2004 Leicester South by-election

United Kingdom Parliament by-election November 2019 2004 Leicester South by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Leicester South parliamentary seat no 2001 United Kingdom general election 2001 2005 United Kingdom general election 2005 15 July 2004 41.6% Parmjit Singh Gill 150x150px Liberal Democrats (UK) 10,274 34.9% 17.7% Peter Soulsby 150x150px Labour Party (UK) 8,620 29.3% 25.2% Chris Heaton-Harris 150x150px Conservative Party (UK) 5,796 19.7% 3.4% Yvonne Ridley 150x150px RESPECT The Unity Coalition 3,724 12.7% New party MP Subsequent MP Jim Marshall Labour Party (UK) Parmjit Singh Gill Liberal Democrats (UK) A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Leicester South was held on 15 July 2004, triggered by the death of incumbent Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Jim Marshall. It was won by Parmjit Singh Gill of the Liberal Democrats, overturning a Labour majority of 13,243 votes at the 2001 general election. The by-election was widely considered to effectively be a referendum on the Labour government's policies—most notably its involvement in the ongoing Iraq War. It was the held on the same day as the 2004 Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election, where Labour narrowly fended off a challenge from the Liberal Democrats. Background The incumbent Labour Party MP Jim Marshall died on 27 May 2004, shortly before the local and European elections in June, initiating a by-election to fill the seat. Marshall first won the seat in October 1974; he lost the seat to the Conservative Party candidate, Derek Spencer, in the 1983 general election by a mere 7 votes, but won it back at the 1987 election and continually served thereafter. Marshall won the constituency with a majority of 13,243 (31.4%) at the 2001 election. The constituency is diverse, covering leafy suburbs such as Stoneygate and Knighton along with inner city areas with a strong South Asian community, one of the largest such populations in the UK. The by-election was considered a referendum on Blair's policies, especially the Iraq War, for which Labour had received heavy backlash from Asian and Muslim voters.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-faces-muslim-backlash-87836.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-faces-muslim-backlash-87836.html 1 May 2022 subscription live Labour faces 'Muslim backlash' Carrell Severin 21 September 2003 The Independent 18 December 2021https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/mar/15/uk.iraq Muslims abandon Labour over Iraq war Travis Alan 15 March 2004 The Guardian 18 December 2021 The war had also been blamed for the party's major losses in the local elections of both 2003 and 2004.https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/muslim-backlash-bounces-labour-out-of-birmingham-r0fzbqrjk33 Muslim backlash bounces Labour out of Birmingham Rozenberg Gabriel 3 May 2003 The Times 18 December 2021 subscriptionhttps://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/blair-faces-backlash-over-poll-defeat-26221618.html Blair faces backlash over poll defeat Graff Peter 13 June 2004 independent.ie 18 December 2021 en Jim Marshall had opposed the war prior to his death. Candidates The Labour Party chose Peter Soulsby to fight the by-election. Soulsby had previously been leader of Leicester City Council for 18 years and also acted as the election agent for Jim Marshall at the 2001 general election.https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/candidate-selected-mllvbkz8w2n Candidate selected Hurst Greg 19 June 2004 The Times 18 December 2021 subscription The Liberal Democrats selected Parmjit Singh Gill, who was a councillor on Leicester City Council's Stoneygate Ward and had also been the Leicester South candidate at the 2001 general election. He claimed his central issues would be "Iraq, top-up fees, health and schools" and that he would "be a local MP who will work hard for everyone in our area."https://leicester-libdems.org.uk/en/article/2004/0061340/lib-dems-choose-parmjit-singh-gill Lib Dems choose Parmjit Singh Gill 9 June 2004 Leicester Liberal Democrats 18 December 2021 Chris Heaton-Harris was announced as the Conservative candidate, despite having only recently been elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East Midlands. Soulsby criticised this, telling The Guardian: "Leicester South needs a full-time local champion, not a two-jobs who doesn't even live here and who can't make up his mind whether he wants to be in Brussels or Westminster."https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/jun/22/uk.conservatives Tories' new MEP selected Hall Sarah 22 June 2004 The Guardian 18 December 2021 Yvonne Ridley, a former journalist who was held in captivity in Afghanistan by the Taliban and later converted to Islam, stood for the Respect Party.