2011 Leicester South by-election

On 5 May 2011, a by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of Leicester South. It was prompted by the resignation of Sir Peter Soulsby of the Labour Party, who stood down from Parliament to contest the election for Mayor of Leicester. Soulsby was appointed Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead on 1 April 2011, and the writ for a new election was issued on 5 April. The election was won by Labour Party candidate Jonathan Ashworth.

2011 Leicester South by-election

← 2010 5 May 2011 2015 →

First party Second party Third party   Candidate Jonathan Ashworth Zuffar Haq Jane Hunt Party Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative Popular vote 19,771 7,693 5,169 Percentage 57.8% 22.5% 15.1% Swing 12.2% 4.4% 6.3%

MP before election Peter Soulsby Labour Subsequent MP Jonathan Ashworth Labour

All registered Parliamentary electors (i.e. British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens living in the UK and British citizens living overseas^[1]) who were aged 18 or over on 5 May 2011 were entitled to vote in the by-election. The deadline for voters to register to vote in the by-election was midnight on Thursday 14 April 2011. However, those who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on Tuesday 26 April 2011 to register to vote.^[2]

Background

Leicester South was very narrowly won by the Conservatives in 1983, and regained by Labour in the 1987 general election. Following the death of Labour MP Jim Marshall, a by-election was held in July 2004 at which the Liberal Democrats gained the seat. Peter Soulsby regained the seat for Labour at the general election in May 2005; he increased his majority at the 2010 general election.

As a former Leader of Leicester City Council, Soulsby put his name forward for selection as the Labour Party candidate for the directly elected Mayoralty of Leicester after the city council voted to adopt a new leadership structure. In standing for selection he indicated that he would vacate his Parliamentary seat if selected.^[3] When Soulsby won the selection he immediately announced that he would indeed resign his seat.^[4] On 1 April 2011 the Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed Soulsby as Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, formally vacating the seat.^[5] Labour chief whip Rosie Winterton moved the motion on 5 April to issue a writ for a new election.

Candidates

Leicester City Council confirmed the list of candidates on 14 April 2011.^[6] With only five candidates, the poll had the shortest by-election ballot paper since the 2005 Cheadle by-election.

There was wide interest in the Labour candidate selection.^{[citation needed]} One local councillor, Rory Palmer, entered the contest but—having accepted the offer of becoming Soulsby's deputy—subsequently withdrew.^[7] The official shortlist of five candidates was confirmed on 18 March and included three Leicester city councillors, Patrick Kitterick (who was also Chair of Leicester South Constituency Labour Party), Mian Mayat and Neil Clayton, along with Jonathan Ashworth, a former advisor to Gordon Brown and the then Head of Party Relations, and Josephine Channer, a councillor in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.^[8] On 19 March local Labour Party members selected Jon Ashworth,^[9] who won 106 votes out of 153 cast on the first ballot.^[10]

Former Liberal Democrat MP for the constituency Parmjit Singh Gill was initially selected as that party's candidate on 18 March.^[11] On 23 March he withdrew from the candidacy, saying that he wanted to concentrate on his position as a Leicester City Councillor; he was immediately replaced as candidate by Zuffar Haq.^[12]

On 15 March 2011, UKIP selected Abhijit Pandya, a former Leicester South resident and alumnus of the University of Leicester, as its candidate.^[13]

On 26 March the Conservatives selected Jane Hunt as their candidate. She had contested the Leicester East constituency at the General Election.^[14]

Result

Labour retained the seat with an increased majority.

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
By-election, 2011[17] Electorate: 75,916 Turnout: 34,180 (45.0%) −3.0		Labour hold Majority: 12,078 (35.3%) +16.6 Swing: +8.4% from Lib Dem to Lab		Jonathan Ashworth	Labour	19,771	57.8	+12.2
				Zuffar Haq	Liberal Democrats	7,693	22.5	-4.4
				Jane Hunt	Conservative	5,169	15.1	-6.3
				Abhijit Pandya	UKIP	994	2.9	+1.4
				Howling Laud Hope	Monster Raving Loony	553	1.6	New
General Election 2010[18] Electorate: 75,916 Turnout: 47,124 (61.1%) +3.4		Labour hold Majority: 8,808 (18.7%) Swing: +5.0% from Lib Dem to Lab		Peter Soulsby	Labour	21,479	45.6	+6.2
				Parmjit Singh Gill	Liberal Democrats	12,671	26.9	-3.7
				Ross Grant	Conservative	10,066	21.4	+3.6
				Adrian Waudby	BNP	1,418	3.0	New
				Dave Dixey	Green	770	1.6	New
				Christopher Lucas	UKIP	720	1.5	New

See also

• 2004 Leicester South by-election
• List of United Kingdom by-elections
• Opinion polling for the 2015 United Kingdom general election

References

1. "Local elections and Referendum" (PDF). Electoral Commission. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.)
2. The deadline for the receipt and determination of anonymous electoral registration applications is the same as the publication date of the notice of alteration to the Electoral Register (i.e. the fifth working day before election day).
3. Troughton, Adrian (17 January 2011). "Leicester MP Sir Peter Soulsby begins his bid to become city's mayor". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
4. Maclean, David (7 March 2011). "MP Sir Peter Soulsby quits to join race to be Leicester's first elected mayor". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
5. "Manor of Northstead". HM Treasury. 1 April 2011.
6. Statement of Persons Nominated Archived 19 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Leicester Council
7. Maclean, David (12 March 2011). "Labour's Rory is chosen as mayor running mate". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
8. Ferguson, Mark (18 March 2011). "Leicester South shortlist". Labourlist.
9. Ferguson, Mark (19 March 2011). "Leicester South candidate". Labourlist.
10. "Jonathan Ashworth is Labour's choice for Leicester South". Leicester Labour Party. 19 March 2011.
11. "Parmjit Singh Gill selected for Lib Dems in Leicester South". Liberal Democrat Voice. 19 March 2011.
12. "Parmjit Singh Gill withdraws as Lib Dem candidate for Leicester South". Liberal Democrat Voice. 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
13. "UKIP Leicester South". Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
14. Isaby, Jonathan (28 March 2011). "Jane Hunt selected as Conservative candidate for Leicester South by-election". Conservative Home. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
15. "Leicester South election result: Jon Ashworth holds for Labour with an increased majority. | Leicester Mercury". Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
16. "Leicester South election result: Jon Ashworth holds for Labour with an increased majority. | Leicester Mercury". Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
17. "Leicester South election result: Jon Ashworth holds for Labour with an increased majority. | Leicester Mercury". Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
18. "Election 2010 – Leicester South". BBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2012.