Feltham and Heston by-election, 2011

Feltham and Heston by-election, 2011
United Kingdom
15 December 2011
 
Candidate Seema Malhotra Mark Bowen
Party Labour Conservative
Popular vote 12,639 6,436
Percentage 54.4 27.7
 
Candidate Roger Crouch Andrew Charalambous
Party Liberal Democrat UKIP
Popular vote 1,364 1,276
Percentage 5.9 5.5

Map showing the Feltham and Heston Parliamentary constituency within Greater London.
MP before election

Alan Keen
Labour

 Subsequent MP

Seema Malhotra
Labour

The Feltham and Heston by-election was a by-election for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's House of Commons constituency of Feltham and Heston in the London Borough of Hounslow. The by-election was caused by the death of its Member of Parliament Alan Keen.[1] It took place on 15 December 2011,[2][3] and was held by the Labour Party candidate, Seema Malhotra.

Boundaries

Feltham and Heston covers the western end of the London Borough of Hounslow. Feltham lies in the western half of the constituency, Heston in the north. At the south of the constituency lies Hanworth, with Bedfont in the west. Across the parliamentary and borough boundary to the south-east lies Twickenham. Feltham & Heston shares the London Borough of Hounslow with the Brentford and Isleworth parliamentary constituency.

The constituency comprises ten electoral wards of the Borough of Hounslow: Bedfont, Cranford, Feltham North, Feltham West, Hanworth, Hanworth Park, Heston Central, Heston East, Heston West, and Hounslow West.

Constituency profile

Most parts of the Feltham and Heston constituency are lower on the socio-economic scale than those in neighbouring Brentford and Isleworth. There is a higher proportion of social housing, though unemployment is low by London standards. The seat also includes parts of Hounslow itself.

To the North and West, just over the border in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is London Heathrow Airport where many local constituents are employed, while there is considerable small industry in the Heston area. The constituency includes a Young Offenders Institution and a motorway service station.

Candidates

The candidature deadline was 30 November 2011.[4][5]

On the 24 November 2011, the UK Independence Party chose Andrew Charalambous,[6] a former nightclub owner and Conservative Party electoral candidate.[7] The Conservative candidate was named as Hounslow Councillor Mark Bowen on the same day.[8][9]

Labour chose Seema Malhotra[10][11] as their candidate on 27 November 2011 after a quickfire selection[12] from four other candidates. Malhotra is the Director of Fabian's Women Network and was a Chair of the Fabian Society.[13][14] Dave Furness was selected by the British National Party on 29 November 2011,[15] the same day as Roger Crouch was confirmed as the Liberal Democrats nominee.[16] Crouch is a supporter of the Liberal Democrats' Chinese branch.[17]

Roger Cooper is the English Democrat Party chairman for their London region.[18] David Bishop stood in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, 2011 in addition to being one of the 26 candidates at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008. His website explains that his party was created in protest at the capitalist system which turned Elvis Presley "into a fat media joke." George Hallam stood on a socialist platform against austerity cuts and in favour of high rates of income tax for the highest earners. He was a candidate at the 2010 general election in the Lewisham East seat under the ballot paper description "Community Need Before Private Greed".[19] The Green Party candidate, Daniel Goldsmith, is an IT consultant from Chiswick.[20]

Result

The result was marked by a particularly low turnout of 28.8%, the lowest since Tottenham, April 2000 (25.4%) and West Bromwich West, November 2000 (27.3%). Whilst a low turnout is generally expected at by-elections, such a low turnout surprised many experts who attributed it to a couple of main factors: the relatively short space of time between the death of the sitting MP (Alan Keen) and the by-election, only 35 days in this case when the average since 1979 is 73;[21] and the time of year, as it was held close to Christmas and during the long and cold winter nights. The electorate was 80,813.[22]

Election Political result Candidate Party Votes % ±%
By-election, 2011
Turnout: 23,224 (28.7%) -31.2		Labour hold
Majority: 6,203 (26.7%) +17.1
Swing: +8.6% from Con to Lab 		Seema MalhotraLabour12,63954.4+10.8
Mark Bowen Conservative6,43627.7-6.3
Roger Crouch Liberal Democrat1,3645.9-7.8
Andrew Charalambous UKIP1,2765.5+3.5
Dave Furness BNP5402.3-1.2
Daniel Goldsmith Green4261.8+0.7
Roger Cooper English Democrats3221.4N/A
George Hallam People Before Profit1280.6N/A
David Bishop Bus-Pass Elvis Party930.4N/A
General Election 2010
Turnout: 48,526 (59.9%) +12		Labour hold
Majority: 4,658 (9.6%)
Swing: -4.8% from Lab to Con 		Alan KeenLabour21,17443.6-4.5
Mark Bowen Conservative16,51634.0+5.2
Munira Wilson Liberal Democrat6,66913.7-2.9
John Donnelly BNP1,7143.5N/A
Jerry Shadbolt UKIP9922.0+0.5
Elizabeth Ansits Green5301.1-1.2
Dharmendra Tripathi Independent5051.0N/A
Asa Khaira Independent1800.4N/A
Roger Williams Independent1680.3N/A
Matthew Linley Workers Revolutionary780.2N/A

See also

References

  1. ↑ Langdon, Julia (14 November 2011). "Alan Keen obituary". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Labour announces byelection date". Press Association. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
  3. ↑ Waugh, Paul. "Winter by-election". Politics Home. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  4. ↑ Feltham and Heston by-election London Borough of Hounslow
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ "UKIP chooses by-election candidate". UK Independence Party. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
  7. ↑ Nighclub owner and tantric master Tories latest weapon Daily Mail
  8. ↑ Bowen's Blog Mark Bowen personal blog
  9. ↑ ToryHQ Twitter feed
  10. ↑ LabourList
  11. ↑ Labour candidate 'tones down' £3m home and double-barrelled name to avoid losing votes Daily Mail
  12. ↑ LabourList
  13. ↑ Seema Malhotra Profile Fabian Society
  14. ↑ LabourList
  15. ↑ Vote Dave Furness for Feltham and Heston British National Party
  16. ↑ Roger Crouch to be LibDem candidate Liberal England blog
  17. ↑ Chinese Liberal Democrats Profile Page
  18. ↑ Party Structure VoteEnglish - English Democrats
  19. ↑ Home George Hallam
  20. ↑ Daniel Goldsmith to stand for the Green Party in Feltham and Heston By-Election Green Party
  21. ↑ "What lessons from Feltham and Heston by-election?". BBC News. 16 December 2011.
  22. ↑ Brentworth and Isleworth Chronicle

External links

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