Sheffield constituencies- changes proposed - Page 2 - Sheffield Forum Sheffield constituencies- changes proposed Total Posts: 1,583 A few points: Constituencies must be built out of whole wards. Everybody who made a submission to the *ward* review recognised that and plumped for 28 wards to make arranging Sheffield into 5.5 contituencies easier. All the documentation will list component *wards*, not component comminities, neighbourhoods, districts, etc. That's why, for example, "Bradway" doesn't appear in any list. Bradway isn't a ward. Constituency reorganisation does *not* effect postcodes, school catchments areas, telephone codes, local authority boundaries or anything else. It is purely and only arranging how what bits of geography are represented in Parliament. Stocksbridge will still be within Sheffield District and Penistone will still be within Barnsley District. Anybody can make comments to the Boundary Commission by 29th October. -- Quote: Originally posted by t020 I think Richard Allan stepping down may allow the Tories to close the gap on the Lib Dems.

There is certainly an opportunity, but having met Nick Clegg a couple of times I think he will fill the very capable Richard Allen's shoes extremely well indeed. _______ Location: Walkley Total Posts: 1,583 I've finished and sent off my submission to the Boundary Commission. It is available at if anybody's interested. -- It looks OK but can Sheffield Hallam swap Nether Edge for Beauchief? _______ WARNING: If you suffer from allodoxaphobia, please look away now. "Donï¿½t worry. Iï¿½m not being condescending. Iï¿½m far too busy thinking about important things you wouldnï¿½t understand." Originally posted by t020 It looks OK but can Sheffield Hallam swap Nether Edge for Beauchief? I didn't start from a position of swapping bits around, but from the position of recognising the strong boundaries formed by the valleys and fitting the constituencies into them. The report compares with the initial Boundary Commission report as they expect you to compare your proposal to theirs and explain how yours is a better solution to theirs.

I'd be the first to admit my proposal isn't perfect, but I believe it is the nearest to perfection possible within the rules required, and a better solution that the BC proposal. -- No map provided, so I've thrown one together at Is the idea to make sure each ward has roughly the same number of voters ? Joined: Jul 2003 Total Posts: 206 Beauchief to Hallam instead of Nether Edge? A bit of gerrymandering for the Tories never went amiss, eh? I don't whink it would help though. People vore LibDem in Hallam not only because of Richard Allen, but because it's part of a general trend away from a regional Southern English party *lol* What isn't mentioned in the Star is the removal of Burngreave from Central to Brightside. Nothing special in terms of party prospects, though. Shouldn't the word Sheffield be included in the name for Stocksbridge and Penistone constituency? Location: S3 Netherthorpe (Stannington on weekends) Total Posts: 29,497 I don't see any differences... MPs will still vaguely do their job...

One thing strikes me though: SHEFFIELD, BRIGHTSIDE AND HILLSBOROUGH - Burngreave, Firth Park, Hillsborough, Shiregreen and Brightside, Southey. SHEFFIELD CENTRAL - Broomhill, Central, Crookes, Nether Edge, Walkley. SHEFFIELD, HALLAM - Beauchief and Greenhill, Dore and Totley, Ecclesall, Fulwood, Stannington. SHEFFIELD, HEELEY - Arbourthorne, Darnall, Gleadless Valley, Graves Park, Manor Castle. SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST - Beighton, Birley, Mosborough, Richmond, Woodhouse. There are aprts of Sheffield missing ! What if you live in Sheffield but aren't in tha tlist of area, does that mean they won't let you vote anymore (lol) ? So they're bunging Stannington in with Eccleshall as part of Hallam?! Total Posts: 206 Looking at the wards making up the Central constituency Broomhill, Central, Crookes, Nether Edge, Walkley means Richard Caborn will have a fight on his hands to retain the seat.

If you look at the Local Election results from 2004 (where Labour kept control of the council) the cumulated results for the 5 wards were: Liberal Democrat 41.22% Green Party 15.92% Conservative Party 14.61%. Of course, it's always tricky taking local election results and transferring them to general elections, but with Burngreave moved to Brightside and the old Sharrow ward having disappeared, I wouldn't be surprised if Sheffield got two LibDem MPs after the next election. With the break up of the old Hillsborough contituency, with Hillsborough going to Brightside and the rest going together with Penistine, it's probable that the new Penistone and Stocksbridge seat will be up for grabs.