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/3842239.stm Former hostage to run in election 26 June 2004 BBC News 18 December 2021 "I'm not just fighting this seat to compete," she said. "I'm fighting it to win, and I believe we can win."https://pressgazette.co.uk/ridley-launches-bid-to-become-mp/ Ridley launches bid to become MP 1 July 2004 Bushby Roger Press Gazette 18 December 2021 Bob Ball was chosen to stand for the Green Party, but later withdrew. The Greens said that they were short of money after the European Parliament elections and wanted to concentrate resources on the next general election.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/3831255.stm Greens withdraw from by-election 23 June 2004 BBC News 18 December 2021 Result thumb|Liberal Democrat posters on London Road. 2004 Leicester South by-electionhttp://www.election.demon.co.uk/by2001.html Results of Byelections in the 2001-2005 Parliament Boothroyd David 5 October 2015 United Kingdom Election Results 1 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081201183331/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by2001.html dead Liberal Democrats (UK) Parmjit Singh Gill 10,274 34.9 +17.7 Labour Party (UK) Peter Soulsby 8,620 29.3 –25.2 Conservative Party (UK) Chris Heaton-Harris 5,796 19.7 –3.4 RESPECT The Unity Coalition Yvonne Ridley 3,724 12.7 New Socialist Labour Party (UK) Dave Roberts 263 0.9 –0.7 Official Monster Raving Loony Party R. U. Seerius 225 0.8 New Independent politician Pat Kennedy 204 0.7 New Independent politician Paul Lord 186 0.6 New Independent politician Mark Benson 55 0.2 New Independent politician Jitendra Bardwaj 36 0.1 New Independent politician Alan Barrett 25 0.1 New 1,654 5.6 N/A 29,438 41.6 –16.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Labour Party (UK) +21.5 Previous result General election 2001: Leicester South Labour Party (UK) Jim Marshall 22,958 54.5 –3.5 Conservative Party (UK) Richard Hoile 9,715 23.1 –0.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) Parmjit Singh Gill 7,243 17.2 +3.4 Green Party of England and Wales Margaret Layton 1,217 2.9 New Socialist Labour Party (UK) Arnie Gardner 676 1.6 New UK Independence Party Kirti Ladwa 330 0.8 New 13,243 31.4 -2.9 42,139 58.0 -8.3 Labour Party (UK) -1.4 Aftermath In his victory speech, Gill said, "Yesterday, Lord Butler gave his views on Tony Blair's reasoning for backing the invasion of Iraq. Today, people in Leicester have given theirs."https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/7/16/by-election-disaster-for-blair By-election disaster for Blair 16 July 2004 Al Jazeera 24 January 2021 He then went on to say, "The justification which Tony Blair gave for backing George Bush was wrong. The people of Leicester South have spoken for the people of Britain. Their message is that the prime minister has abused and lost their trust. He should apologise and he should apologise now."Blair's party loses parliament by-election in Leicester http://en.people.cn/200407/16/eng20040716_149816.html 16 July 2004 24 January 2021 People's Daily Labour MP and cabinet minister Patricia Hewitt, who represented neighbouring constituency Leicester West, stated that Iraq was clearly an issue, with the inner city Asian vote swinging decisively to the Lib Dems.https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/iraq-protest-vote-hits-labour/28059970.html Iraq protest vote hits Labour Walker Brian London 16 July 2004 Belfast Telegraph 1 April 2023 At the 2005 general election, the Liberal Democrats lost the seat to Labour and Peter Soulsby became the new MP for Leicester South. References External links Campaign literature from the by-election Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Leicestershire constituencies Category:2004 elections in the United Kingdom Category:2004 in England Category:July 2004 in the United Kingdom Category:Elections in Leicester Category:2000s in Leicester