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Lib-Dems and Tories dealt a bloody nose
Date published: 14 January 2011
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 Lib-Dems from 103 to 3,558. The 49-year-old was delighted the success telling the Chronicle: “It’s great to make history.”
She said the reason she won was because: “People did feel so cross and wanted to send a message out to the Government on broken promises. This is better than in 1997. We were working for every single vote so it was important for us to get our message across to so many people.
“It was about us being in contact with so many of our constituents — we made thousands of contacts and this is how I want to work in the future with regular contact and responding to issues.”
And the public health consultant told those who voted for her: “Thank-you so much for turning out in such atrocious weather.”
The by-election was called after Labour’s Phil Woolas was stripped of the seat by an election court for lying about his Lib-Dem opponent in election material.
But Labour emerged undamaged and Mrs Abrahams said: “I think this is about recognising it’s a fresh start. Those who had contact with Phil Woolas knew he was a good constituency MP. They were more worried about their issues than the politics.”
She said people were more angry about police cuts, the tripling of university tuition fees, the VAT rise and scrapping the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for students.
She said things like scrapping the EMA make a real difference between people being able to study or not and affects their life chances. She had met with students who wouldn’t be able to go to university because of the fees and cuts.
And she assured residents she would stand up against such issues in opposition and could be successful in reversing them.
She pointed out how strong opposition to the axing of schools sports partnership saw the Government perform a U-turn.
“It’s about having a strong opposition and strong representation so all the issues in Oldham East and Saddleworth are raised,” she said.
And about the BNP losing 1,000 votes she added: “As we have seen the support for the BNP has been shrinking over the years. As soon as people see what they stand for they shirk away from it.”
In her victory speech she said the eyes of the country were on Oldham and it was the first step ahead for the party and leader Ed Miliband.
She said voters had given a clear message to the Government adding: “David Cameron and Nick Clegg you may have been watching but now you have to listen.” She said there was growing anger against cuts and broken promises and it was time to give people a fair deal.
Labour accepted the humility of its national defeat in May and “we know we have much to do to reconnect with those our party was created to serve.”
She added that her victory was the “first step in a long journey” for her party, and branded coalition policies “reckless”. “The voters have spoken for the country.
“They have sent a clear message for those watching in Downing Street,” Mrs Abrahams said.
Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham MP, who oversaw the Labour campaign, contrasted Mr Miliband’s decision to visit the constituency three times with Chancellor George Osborne’s choice of festive holiday.
“While Ed was in the hills in Saddleworth, Tory ministers were on the skiing slopes in Klosters,” he said.
“What we have seen here is people are not happy with the way this government is going about its business.”
HOW YOU VOTED
First number - Total votes; second number, percentage of poll; third number, variance percentage over 2010 result
Debbie Abrahams (Lab) 14,718; 42.14; +10.27
Elwyn Watkins (Lib-Dem) 11,160; 30.95; +0.32
Kashif Ali (Con) 4,481; 12.83; -13.62
Paul Nuttall (UKIP) 2,029; 5.81; +1.95
Derek Adams (BNP) 1,560; 4.47; -1.25
Peter Allen (Green) 530; 1.52
The Flying Brick (MR Loony) 145; 0.42
Stephen Morris (Eng Dem); 144; 0.41
Loz Kaye (Pirate) 96; 0.27
David Bishop (Bus-Pass Elvis) 67; 0.19
Majority: 3,558 LABOUR HOLD
Electorate: 72,788
Turnout: 48.1 per cent
Candidates below Paul Nuttall in the list lost their deposit after failing to achieve five per cent of the vote
PREVIOUS RESULTS
2010: Phill Woolas (Lab) 14,186, Elwyn Watkins (Lib-Dem) 14,083, Kashif Ali (Con) 11,773, Alwyn Stott (BNP) 2,546, David Bentley (UKIP) 1,720, Gulzar Nazir (Christian Party) 212. Majority 103. Turnout 61.6 per cent
2005: Phil Woolas (Lab) 17,968, Tony Dawson (Lib-Dem) 14,378, Keith Chapman (Con) 7,901, Michael Treacy (BNP 2,109, Valerie Nield (UKIP) 873, Philip O’Grady (Ind) 138. Majority: 3,590. Turnout 57.5 per cent.
