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By-election 2011

First Lady!

A jubilant Debbie Abrahams is named Oldham’s first woman MP

Oldham’s first woman MP in Labour landslide
LABOUR’S Debbie Abrahams made history by becoming Oldham’s first ever female MP as the Tory vote collapsed.

The national spotlight fell on Oldham as the biggest by-election for years saw Mrs Abrahams romp to victory by more than 3,500 votes in a 1.47am announcement over Lib-Dem Elwyn Watkins as Labour emerged undamaged by the Phil Woolas scandal.

On a crushing night for the Conservatives their vote was down by more than

Date published: 14/01/2011

Lib-Dems and Tories dealt a bloody nose

Chronicle election team: Richard Hooton, Karen Doherty, Janice Barker, Anika Bourley and Darren Robinson
LABOUR’S Debbie Abrahams said she was “absolutely proud” to create history by becoming Oldham’s first female MP.

Despite a lower turnout the mother-of-three increased Phil Woolas’ share of the vote in May by more than 500 votes to 14,718 and the majority over the...

Date published: 14/01/2011

Elwyn: no shame

DEJECTED . . . Elwyn Watkins can’t hide his disappointment in discussion with Lib-Dem MP Tim Farron

ELWYN Watkins said that he had stood up for what he believed in after failing to win the historic by-election that he triggered.

And he is yet to decide if he will continue to live in...

Date published: 14/01/2011

Tory vote slashed as Kashif stays in third

KASHIF ALI can only look on as the vote reveals he stayed in third place.

DISAPPOINTED Tory Kashif Ali saw his votes slump from almost 12,000 at the General Election to 4,481, and stayed in third place.

But he denied it was down to lack of support from his...

Date published: 14/01/2011

UKIP grab fourth

UKIP candidate Paul Nuttall was celebrating after snatching fourth place from the BNP

The party’s vote increased since the May General Election while the BNP lost nearly1,000 to slip to fifth and lose their deposit.

Mr Nuttall said: “I am very happy. We had three targets that at the start of the election: to save our deposit, to finish in fourth place and to park our...

Date published: 14/01/2011

Fellow MPs lead applause

National spotlight: OVER 124 journalists from all over the country and abroad attended the first by-election of the new coalition government’s term in charge. The 48.1 per cent poll was well down on the 61.6 per cent back in May, but considered good for a by-election.

Debbie Abrahams’ historic victory was applauded by veteran Labour MP Michael Meacher, and neighbouring MP David Heyes.

Mr Meacher, who last year celebrated 40 years in Oldham West and...

Date published: 14/01/2011

SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION OUT EARLY

Get to the shops now and get your early-morning Chronicle for unrivalled coverage of Labour's Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election victory - or register to read the eChron version on the home page now.
... there's more if you click!

Date published: 14/01/2011

Here we go again

WHERE it all began . . . Jane Blackburn votes at Saddleworth Civic Hall — where Phil Woolas was stripped of his seat

All eyes on Oldham as voting begins again 
OLDHAM’S historic by-election got off to a damp start this morning as the media scrum descended on the borough.

Hundreds of TV and radio...

Date published: 13/01/2011

Mock election victory for Tories

THE VOTES have been cast and the result of the election is in — as decided by school children.

Pupils at Friezland Primary School held a mock election at the same time as the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election and chose the Conservatives for their MP.

The youngsters held their poll yesterday because the school is shut today as it’s a polling station...

Date published: 13/01/2011

Putting on the glitz

STAR support... John Middleton, David Nielson and Tom Hingley join Debbie Abrahams

Soaps stars get on their soapbox to boost vote
CELEBRITY glitz was injected into the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election as three famous faces gave their support to Labour.

The...

Date published: 12/01/2011

Last push

TWO political heavyweights were expected in Oldham today in an eleventh-hour bid to secure vital votes for their respective party in tomorrow’s by-election.

Labour’s election co-ordinator Andy Burnham, along with other prominent MPs, was due to join Labour candidate Debbie Abrahams on the campaign trail with only hours to go before the polls open.

And for the Lib-Dems,...

Date published: 12/01/2011

Hustings ‘first’ voted a hit for democracy

Tory candidate Kashif Ali (left) and the Lib-Dem’s Elwyn Watkins at the hustings.

THE Asian community’s first hustings event was hailed a success and a step forward for democracy.

The hustings event was organised by members of the Glodwick Muslim community and hosted...

Date published: 12/01/2011

Each vote vital, says Clegg

EVERY vote counts . . . that’s the message from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who made his third visit to Oldham in as many weeks.

Mr Clegg addressed voters in Grotton ahead of tomorrow’s by-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth and knocked on doors in Brooklands Drive with Lib-Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins in a bid to rouse support.

Most residents were welcoming...

Date published: 12/01/2011

We can still win — Tories

THE Conservatives still have a strong chance of winning the by-election despite opinion polls indicating a Labour victory, according to a senior party member.

Paymaster General Francis Maude MP went on the campaign trail with local Tory candidate Kashif Ali in Glodwick.

The pair dropped leaflets through doors in Waterloo Street and spoke to local business owners to see...

Date published: 12/01/2011

It’s a sprint to the finish

Sir Menzies Campbell, left, pointing the way for Elwyn Watkins, second left. Also seated is Oldham Councillor Brian Lord.

Former Olympic runner Sir Menzies Campbell joined the race to decide who will be Oldham East and Saddleworth’s next MP when he made a lunchtime visit to Uppermill.

Sir Menzies, who was...

Date published: 12/01/2011

Lord boosts fight

Lord Pearson, right, is pictured in Uppermill, supporting candidate Paul Nuttall, left, with millionaire Stuart Wheeler, the party’s new treasurer

A Scottish lord came to Oldham East and Saddleworth to boost the UK Independence Party’s by-election campaign.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch, UKIP’s leader in the House of Lords,...

Date published: 12/01/2011

Ali quizzed by future voters

IT was back to class for Conservative candidate Kashif Ali who spoke to future voters at his former school Hulme Grammar yesterday.

Mr Ali was joined by Andrew Stephenson, national vice-chairman of the Conservative Party and they were quizzed by sixth-form politics students on tuition fees and the removal of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

They also asked...

Date published: 12/01/2011

Arrest and dirty tricks... from a bygone age

CAMPAIGNING has reached fever pitch in the run up to tomorrow’s Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election — but things were just as hotly contested more than 100 years ago.

Reader Kryshia Winkler has unearthed a special election edition of the Evening Chronicle with election results from November, 1885.

Liberal J T Hibbert and Conservative J M Maclean were returned to...

Date published: 12/01/2011

As a local lad, I know what the people need

KASHIF ALI

Election statement — Kashif Ali, Conservative

IT HAS been a long campaign but. tomorrow, voters in Oldham East and Saddleworth will finally get the chance to choose who should be their...

Date published: 12/01/2011

Candidate list

These candidates hope for your vote tomorrow

Date published: 12/01/2011

The power is in your hands

HAVING a say . . . Labour MP and Shadow Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills John Denham meets local students with candidate Debbie Abrahams

Election 2011

A HIGH-PROFILE Labour MP has urged local voters to issue a blow to the coalition and send a message that broken promises will not be tolerated.

John Denham, Shadow...

Date published: 11/01/2011

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