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 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.