Here the local election results for the proposed Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency (based on the results for East and West Ecclesfield, Stocksbridge and Upper Don, Dodworth, East and West Pensitone wards): Labour 33.05% Green Party 2.63% BNP 2.61% If you interpret independent as Tories, then here's a possible three way marginal, making politics in South Yorskhire very interesting! Last edited by fhain29; 26-10-2004 at 10:06. Is the idea to make sure each ward has roughly the same number of voters ? No, the requirement is to make sure each has roughly the same number of electors. -- Location: Walkley Total Posts: 1,583 The Boundary Commission for England have announced the Local Enquiry on the proposed new Parliamentary boundaries in South Yorkshire. There was only one adverse comment on the proposed Doncaster boundaries, so the Commission have adopted the draft as their final recommendation. The Enquiry will cover the Parliamentary boundaries within the area covered by Sheffield CC, Barnsley MBC and Rotherham MBC.

The Enquiry will start at 10am, Tuesday 15th March in the Council Chamber of Sheffield Town Hall. I have put together a summary of the full proposals and the partial proposals on my website at As I pointed out before, constituencies must be built out of whole wards, consequently, all the documentation lists component *wards*, not component communities, neighbourhoods, districts, etc. That's why, for example, "Bradway" doesn't appear in any list. Bradway isn't a ward. Constituency reorganisation does *not* effect postcodes, school catchments areas, telephone codes, local authority boundaries or anything else. It is purely and only arranging how what bits of geography are represented in Parliament. Stocksbridge will still be within Sheffield District and Penistone will still be within Barnsley District. -- Joined: Aug 2003 Total Posts: 8,161 For those of us living in Bradway it gets better then! Not only is the community split into two wards for the council elections, it is also split into two parliamentary constituencies - Hallam and Heeley!

Location: Loxley Total Posts: 123 I wonder if this reorganisation will affect Hallam's much-vaunted status as a) the constituency with the most highly-qualified residents, and b) the most affluent constituency outside London. In another thread, Mo said: Quote: Is it the same for Normanton Springs which was taken out of the old Handsworth ward (now Woodhouse Ward) and moved into Richmond. In local elections the area is in Richmond ie Heeley Constiuency but in the General Election it is still in Attercliffe? So it has a set of councillors from one constituency and an MP from another Richmond *isn't* in Heeley constituency. The constituency boundaries *haven't* changed yet, so almost all the wards in the city overlap constituency boundaries. This is inevitable, as: 1) wards have to be the same size 2) constituencies have to be the same size 3) constituencies have to be built out of a *whole number* of wards, not the other way round 4) constituency reviews are done *after* ward reviews.

So, after a ward review, which we had last year, you have a couple of years where the wards and constituencies don't match up. The same thing happened in the late 1960s. Taking Richmond, *parts* of it are in Attercliffe constituency, parts in Heeley constituency, and about four houses at Manor Top in Central constituency. Don't fret about it. It only happens about once every 30 years or so. It'll all be back to unsplit wards be the next General Election. Last edited by jgharston; 19-04-2005 at 23:19. West Yorkshire results: Ed Balls out in Leeds; Galloway goes in Bradford - Yorkshire Post York West Yorkshire results: Ed Balls out in Leeds; Galloway goes in Bradford Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can Waiting for Video... Have your say ED BALLS became the highest-profile casualty of a disastrous General Election performance for Labour, losing his seat to the Conservatives in a shock result.

The shadow chancellor was beaten by Andrea Jenkyns by 18,776 votes to 18,354 in MORLEY AND OUTWOOD - a majority of 422 - after a recount. Former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls concedes defeat He said the disappointment at his individual political demise was “as nothing compared to the sense of sorrow I have” at Labour’s showing across the rest of the UK. In his speech, Mr Balls said: “Any personal disappointment I have at this result is as nothing as compared to the sense of sorrow I have at the result Labour has achieved across the UK tonight in Scotland, as well as in England and in Wales, and the sense of concern I have about the future. “We will now face a five years where questions will arise about the future of our Union, about whether we can stay as a member of the European Union and fight for jobs and investment, whether we can make sure we secure our National Health Service at a time when public spending is cut. “Those are real concerns to me and to many people across the United Kingdom.” The count at Leeds Arena. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.

