2015 Oldham West and Royton by-election

2015 by-election, first of the 56th UK Parliament April 2022 2015 Oldham West and Royton by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Oldham West and Royton constituency no 2015 United Kingdom general election May 2015 2017 United Kingdom general election 2017 2015 12 03 y 40.3% Jim McMahon x160px Labour Party (UK) 17,209 62.1% 7.3 pp John Bickley x160px UK Independence Party 6,487 23.4% 2.8 pp James Daly x160px Conservative Party (UK) 2,596 9.4% 9.6 pp MP Michael Meacher Labour Jim McMahon Labour A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Oldham West and Royton was held on 3 December 2015, following the death of incumbent Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Michael Meacher. Jim McMahon held the seat for Labour with a winning 62% of the vote, an increase of 7.3 percentage points. This was the first of ten by-elections held in the 2015–2017 parliament. Background and candidates thumb|UKIP office for the Oldham By-election The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Michael Meacher on 21 October 2015;https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34592381 Labour MP Michael Meacher dies BBC News 21 October 2015 21 October 2015 Meacher had been the Labour Party MP for the seat since its creation in 1997 and had represented its predecessor seat of Oldham West since 1970. A writ for the by-election was moved in Parliament on 2 November 2015, setting polling day as 3 December 2015. Zeffman Henry Jeremy Corbyn to face Oldham West election test on 3 December The Guardian 31 October 2015 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/31/jeremy-corbyn-election-test-oldham-west 1 November 2015 Six candidates contested the election; the statement of persons nominated was released by Oldham Council on 9 November 2015.Statement of Persons Nominated http://www.oldham.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/3886/statment_of_persons_nominated_notice_of_poll_and_situation_of_polling_stations_oldham_west_and_royton_constituency Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 9 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151117025510/http://www.oldham.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/3886/statment_of_persons_nominated_notice_of_poll_and_situation_of_polling_stations_oldham_west_and_royton_constituency 17 November 2015 dead The Labour Party, which last held the seat, selected its candidate on 5 November 2015Selection timetable for Oldham West by-election revealed https://labourlist.org/2015/10/selection-timetable-for-oldham-west-by-election-revealed/ LabourList 30 October 2015 from a shortlist of four: Mohammed Azam, National Executive Committee member and former local councillor; Jane East, who contested the seat of Colne Valley unsuccessfully at the 2015 general election; Failsworth East councillor Jim McMahon, leader of Oldham Council; and Chris Williamson, former MP for Derby North.Labour announces shortlist for the Oldham West and Royton by-election https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/labour-announces-shortlist-oldham-west-10375934 Fitzgerald Todd 14 November 2015 Manchester Evening News 2 November 2015Town Hall chief McMahon in MP contest http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/94952/town-hall-chief-mcmahon-in-mp-contest Richard Hooton 30 October 2015 Oldham Evening Chronicle 30 October 2015Oldham West by-election date confirmed 2 November 2015 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34702092 3 November 2015 BBC News McMahon won the selection, reportedly with 232 votes against 141 for Azam in the final round, after the elimination of East and Williamson.Jim McMahon selected in Oldham West https://labourlist.org/2015/11/jim-mcmahon-selected-in-oldham-west-and-royton/ Labour List 5 November 2015Labour chooses by-election candidate for Oldham West and Royton BBC News 6 November 2015 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34743590 23 November 2015 UK Independence Party (UKIP) came second in the constituency at the 2015 general electionIs Ukip a threat in Oldham West? http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2015/10/27/are-ukip-a-threat-in-oldham-west/ Progress 14 November 2015 and fielded a new candidate, John Bickley, who was runner-up at the by-election held in 2014 in the neighbouring constituency of Heywood and Middleton.Pickard Jim UKIP announces John Bickley as Oldham by-election candidate https://www.ft.com/content/039ccbfc-81fc-11e5-a01c-8650859a4767 14 November 2015 Financial Times 3 November 2015 Others talked about as potential candidates were Paul Nuttall, the UKIP deputy leader,John Healey: Labour frontbencher warns of Ukip threat as Oldham West and Royton prepares for byelection https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/john-healey-labour-frontbencher-warns-of-ukip-threat-as-oldham-west-and-royton-prepares-for-a6706692.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/john-healey-labour-frontbencher-warns-of-ukip-threat-as-oldham-west-and-royton-prepares-for-a6706692.html 1 May 2022 subscription 14 November 2015 The Independent 23 October 2015 and Steven Woolfe, both MEPs for North West England.Payne Sebastian How UKIP intends to fight and maybe win Oldham West and Royton http://blogs.new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/how-ukip-intends-to-fight-and-maybe-win-the-oldham-west-royton-by-election/ 14 November 2015 22 October 2015 The Spectator https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022613/http://blogs.new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/how-ukip-intends-to-fight-and-maybe-win-the-oldham-west-royton-by-election/ 17 November 2015 dead The Conservative Party came a close third to UKIP at the 2015 general election and selected James Daly, a solicitor and Bury councillor,http://www.burynorthconservatives.com/person/cllr-james-daly Cllr James Daly Bury North 10 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20151117064133/http://www.burynorthconservatives.com/person/cllr-james-daly 17 November 2015 dead who contested the Bolton North East constituency in 2015.Wallace Mark Cllr James Daly selected to fight the Oldham West and Royton by-election ConservativeHome 5 November 2015 http://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2015/11/cllr-james-daly-selected-to-fight-the-oldham-west-and-royton-by-election.html 14 November 2015 He was Member of