A by-election was held in the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Stretford and Urmston on 15 December 2022,[1] following the appointment of sitting Labour MP Kate Green as Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.[2][3] Green was appointed as Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead on 10 November, giving effect to her resignation as a member of Parliament.[4][5]
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| Turnout | 25.8% ( 43.6 pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The by-election was won by Andrew Western, retaining the seat for Labour with an increased share of the vote. The turnout was 25.8%.[6] This was the second by-election to be held during both the reign of King Charles III and the premiership of Rishi Sunak; it took place two weeks after a by-election in the City of Chester in nearby Cheshire. It was also the first by-election in Greater Manchester since the 2015 Oldham West and Royton by-election.
Background
editThe Stretford and Urmston constituency covers a suburban industrial area in the Borough of Trafford in southern Greater Manchester. The constituency stretches from Manchester United's Old Trafford football ground and the cricket ground of the same name just outside Manchester city centre, to the south-west town of Partington. The Manchester Ship Canal forms the entire northern boundary of the seat.[7] The population of the constituency is based around the seat's namesakes, the towns of Stretford and Urmston. Other areas include Davyhulme, Dumplington, Flixton, Gorse Hill and Wharfside. Major employers include the Shell works at Carrington and the Trafford Park industrial estate. Also in the constituency is the Trafford Centre shopping complex.[8]
Stretford and Urmston was first fought at the 1997 general election, and has been represented by the Labour Party since its creation. The constituency was formed from large parts of the former constituency of Davyhulme, whose last member was the Conservative Winston Churchill. Its first MP was Beverley Hughes, who stood down at the 2010 general election and Kate Green was then elected. On 6 May 2017, Hughes was appointed as Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime by Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayor Andy Burnham. Hughes resigned from the role in November 2022, with Green chosen to replace her, leading to the by-election.[5]
Candidates
editThe successful Labour Party candidate for the by-election was Andrew Western, who had been leader of Trafford Council since 2018.[5]
The Conservative Party candidate was political consultant Emily Carter-Kandola.[9]
The Liberal Democrats candidate was Anna Fryer, a senior mental health doctor at Trafford General Hospital.[10]
The Green Party candidate was Dan Jerrome, a local Green councillor for Altrincham on Trafford Council.[11]
The Reform UK candidate was Paul Swansborough, who previously stood as UKIP candidate in the 2017 general election in Redditch.[12][13]
Result
edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Andrew Western | 12,828 | 69.6 | +9.3 | |
| Conservative | Emily Carter-Kandola | 2,922 | 15.9 | –11.6 | |
| Green | Dan Jerrome | 789 | 4.3 | +1.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Anna Fryer | 659 | 3.6 | –2.3 | |
| Reform UK | Paul Swansborough | 650 | 3.5 | 0.0 | |
| Rejoin EU | Jim Newell | 237 | 1.3 | New | |
| Independent | Hazel Gibb | 183 | 1.0 | New | |
| Freedom Alliance | Christina Glancy | 76 | 0.4 | New | |
| SDP | Julien Yvon | 74 | 0.4 | New | |
| Majority | 9,906 | 53.8 | +21.0 | ||
| Total valid votes | 18,418 | ||||
| Rejected ballots | 57 | ||||
| Turnout | 18,475 | 25.8 | –43.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 71,641 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | +10.5 | |||
Previous result
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Kate Green | 30,195 | 60.3 | –6.5 | |
| Conservative | Mussadak Mirza | 13,778 | 27.5 | 0.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Anna Fryer | 2,969 | 5.9 | +3.9 | |
| Brexit Party | Gary Powell | 1,768 | 3.5 | New | |
| Green | Jane Leicester | 1,357 | 2.7 | +1.4 | |
| Majority | 16,417 | 32.8 | –6.5 | ||
| Turnout | 50,067 | 69.4 | –0.6 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | –3.3 | |||
Reaction
editLabour achieved their highest vote share in the seat's history.[15] The election turnout was reportedly affected by below freezing weather conditions and postal workers strikes.[16] After the result, political scientist John Curtice said "Labour are now in a stronger position than they have been at any point since ... 2010."[17]
References
edit- ^ "Stretford and Urmston by-election". Trafford Council. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ Halliday, Josh; Helen Pidd (9 November 2022). "Byelection looms as MP set to become Greater Manchester deputy mayor". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ Cowburn, Ashley (9 November 2022). "Labour face by-election test as MP set to quit to become Greater Manchester deputy mayor". Mirror. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Manor of Northstead: Kate Green". GOV.UK. 10 November 2022.
- ^ a b c "Labour MP steps down after Greater Manchester deputy mayor nomination". BBC News. 10 November 2022.
- ^ Young, Gregor (16 December 2022). "Labour win Stretford and Urmston by-election amid dismal turnout". The National. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "Location of Stretford and Urmston". UK Parliament.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Stretford & Urmston". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ Tooth, Jack (17 November 2022). "Conservative Party chooses candidate for Stretford and Urmston". Messenger.
- ^ Tolhurst-Cleaver, Ludovic (21 November 2022). "Dr Anna Fryer selected for Stretford and Urmston by-election". traffordlibdems.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ "Who are the candidates in the Stretford and Urmston by-election?". ITV News. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "Stretford and Urmston by-election 2022: Paul Swansborough". BBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "BBC Hereford & Worcester – BBC H&W: Local Elections 2016, Meet The Leaders: Paul Swansborough (Redditch)". BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "2022 Stretford and Urmston by-election result". Trafford Council. 16 December 2022.
- ^ O'Grady, Sean (16 December 2022). "By-election triumph for Labour – but Starmer still has a mountain to climb". The Independent. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
- ^ Gye, Hugo (16 December 2022). "Labour stays on course for power but by-election win is no guarantee of victory in 2024". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
- ^ "Stretford and Urmston by-election: Time for a Labour government, says Starmer after win". BBC News. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
External links
edit- The Trafford Council website's page on the by-election
- Stretford and Urmston by-election – what, who, when, where, why?. The Messenger. Published 17 November 2022.