2012 Cardiff South and Penarth by-election

2012 UK Parliamentary by-election December 2021 December 2022 2012 Cardiff South and Penarth by-election parliamentary Wales The Cardiff South and Penarth Parliamentary seat in the House of Commons no 2010 United Kingdom general election 2010 2015 United Kingdom general election 2015 2012 11 15 y 25.7% Official portrait of Stephen Doughty crop 2.jpg Stephen Doughty Welsh Labour 9,193 47.3% 8.4 pp Official portrait of Craig Williams MP crop 2.jpg Craig Williams Welsh Conservatives 3,859 19.9% 8.4 pp Liberal Democrats (UK) Bablin Molik Welsh Liberal Democrats 2,103 10.8% 11.5 pp Plaid Cymru Luke Nicholas Plaid Cymru 1,854 9.5% 5.3 pp UKIP Simon Zeigler UK Independence Party 1,179 6.1% 3.5 pp MP Subsequent MP Alun Michael Welsh Labour Stephen Doughty Welsh Labour A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth was held on 15 November 2012, triggered by the resignation of the incumbent Labour Party MP Alun Michael. Stephen Doughty of Labour held the seat for the party with an increased majority The by-election was held on the same day as the Manchester Central and Corby by-elections, and the inaugural Police and Crime Commissioner elections. Background The seat has been held by Labour since its creation in 1983. Full background details of the constituency are on Cardiff South and Penarth (UK Parliament constituency) This was the first by-election to be held in Cardiff since the Cardiff East by-election of 1942. Michael resigned after being selected as the Labour Party candidate in the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections for South Wales Police the election for which was also held on 15 November 2012. Michael successfully won the PCC election. PCC election candidates did not have to resign their seats in Parliament upon becoming a nominee. However, in the event of their victory in the election they would have been obliged to do so.Guidance for candidates and agents Part 1 of 6 – Can you stand for election? http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/148743/PCC-Part-1-Can-you-stand-for-election.pdf The Electoral Commission 31 May 2021 Knowing that his likelihood of victory in a traditionally pro-Labour region was high, Michael chose to resign early in order for the Westminster by-election to be able to be held at the same time as the PCC election rather than forcing voters to go to the polls again a few weeks later. The decision to resign upon nomination rather than victory was similarly made by Tony Lloyd, who had been nominated as a PCC candidate for the Greater Manchester Police area and resulted in the 2012 Manchester Central by-election being held on the same day. On 22 October 2012, Alun Michael was appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern,"Alun Michael stands down as Cardiff South and Penarth MP today", Wales Online, 21 October 2012.Press Release 22-Oct-2012 Cabinet Office the manner in which resignations from the House of Commons are permitted. The writ for the by-election in Cardiff South and Penarth was moved on 23 October 2012 and the deadline for nominations was 4 pm on 31 October 2012.https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-20041204 Date set for three parliamentary by-elections BBC News 31 May 2021 Candidates Cardiff City Council released the Statement of Persons Nominated on 1 November 2012. The Labour and Co-operative Party selected the head of Oxfam Cymru"Oxfam boss Doughty is Labour by-election candidate", BBC News, 15 July 2012. Stephen DoughtyCardiff South and Penarth candidate selected LabourList as its candidate in July 2012 in controversial circumstances. Although initially excluded from the shortlist, Doughty was actively endorsed by the then incumbent Labour MP Alun Michael (a long-time family friend)Martin Shipton (13 July 2012) "Alun Michael at the centre of selection row over next Cardiff South MP", Wales Online. Retrieved 2013-12-19. who insisted on his inclusion and advocated his selection. Some Labour activists considered Michael's involvement was improper saying "It’s no business at all of an outgoing MP to interfere in the selection of a candidate to succeed him in such a way". The ballot paper description for Stephen Doughty was "Welsh Labour". Cardiff City councillor Craig Williams was confirmed as the Conservative candidate on 13 September.Cardiff councillor Craig Williams selected as the Conservative candidate for the Cardiff South and Penarth by-election Conservative Home Cllr Williams represents Cardiff on the Local Government Association. Bablin Molik was chosen by the Liberal Democrats as their candidate. Molik is a medical researcher with a PhD."Lib Dems select candidate for Cardiff South and Penarth by-election", Penarth Times, 17 July 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-19. Luke Nicholas was chosen by Plaid Cymru. The party described him as a trade unionist employed as a researcher at the National Assembly who specialises in finance, transport and local government."Plaid select Luke Nicholas