thorpe St Andrew, Sprowston, Old Catton, Catton Grove, Hellesdon, Drayton and Taverham) fall within its boundaries, together with four wards of the City of Norwich (Catton Grove, Crome, Mile Cross, Sewell). In boundary changes in place for the 2010 general election, Norwich North lost Taverham North, Taverham South, Drayton North and Drayton South to the new Broadland constituency.Boundary Commission for England: FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCIES IN THE COUNTY OF NORFOLKAugust 2019 InternetArchiveBot yes Candidates The Labour Party selected Chris Ostrowski, a University of East Anglia graduate, as their candidate on 28 June.http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED28%20Jun%202009%2018%3A31%3A21%3A370 Norwich North candidate chosen Brealey Sarah 28 June 2009 Eastern Daily Press 28 June 2009 The Conservative Party had already selected Chloe Smith as their candidate for the general election. The Liberal Democrats selected April Pond, a local businesswoman and former Norwich City Councillor, who was a candidate for South West Norfolk in 2005.http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=NOED22%20Jun%202009%2007%3A49%3A20%3A740 Lib-dems name by-election candidate 22 June 2009 Norwich Evening News 22 June 2009 The Green Party's candidate at the last general election, Adrian Holmes, announced that he would not be standing,Greens hopeful of Norwich North victory - EDP24 and Norwich City Councillor Rupert Read, the Green Party's lead candidate for the East of England in the European elections, was selected on 24 June.http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/24-06-2009-rupert-read-norwich-north.html Candidate selected for Norwich North 24 June 2009 www.greenparty.org Green Party 6 October 2013 In the European elections the Green Party polled 24.9% across Norwich, more than any other party, while they took 9.6% of the vote in Broadland.Simon Rogers, "Exactly how well did the BNP do where you live?", guardian.co.uk Glenn Tingle stood for the UK Independence Party.http://www.ukip.org/content/features/1159-glenn-tingle-our-man-in-norwich-north Glenn Tingle, our man in Norwich North 22 June 2009 UKIP 3 July 2009 27 June 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090627091329/http://www.ukip.org/content/features/1159-glenn-tingle-our-man-in-norwich-north dead Other minor parties included Robert West for the British National Party,http://bnp.org.uk/2009/06/bnp%e2%80%99s-reverend-west-will-be-candidate-in-norwich-north-by-election/ BNP’s Reverend West Will Be Candidate in Norwich North By-Election www.bnp.org.uk British National Party 24 June 2009 6 October 2013 27 June 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090627074436/http://bnp.org.uk/2009/06/bnp%E2%80%99s-reverend-west-will-be-candidate-in-norwich-north-by-election who stood as first candidate for the East Midlands Region in the 2009 European Elections, and the Official Monster Raving Loony Party's leader, Howling Laud Hope.http://www.omrlp.com/ Norwich North bye-elecshun 23rd July 5 July 2009 Official Monster Raving Loony Party 8 July 2009http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/norwichnorth Norwich North UK Polling Report 3 July 2009 22 May 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090522123531/http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/norwichnorth dead Three new parties stood candidates for the first time. The Libertarian Party selected 18-year-old Thomas Burridge as their first parliamentary candidate.http://lpuk.org/pages/candidates/thomas-burridge.php Candidate: Thomas Burridge UK Libertarian Party 3 July 2009 NOTA, which stands for "None of the Above", a party set up by former boxer Terry Marsh, announced that Anne Fryatt would stand as their candidate.Former boxer's party in by-election http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED07%20Jul%202009%2015%3A52%3A44%3A493 Evening News 24 7 July 2009 8 July 2009 Former ambassador Craig Murray stood as an anti-sleaze candidate for the Put an Honest Man into Parliament party, which was registered with the Electoral Commission on 3 July 2009.http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2009/06/i_am_standing_i.html I Am Standing in Norwich North Craig Murray 5 June 2009 3 July 2009http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm?frmGB=1&frmPartyID=896&frmType=partydetail Register of Political Parties: Put an Honest Man into Parliament Electoral Commission 8 July 