2022 Stretford and Urmston by-election

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2022 Stretford and Urmston by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  2019 15 December 2022 (2022-12-15) 2024  
Turnout25.8% (Decrease2.svg 43.6 pp)
 First partySecond party
  Official portrait of Andrew Western, 2022 (cropped).jpg
Con
Candidate Andrew Western Emily Carter-Kandola
Party Labour Conservative
Last election60.3%27.5%
Popular vote12,8282,922
Percentage69.6%15.9%
SwingIncrease2.svg9.3 pp Decrease2.svg 11.6 pp

Member of Parliament before election

Kate Green
Labour

Elected Member of Parliament

Andrew Western
Labour

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]

Contents

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

The 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

The 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

Bar chart of the election result. 2022 Stretford and Urmston by-election.svg
Bar chart of the election result.
2022 Stretford and Urmston by-election [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Andrew Western 12,828 69.6 +9.3
Conservative Emily Carter-Kandola2,92215.9–11.6
Green Dan Jerrome7894.3+1.6
Liberal Democrats Anna Fryer6593.6–2.3
Reform UK Paul Swansborough6503.50.0
Rejoin EU Jim Newell2371.3New
Independent Hazel Gibb1831.0New
Freedom Alliance Christina Glancy760.4New
SDP Julien Yvon740.4New
Majority9,90653.8+21.0
Total valid votes18,418
Rejected ballots57
Turnout 18,47525.8–43.6
Registered electors 71,641
Labour hold Swing +10.5

Previous result

General election 2019: Stretford and Urmston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kate Green 30,195 60.3 –6.5
Conservative Mussadak Mirza13,77827.50.0
Liberal Democrats Anna Fryer2,9695.9+3.9
Brexit Party Gary Powell1,7683.5New
Green Jane Leicester1,3572.7+1.4
Majority16,41732.8–6.5
Turnout 50,06769.4–0.6
Labour hold Swing –3.3

Reaction

Labour 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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trafford</span> Borough in Greater Manchester, England

Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of 236,301 in 2022. It covers 106 square kilometres (41 sq mi) and includes the area of Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Urmston, Partington and Sale. The borough was formed in 1974 as a merger of six former districts and part of a seventh. The River Mersey flows through the borough, separating North Trafford from South Trafford, and the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. Trafford is the seventh-most populous district in Greater Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverley Hughes</span> British politician

Beverley June Hughes, Baroness Hughes of Stretford is a British politician who most recently served as Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for Policing and Crime between 2017 and 2023. A member of the Labour Party, Hughes was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stretford and Urmston from 1997 to 2010. In 2004, she was appointed to the Privy Council. From 2005 to 2009, she served in the Government as the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Lloyd</span> British politician (1950–2024)

Sir Anthony Joseph Lloyd was a British Labour politician. He served as a member of Parliament (MP) for 36 years, making him one of the longest-serving MPs in recent history. He served as MP for Stretford from 1983 to 1997, Manchester Central from 1997 to 2012, and represented Rochdale from 2017 until his death in 2024. He was Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner between 2012 and 2017 and served as the interim Mayor of Greater Manchester in his last two years in the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stretford</span> Town in Greater Manchester, England

Stretford is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Manchester, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Salford and 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Altrincham. Stretford borders Chorlton-cum-Hardy to the east, Moss Side and Whalley Range to the south-east, Hulme to the north-east, Urmston to the west, Salford to the north and Sale to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urmston</span> Town in Greater Manchester, England

Urmston is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, which had a population of 41,825 at the 2011 Census. Historically in Lancashire, it is 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is the River Mersey, with Stretford lying to the east and Flixton to the west. Davyhulme lies to the north of the town centre. Urmston covers an area of 4,799 acres (19.42 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altrincham and Sale West (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Altrincham and Sale West is a constituency in Greater Manchester. Since its creation in 1997 it has been represented by Sir Graham Brady, a member of the Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stretford and Urmston (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Stretford and Urmston is a constituency in Greater Manchester represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since a 2022 by-election by Andrew Western, a Labour MP.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davyhulme</span> Human settlement in England

Davyhulme is an area of Urmston in Greater Manchester, England, and the historic county of Lancashire. The population at the 2011 census was 19,634.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flixton, Greater Manchester</span> Suburb in Greater Manchester, England

Flixton is a suburb and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 10,786. It lies six miles (9.7 km) southwest of Manchester city centre, in the historic county of Lancashire.

Davyhulme was a parliamentary constituency in the Davyhulme suburb of Greater Manchester. It elected conservative Winston Spencer-Churchill, grandson of Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, as a Member of Parliament of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from its establishment for the 1983 general election until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Green</span> British Labour politician

Katherine Anne Green OBE JP is a British politician serving as Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for Policing and Crime since 2023. She previously served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stretford and Urmston between 2010 and 2022. A member of the Labour Party, she served as Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities from 2015 to 2016, Chair of the Committees on Privileges and Standards from 2018 to 2020, and Shadow Secretary of State for Education from 2020 to 2021.

The region of North West England is divided into 75 parliamentary constituencies, of which 39 are borough constituencies and 36 are county constituencies. Since the general election of December 2019, 30 are represented by Conservative MPs, 41 by Labour MPs, 1 by a Liberal Democrat MP, 1 by the Speaker, and 1 by a Workers MP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Western</span> British politician (born 1985)

Andrew Howard Western is a British politician of the Labour Party who was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stretford and Urmston at the 2022 by-election. He had been the leader of Trafford Council since 2018, a post he vacated upon his election to parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election</span>

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A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of the City of Chester was held on 1 December 2022. It followed the resignation of incumbent member of Parliament Chris Matheson as on 21 October 2022 after accusations of sexual misconduct and a recommendation from the Independent Expert Panel that he be suspended from the House of Commons for four weeks.

References

  1. "Stretford and Urmston by-election". Trafford Council. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  2. Halliday, Josh; Helen Pidd (9 November 2022). "Byelection looms as MP set to become Greater Manchester deputy mayor". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  3. 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.
  4. "Manor of Northstead: Kate Green". GOV.UK. 10 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "Labour MP steps down after Greater Manchester deputy mayor nomination". BBC News . 10 November 2022.
  6. Young, Gregor (16 December 2022). "Labour win Stretford and Urmston by-election amid dismal turnout" . The National. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  7. "Location of Stretford and Urmston". UK Parliament .
  8. "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Stretford & Urmston". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  9. Tooth, Jack (17 November 2022). "Conservative Party chooses candidate for Stretford and Urmston". Messenger.
  10. Tolhurst-Cleaver, Ludovic (21 November 2022). "Dr Anna Fryer selected for Stretford and Urmston by-election". traffordlibdems.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  11. "Who are the candidates in the Stretford and Urmston by-election?". ITV News. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  12. "Stretford and Urmston by-election 2022: Paul Swansborough". BBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  13. "BBC Hereford & Worcester – BBC H&W: Local Elections 2016, Meet The Leaders: Paul Swansborough (Redditch)". BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  14. "2022 Stretford and Urmston by-election result". Trafford Council. 16 December 2022.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. "Stretford and Urmston by-election: Time for a Labour government, says Starmer after win". BBC News. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.