to contest upcoming cardiff south and penarth by-election", Plaid Cymru, 10 July 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-19. Andrew Jordan, 24, the president of the Socialist Labour Party (UK) and a former resident of Cardiff South and Penarth, represented the party.https://archive.today/20130202113740/http://slpcymru.com/blog/?p=70 SLP's Andrew Jordan to contest the Cardiff South and Penarth by-election Socialist Labour Party Jordan previously headed the SLP list of candidates for South Wales Central in the 2011 Welsh Assembly Elections. The general secretary of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB), Robert Griffiths, who stood in the 2010 general election, was the candidate of the Welsh Communist Party, the local part of the CPB.Communists to contest Cardiff South and Penarth Welsh Communists The Green Party candidate was Anthony Slaughter, chair of the local environmental group Gwyrddio Penarth Greening. Slaughter is a garden designer who has worked in Penarth since 2004.Green party announces Penarth election candidate Penarth Times 4 October 2012 Simon Zeigler became the UK Independence Party candidate. He was a parole office worker who stood for them in the 2010 general election.UKIP Website: UKIP picks its man for Cardiff South Cardiff South and Penarth was viewed as one of the safest Labour seats in Britain but ever since 1997 Alun Michael had seen his majority being progressively eroded. However, in the by-election held on 15 November 2012, Labour's decline was reversed - although on a basis of very low turn-out (down 38.2% on the 2010 general election). Labour's Stephen Doughty succeeded Alun Michael with 9,193 votes, comprising 47.3% of the overall vote. This was an increase of 8.4% on Michael's 2010 performance. Doughty thus became the third MP in the constituency's history. In this by-election, Conservatives saw their support slide by the identical percentage by which Labour's rose (8.4%) and achieved only 19.9% of the vote (3,859 votes). The Liberal Democrats' support declined by even more than that of their UK Coalition partners (down 11.5%). Plaid Cymru's share of the vote rose to 9.5% (1,854 votes, up 5.4%); however these percentages may mask reality because Plaid Cymru only gained a mere 3 votes more than the total they polled in 2010. Also performing well in percentage terms was UKIP with their support rising by 3.1% (to 6.1% of the total). Greens also increased their share of the vote to 4.1% (a rise of 2.9%). The veteran Communist campaigner Robert Griffiths saw his support rise slightly to a 1.1% share of the vote. By-election result 2012 Cardiff South and Penarth by-electionCardiff South and Penarth result https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=1&RPID=1020036&LLL=0 Election results for Cardiff South and Penarth City of Cardiff Council 18 January 2020 Labour Co-operative Stephen Doughty 9,193 47.3 +8.4 Welsh Conservatives Craig Williams 3,859 19.9 –8.4 Welsh Liberal Democrats Bablin Molik 2,103 10.8 –11.5 Plaid Cymru Luke Nicholas 1,854 9.5 +5.3 UK Independence Party Simon Zeigler 1,179 6.1 +3.5 Green Party of England and Wales Anthony Slaughter 800 4.1 +2.9 Socialist Labour Party (UK) Andrew Jordan 235 1.2 N/A Communist Party of Britain Robert Griffiths 213 1.1 +0.7 135 5,334 27.4 +16.8 19,436 25.7 –34.8 76,764 Labour Co-operative +8.4 Of the 135 rejected ballots: 63 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for. 69 voted for more than one candidate. 3 had writing or a mark by which the voter could be identified. Previous result General election 2010: Cardiff South and PenarthElection Data 2010 http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt Electoral Calculus 17 October 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt 26 July 2013Cardiff South and Penarth https://web.archive.org/web/20110609151404/http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2867%2C3597%2C5426&parent_directory_id=2865&id=7965&pagetype=&keyword= 9 June 2011 Cardiff County Council – candidates Cardiff South and PenarthBBC Election Results BBC News – Election Results – Cardiff South and Penarth Labour Co-operative Alun Michael 17,262 38.9 –7.7 Welsh Conservatives Simon Hoare 12,553 28.3 +4.4 Welsh Liberal Democrats Dominic Hannigan 9,875 22.3 +2.4 Plaid Cymru Farida Aslam 1,851 4.2 –1.1 UK Independence Party Simon Zeigler 1,145 2.6 +1.2 Independent politician George Burke 648 1.5 N/A Green Party of England and Wales Matthew Townsend 554 1.2 –0.6 Christian Party (UK) Clive Bate 285 0.6 N/A Communist Party of Britain Robert Griffiths 196 0.4 N/A 4,709 10.6 –14.4 44,369 60.2 +2.0 73,707 Labour Co-operative –6.0 See also List of United Kingdom by-elections Opinion polling for the 2015 United Kingdom general election References Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Welsh constituencies Cardiff South and Penarth by-election Cardiff South and Penarth by-election Category:2010s elections in Wales Cardiff South and Penarth by-election Category:2010s in Cardiff Category:Elections in Cardiff