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090713025040/http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm?frmGB=1&frmPartyID=896&frmType=partydetail 13 July 2009 dead There were also two independent candidates: Bill Holden, who was a candidate in 2005,http://norwichnorth.com/index.htm Norwich North: Independent Politics 3 July 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20110714195618/http://norwichnorth.com/index.htm 14 July 2011 dead and Peter Baggs. Ian Gibson announced that he would not be running as an independent candidate. On 26 June he hinted to Newsnight'''s Michael Crick that he might run as an independent,https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2009/06/gibson_may_stand_as_independen.html Gibson may stand as independent in Norwich by-election Crick Michael 26 June 2009 Michael Crick's blog BBC 30 June 2009 but he endorsed the Labour candidate three days later.https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2009/06/no_independent_day_for_norwich.html No independent day for Norwich MP Crick Michael 29 June 2009 Michael Crick's blog BBC 30 June 2009 Broadland District Council published the Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll'', which lists candidates' names, addresses, official descriptions, and names of nominators, on 8 July 2009.http://www.broadland.gov.uk/images/Statement_persons_nominated_norwich_north.pdf Parliamentary By-Election: Norwich North Constituency: Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll Broadland District Council 9 July 2009 pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20090718100127/http://www.broadland.gov.uk/images/Statement_persons_nominated_norwich_north.pdf 18 July 2009 dead Result Unusually for a UK by-election, the counting process was not started until the day after the election, for a variety of reasons including the high number of postal votes. Both the UK Independence Party and the Green Party of England and Wales achieved their best results to date in a Parliamentary by-election; UKIP had previously taken a 10.2% share in the 2004 by-election in Hartlepool, and the Greens took 7.4% in the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election. For the Greens this would stand until the 2023 Somerton and Frome by-election when Green Candidate Martin Dimery received 10.2% of the vote. Norwich North by-election, 23 July 2009http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by2005.html Results of Byelections in the 2005-2010 Parliament Boothroyd David 5 October 2015 United Kingdom Election Results 27 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151227081306/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by2005.html deadNorwich North byelection results – live https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2009/jul/24/byelections-norwich-north-byelection The Guardian 24 July 2023 24 July 2009 Conservative Party (UK) Chloe Smith 13,591 39.5 +6.3 Labour Party (UK) Chris Ostrowski 6,243 18.2 –26.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) April Pond 4,803 14.0 –2.2 UK Independence Party Glenn Tingle 4,068 11.8 +9.4 Green Party of England and Wales Rupert Read 3,350 9.7 +7.0 Put an Honest Man into Parliament Craig Murray 953 2.8 New British National Party Robert West 941 2.7 New Independent politician Bill Holden 166 0.5 –0.2 Official Monster Raving Loony Party Alan Hope 144 0.4 New NOTA Anne Fryatt 59 0.2 New Libertarian Party (UK) Thomas Burridge 36 0.1 New Independent politician Peter Baggs 23 0.1 New 7,348 21.3 N/A 34,377 45.9https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2009/jul/24/byelections-norwich-north-byelection The Guardian London Norwich North byelection results – live Andrew Sparrow 24 July 2009 20 May 2010 –15.2 Conservative Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) +16.5 Previous result General election 2005: Norwich North Labour Party (UK) Ian Gibson 21,097 44.9 −2.5 Conservative Party (UK) James Tumbridge 15,638 33.2 −1.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Robin Whitmore 7,616 16.2 +1.4 Green Party of England and Wales Adrian Holmes 1,252 2.7 +1.0 UK Independence Party John Youles 1,122 2.4 +1.4 Independent politician Bill Holden 308 0.7 New 5,459 11.7 -1.1 47,033 61.1 +2.0 Labour Party (UK) −0.6 References 2 Category:2009 elections in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Norfolk constituencies Category:2009 in England Category:July 2009 in the United Kingdom Category:Elections in Norwich Category:2000s in Norfolk