Parliament for Bury North after being elected in the 2019 general election and lost in the 2024 general election. The Liberal Democrat candidate was Jane Brophy, who works for the NHS in Greater Manchester and has served as a Trafford councillor for over 15 years; she was LibDem candidate for Altrincham and Sale West at the 2010 and 2015 general elections.By-election news – Jane Brophy selected for Oldham West and Royton https://www.libdemvoice.org/byelection-news-jane-brophy-selected-for-oldham-west-and-royton-48109.html Liberal Democrat Voice 3 November 2015 Simeon Hart stood for the Green Party, having contested the constituency for the Greens at the 2015 general election. Sir Oink A-Lot stood for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.Carey Alex All heated at the hustings http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/95383/all-heated-at-the-hustings 4 December 2015 Oldham Evening Chronicle 25 November 2015 Result 2015 Oldham West and Royton by-electionhttp://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200960/oldham_west_and_royton_parliamentary_by-election_results Oldham West and Royton: Parliamentary By-Election Results Oldham Council 4 December 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092408/http://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200960/oldham_west_and_royton_parliamentary_by-election_results 4 March 2016 Labour Party (UK) Jim McMahon 17,209 62.1 +7.3 UK Independence Party John Bickley 6,487 23.4 +2.8 Conservative Party (UK) James Daly 2,596 9.4 –9.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Jane Brophy 1,024 3.7 0.0 Green Party of England and Wales Simeon Hart 249 0.9 –1.0 Official Monster Raving Loony Party Sir Oink A-Lot 141 0.5 New 10,722 38.7 +4.5 27,706 40.3 –19.3 Labour Party (UK) +2.3 Aftermath The result was considered by commentators as surprisingly good for Labour, who had been expected to be more closely challenged by UKIP.Oldham by-election: 'Nobody anticipated a victory on this scale' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35003373 Arif Ansari BBC News 4 December 2015 4 December 2015 It was also reported as a boost for Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party.Pidd Helen Watt Nicholas https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/04/corbyn-hails-oldham-byelection-as-sign-of-labours-deep-rooted-support Corbyn hails Oldham byelection as sign of Labour's deep-rooted support The Guardian 4 December 2015 13 May 2017Hodges Dan https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/12033154/Oldham-by-election-Nigel-Farage-will-always-be-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride.html Oldham by-election: Nigel Farage will always be a bridesmaid, never a bride The Daily Telegraph 4 December 2015 10 January 2016 subscription On the morning after the by-election, UKIP leader Nigel Farage and some other party sources claimed that there had been voting fraud particularly around ethnic minority voters and around postal votes,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35003152 Jeremy Corbyn hails Oldham West and Royton by-election victory BBC News 4 December 2015 4 December 2015https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35004544 UKIP to review by-election 'evidence' amid fraud claims 4 December 2015 BBC News 10 January 2016https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14124191.ukip-make-formal-complaint-alleged-abuses-oldham-west-by-election-labour-claim-victory/ UKIP make formal complaint over alleged 'abuses' in Oldham West by-election as Labour claim victory 4 December 2015 The Herald 10 January 2016 with Farage claiming the vote was "bent" and that in constituencies with large numbers of ethnic minority voters who do not speak English, "effectively the electoral process is now dead".https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-35005097 Watson: Farage postal vote complaint 'sour grapes' 4 December 2015 BBC News 10 January 2016 Paul Nuttall, UKIP's deputy leader, said to journalists: "You've got to ask yourself, is this Britain or is this Harare?"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/parliamentary-constituencies/oldham-west-and-royton/12031040/oldham-west-royton-by-election-results.html Oldham by-election: Police could be called in to investigate alleged voting fraud amid Ukip complaints about Labour victory Wilkinson Michael 4 December 2015 The Daily Telegraph 10 January 2016 subscription However, others in UKIP downplayed the allegations,https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/624160/Nigel-Farage-John-Bickley-Jim-McMahon-Ukip-Labour-Oldham-West-Royton UKIP's Nigel Farage claims 'perverse' Labour win in Oldham West was FIXED Daily Express Tom Parfitt Laura Mowat 10 January 2016 with deputy chairman Suzanne Evans saying the party risks sounding like "bad losers". Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader, dismissed the complaints as "sour grapes". Farage stated that he was planning to make a formal complaint about the allegations. Nuttall wrote an open letter to Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government, raising concerns about postal voting processes.http://ukipnw.org.uk/postal-voting-open-to-abuse/ Our postal voting system is open to abuse UKIP North West 10 January 2016 Previous result General election 2015: Oldham West and RoytonElection Data 2015 http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt Electoral Calculus 17 October 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt 17 October 2015 Oldham West & Royton https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000871 BBC News 11 May 2015 Labour Party (UK) Michael Meacher 23,630 54.8 +9.3 UK Independence Party Francis Arbour 8,892 20.6 +17.4 Conservative Party (UK) Kamran Ghafoor 8,187 19.0 –4.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) Garth Harkness 1,589 3.7 –15.4 Green Party of England and Wales Simeon Hart 839 1.9 New 14,738 34.2 +12.4 43,137 59.6 +0.5 Labour Party (UK) –4.0 See also United Kingdom North West England Oldham Royton 1968 Oldham West by-election List of United Kingdom by-elections (2010–present) Parliament of the United Kingdom References 30em Category:2015 in England Category:2015 elections in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Greater Manchester constituencies Category:Politics of North West England Category:Elections in Greater Manchester Category:2010s in Greater Manchester