Comments
AGH 'bloody nose'? What rubbish you write...the people of Oldham East and Saddleworth have sent a clear message...we dont like sore, bad loosers. Elwyn Watkins has now through the voters been told we dont want you here. Elwyn talks of living in a fantasy village, well He is in in fantisy land now...good riddance.Well done Debbie Abrahams and the Labour Team you have masterminded a historic victory over the has been. Best wishes to Phil Woolas you will always be remembered as a great MP.
STUPID
Well the people of Oldham have shown hoe stupid they are. Voting labour is just like getting a loan from a back-street money lender,
1) an illegal war
2) 17.6% pay rise just after the first fire-fighters strike
3) after the race wars in Oldham 53 million spent
4) lies told about money being borrowed (europe)
But some people want to sit down without getting a job and everything getting paid for ny tax payers
CONGRATS ON VOTING LABOUR YOU IDIOTS
Well THE PITBULL has spoken and just about sums up the arrogance of a sore loser - no doubt this person either did not vote or his/her party was an 'also ran'. Why call all Oldhamers who voted Labour? Haven't they a democratic right to a free vote or would you rather be ruled by a dictator? Oh, I almost forgot, that's what the Con-Dems are becoming. Sad! The people have spoken and PITBULL you should think back to the ruinous Thatcher years or have you a selective memory?
What a ludicrous headline. Far from being dealt a bloody nose, the result (with only a 48.1% turnout) for Labour is actually down from the 2005 result. The status quo remains and nothing has changed except for the sex of the MP. I agree with A G H and cannot understand the apparent euphoria at what was a rather expected result during a time of severe budget cuts to reduce the massive debt created by the previous Labour government.
I am neither for or against Ms. Abrahams but,Condem, you are orbitting a different planet to the majority of Oldham if you believe that this was a "historic" victory and, even more laughable, your comment that Woolas was a "great" MP when in reality he was the exact opposite. A number of posters have stated that there was little or no constituency feedback and was more inclined to sell his soul to remain in a ministerial post with all the trappings that brought.
mikejh45.....Im on this planet.You must be on another.Phil Woolas regularily attended his consituency meetings. His demise , our loss was the result of a bad loser , who had a habit of overturning election results by resorting to obscure legal and selfish means rather than accepting the votes cast democraticaly...who are your posters more of the same twisted sore bitter and dirty fighters no doubt?
Condem. Woolas broke the law, a fact and end of story.....something you are in denial about. Not being a Lib-Dem (or Tory or Labour for that matter), I'm not sure about this HABIT you are referring to regarding Watkins. Are you really saying that Labour are politically squeaky clean?
Owdhamfan - why do you feel the need to bring up Thatcher after all these years? If you need to refer to recent history, have a good look at the mess Labour left the country in in 1979.....remember the Winter of Discontent, strikes everwhere, 'Sunny' Jim Callaghan going cap in hand to the International Monetary Fund several times?
mikej45- HABIT:Its not the first time Watkins has resorted to legal recourse when the vote went aginst him.He is a serial complainer....he has left Delph and is winging his way back to Saudi ....good riddance.
Have Your Say
I'm afraid the only people to have been dealt a bloody nose are, once more, the people of Oldham. The apparent euphoria at what is little more than 'No Change' is unbelievable. The conclusion must be that voters are happy - yet again - to live in one of Labour's stagnant backwaters. No change is what it will remain. Oldham will not be improved one jot by this result. Before you cheer, just look around at the place. Anybody fancy a dinosaur as the town's logo?
By A G H @ 14/01/2011 17:41:06