He added: “Even on this difficult night I am sure the Labour Party will emerge in the coming weeks and months more united and more determined and, in the next few years, I think, more than ever we will need in Parliament and across the country a Labour Party absolutely determined to stand up for working people in this constituency and in our country. “I am confident Labour will be back.” In BRADFORD WEST, George Galloway was dealt a knockout blow after he polled just 8,557 votes to Labour candidate Naz Shah’s 19,977 votes. The Respect candidate lost his seat after Labour comfortably overturned the left wing maverick’s huge majority of over 10,000. The Huddersfield election count Picture: Scott Merrylees It was day to remember for Ms Shah, who was selected at the 11th hour after the favoured Labour candidate stepped down after just four days. Ms Shah, a mother-of-three who won sympathy and support when she spoke out about her difficult upbringing and forced marriage at 15, thanked “the wonderful people of Bradford” for placing their trust in her.

She thanked her fellow candidates but denounced Mr Galloway, saying his campaign had “demeaned our democracy”. She said “personal attacks on me have not worked. The people of Bradford West have seen through this and you have been sent on your way.” She thanked Ed Miliband’s wife Justine for twice visiting Bradford West and thanked Tory opponent George Grant for publicly condemning personal attacks on her. Mr Galloway, who was elected to Bradford West in a by-election in 2012, failed to convinced voters to return him to Parliament. He had faced complaints from some that he hadn’t spent enough time in Bradford and had not fulfilled some of his promises. After defeat, he congratulated Ms Shah on a “remarkable victory,” adding: “More remarkable has been the disastrous night for the Labour Party as a whole I am very sorry to say. “The people of Bradford will wake up to discover a Conservative government back, a Labour leader who will probably resign by lunchtime and a shadow Foreign Secretary who has lost their seat.

“That’s very bad news for Bradford and not what any of us who call ourselves part of the Labour movement want to see.” Mr Galloway added a cryptic comment, saying “a hyena can dance on a lion’s grave but can’t ever be a lion.” He hinted at his next political move, saying: “I’m going off now to plan my next campaign.” He wouldn’t say if he would be running for London Mayor. Mary Creagh secured her third term as MP for WAKEFIELD in a campaign that was believed to be much closer than the result suggested. Ms Creagh won 17,301 votes although earlier in the evening her rivals were suggesting she maybe in trouble. She said: “I am absolutely thrilled to serve a third term. We have had a very difficult and disappointing night in Scotland. “We have gained seats elsewhere but not as many as we would have liked to have taken.” The former shadow health minister increased her majority. In the 2010 elections it was 1,613 but after last night’s election it is now 2,613. Tory candidate Antony Calvert finished second with 14,688 votes.

And the HEMSWORTH seat was held by Labour’s Jon Trickett. He took 51.3 per cent of the vote to retain his seat. Mr Trickett said: “I am very happy to be elected. I love my constituents they are great people. they are very strong minded, hardworking people and I try to reflect that in how I work.” Christopher Pearson, from the Conservatives, came second place with 9,694 votes. Young pretender Richard Burgon swept to victory in LEEDS EAST with a massive 12,500 majority, and promised to carry on the legacy of people’s politician George Mudie. He also follows in the footsteps of his uncle Colin Burgon, who represented Elmet from 1997 to 2010. Burgon used his winning speech to pay tribute to his supporters and family, but also took time to reflect on the Labour party’s disappointing night nationally. “It’s disappointing to see the results coming through,” he said. “I wanted to see a Labour Government to save our NHS from privatisation , to abolish the bedroom tax which affects 1,499 homes in East Leeds alone.

I wanted a Labour Government in order to increase the minimum wage and make society fairer. “We are not going to get a Labour majority Government and that makes me sad. Not for any personal ambitions, but because I think that would be in the best interests of the people of East Leeds.” Hilary Benn stormed to his fifth General Election victory, holding his LEEDS CENTRAL seat by a comfortable margin for Labour, and securing almost 5,000 more votes than all the other candidates put together- and 55 per cent of the total His closest rival was Tory candidate Nicola Wilson, who secured 7,791 votes. The turnout in the constituency, the biggest in the city with an electorate of more than 80,000, was 55.35 per cent, lower than the citywide average of 65.43 per cent. FORMER soldier Kris Hopkins outgunned his rivals to take the Keighley seat for the Tories, adding slightly to his majority from five years ago. The seat had been highlighted by the Conservatives in the run up to the election as a key battleground and crucial in deciding who would be the next Prime Minister.

