2012 Manchester Central by-election

Background

On 14 February 2012, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, Tony Lloyd, announced his intention to resign to seek the Labour Party nomination for the inaugural Police and Crime Commissioner elections for the Greater Manchester Police area which was also held on 15 November 2012. The England and Wales Police and Crime Commissioner elections were on the same day. On 17 March 2012, Lloyd was selected by Labour unopposed. On 22 October 2012, Tony Lloyd was appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, a device with which resignations from the House of Commons is administered. Lloyd 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. Knowing that his likelihood of victory in a traditionally pro-Labour region was high, Lloyd 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 Alun Michael, who had been nominated as a PCC candidate for the South Wales Police area and resulted in the 2012 Cardiff South and Penarth by-election being held on the same day.

All registered Parliamentary electors of the Manchester Central constituency (i.e. British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens living in the UK and British citizens living overseas) who were aged 18 or over on 15 November 2012 were entitled to vote in the by-election. The deadline for voters to register to vote in the by-election was midnight on Wednesday 31 October 2012. However, those who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on Thursday 8 November 2012 to register to vote.

Candidates

Nominations closed and 12 candidates were confirmed on 31 October.

On 28 March 2012, Labour confirmed a shortlist of eight candidates. Lucy Powell, Chief of Staff, to party leader Ed Miliband was selected on 16 April. The satirical magazine, Private Eye, reported on Powell's selection noting that "the previous favourite to succeed Lloyd had been Mohammed Afzal Khan, the first ever Asian lord mayor of Manchester, with a good deal of popular local backing and a city councillor since 2000. But nothing could be left to chance and Khan was mysteriously dropped from the Labour party's candidate shortlist - in order to gift the seat to Powell."{{Cite journal

The Liberal Democrats chose the former City Councillor Marc Ramsbottom on 18 June 2012, declaring the by-election "a two horse race".

On 17 October 2012, the Conservative Party chose Matthew Sephton, Chairman of LGBTory and Deputy Chairman of the party in Altrincham and Sale West, as their candidate. Sephton had previously stood as the Conservative candidate in Salford and Eccles during the 2010 general election.

Following a membership meeting the British National Party chose Eddy O'Sullivan as its candidate.

The former Lord Mayor of Norwich Tom Dylan was the Green Party candidate.

Respect initially chose Kate Hudson as its candidate, but she stood down because of George Galloway's comments about rape. On 30 October 2012, local "community advocate" Catherine Higgins was selected as the Respect candidate.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition announced its intention to contest this by-election (and a council by-election in Liverpool and the election for Mayor of Bristol on the same day) with the PCS Union's North-West vice-chair Alex Davidson chosen on 10 October.

Pirate Party UK chose their Leader, Loz Kaye.

Howling Laud Hope, party leader, stood for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party under the description Monster Raving Loony William Hill Party.

Local factory worker Peter Clifford announced on 21 July that he intended to stand as the Communist League candidate. Clifford told The Guardian newspaper on 8 August that "the power of working people... counts more than an election result."

On 29 August 2012, the newly formed People's Democratic Party announced that its candidate would be the party leader and former Conservative and anti-Iraq War activist, Lee Holmes. Holmes told Mancunian Matters that Manchester politics "represented all that was wrong with British democracy". He admitted to The Guardian that he had never lived in Manchester.

Results

References

References

1. "Manchester Central by-election called". Manchester City Council.
2. "''Election Statistics 1918-2007''. House of Commons Library Research Paper 08/12, Table 13".
3. ''By-elections in British Politics'' Chris Cook and John Ramsden, UCL Press, 1997 {{ISBN. 1857285352
4. McClean, Adam. (16 November 2012). "Labour wins in Manchester Central in 'lowest turnout since Second World War'".
5. [http://www.blottr.com/manchester/breaking-news/mp-tony-lloyd-police-commissioner MP Tony Lloyd for police commissioner?] {{webarchive. link. (18 January 2013 Blottr)
6. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-17416309 Manchester MP Tony Lloyd to stand for police commissioner] BBC News
7. [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/police-crime-commissioners/ Police and Crime Commissioners] Home Office
8. [http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1488682_labour-chooses-tony-lloyd-to-bid-to-become-greater-manchester-police-commissioner Labour chooses Tony Lloyd to bid to become Greater Manchester police commissioner] Manchester Evening News
9. [http://rnn.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/Press-Releases/Manor-of-Northstead-68202.aspx Press Release 22 October 2012] Cabinet Office
10. "Candidate guide - Police and Crime Commissioner elections (part 1/6)".
11. The deadline for the receipt of electoral registration applications was the eleventh working day before election day.
12. The deadline for the receipt and determination of anonymous electoral registration applications was the same as the publication date of the notice of alteration to the Electoral Register (i.e. the fifth working day before election day).
13. [http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/362/elections/4981/your_next_election/3 Your Next Election - Manchester Central] {{webarchive. link. (30 October 2012 Manchester City Council)
14. [http://labourlist.org/2012/03/manchester-central-shortlist-confirmed/ Manchester Central Shortlist confirmed] LabourList
15. [http://labourlist.org/2012/04/lucy-powell-selected-as-manchester-central-candidate/ Lucy Powell selected as Manchester Central candidate] LabourList
16. "Lucy Powell selected as Manchester Central candidate by Co-operative Party".
17. [http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1583825_marc-ramsbottom-chosen-as-liberal-democrats-candidate-in-manchester-central-by-election Marc Ramsbottom chosen as Liberal Democrat candidate in Manchester Central by-election] Manchester Evening News
18. [http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/07/gay-tory-candidate-selected-to-challenge-hazel-blears/ Gay Tory candidate selected to challenge Hazel Blears] Pink News
19. [http://www.bnp.org.uk/news/regional/manchester-select-eddy-osullivan-stand-parliamentary-election Manchester select Eddy O'Sullivan to stand in parliamentary election] {{Webarchive. link. (22 September 2012 British National Party)
20. [http://www.norwich.gov.uk/news/Pages/NewLordMayorForNorwich.aspx New Lord Mayor for Norwich] {{webarchive. link. (31 August 2012 Norwich City Council)
21. Linton, Deborah. (23 October 2012). "Manchester Central by-election announced for November 15". Manchester Evening News.
22. Hudson, Kate. "Why I am standing down as Respect Party candidate". Respect.
23. (4 September 2012). "Galloway Rape Remark: Respect Candidate Quits".
24. [http://www.respectparty.org/2012/10/speak-up-for-manchester.html Speak Up for Manchester] {{webarchive. link. (3 November 2012 Respect Party)
25. (10 October 2012). "Anti-austerity candidates selected for November contests".
26. (28 June 2012). "Loz Kaye confirmed as PPC for Manchester Central". [[Pirate Party UK]].
27. [http://mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/25074570-%E2%80%98-working-classes-must-fight%E2%80%99-communist-league-factory-worker-stand-manchester-cent] Mancunian Matters
28. Clifford, Peter. (8 August 2012). "Fights and campaigns by working people are what count". The Guardian.
29. "PDP GB".
30. [http://mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/24106266-people%E2%80%99s-democratic-party-election-candidate-manchester-politics-%E2%80%98all-wrong-british People's Democratic Party by-election candidate: Manchester politics is 'all that is wrong with British democracy] Mancunian Matters
31. Holmes, Lee. (2012-09-12). "Voters want politicians who listen to their basic concerns".