Mr Hopkins, who won with a majority of less than 3,000 five years ago, was delighted after seeing off the challenge of Labour’s John Grogan. The result was a disaster for the Lib Dems, and their candidate Gareth Epps, mirroring the national picture. Mr Grogan saw his hopes of returning to Parliament left in tatters. He was Labour MP for Selby for 13 years until 2010 when his constituency was abolished following boundary changes. Tory maverick Philip Davies was buoyant after holding his SHIPLEY seat, with a majority of more than 9,000. Mr Davies, who became the first MP to publicly call for Britain to withdraw from the European Union, and who is a member of the ‘Better Off Out’ campaign, polled 25,269 votes, leaving him well ahead of his closest challenger, Labour’s Steve Clapcote. When he first took the seat 10 years ago, he did so with a majority of just 422 votes. That rose to just under 10,000 at the last election, and this time he again comprehensively beat off Labour’s challenge.

Immediately after the result was declared he vowed to represent Shipley in the same vein. He said: “It’s a great honour to represent the Shipley constituency, and I am very pleased that my vote has gone up each time. “I will continue to do as I have done before and be an independent MP who won’t accept a promotion. “Whoever forms the Government, I will hold them rigorously to account. I will be an independent voice on the backbenches.” The result was another disaster for the Lib Dems, whose candidate Andrew Martin managed less than 2,000 votes. The turnout for the constituency, which covers Shipley, Baildon, Bingley and the rural areas between Bradford and Keighley, was 71.9 percent. UKIP’s Waqas Khan polled 4,479 votes. Labour candidate Judith Cummins easily saw off challenges from Ukip and from the Conservatives in BRADFORD SOUTH. She polled 16,328 votes to ensure the seat remained in Labour hands after long-serving MP Gerry Sutcliffe decided not to stand.

Tory candidate Tanya Graham was second with 9878 votes, with Ukip’s Jason Smith third on 9057. The Lib Dem man, Andrew Tear, polled only 1,094 votes. Mrs Cummins, a former mature student who is married with two children, said it was an “honour and a privilege to be stood here as the elected MP for Bradford South.” She added: “I will stand up for local people and local families and put them first. “The people of Bradford West have placed their trust in me. I will work hard for Bradford South.” Gerry Sutcliffe hailed the result as a good majority for Labour. He said predictions of a Ukip breakthrough had been wrong. “It was a Ukip target seat but they didn’t break through.” Liberal Democrat David Ward cut a dejected figure in the hours leading up to the official announcement that he had lost his BRADFORD EAST seat to Labour’s Imran Hussain. Mr Ward was defending a slender majority of just 365 votes in one of the most marginal of constituencies. Mr Hussain polled 7,000 more votes than Mr Ward, who is a former Bradford councillor.

The Lib Dem man had won praise from residents for being a campaigning and hard working MP - but that counted for little as his vote evaporated on a bad night for Liberal Democrats. Mr Ward wasn’t present on the platform as the results were read out by the returning officer. Mr Hussain, a barrister and the deputy leader of Bradford Council, said that his campaign had been one of the most “vibrant and energetic” that he had been involved with. Rachel Reeves held the LEEDS WEST seat for Labour with an increased majority of more than 10,000. Speaking after the declaration, Ms Reeves conceded it was a disappointing night for her party, but was still proud to represent her constituency. “Tonight has been a difficult night for my party. We will have to learn from and understand the result. “I am sorry that the manifesto that I fought for will not be implemented, but I am also sorry for the people of Leeds West and the people of my country that we can’t fulfil it.” She also refused to be drawn on whether she feels Ed Miliband is the right man to lead the Labour Party. The seat has been a Labour stronghold since 1987 when John Battle took the seat from Liberal Michael Meadowcroft.

Rachael Reeves has held the seat for Labour since Battle retired in 2010, when she received 16,389 votes. The Conservatives held COLNE VALLEY as defending candidate Jason McCartney increased his majority. Labour’s Jane East fell more than 5,000 seats short of taking the seat, as her opponent was elected for a second Parliamentary term in office. The seat was considered to be a relatively key marginal in the run-up to the polls, with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives all having held the seat at various points during the last 28 years. However, the result on the night mirrored the national swing from the reds to the blues, as Mr McCartney took more than 44 per cent of the vote, enjoying a swing of 7.5 per cent in the process. Labour took just under 20,000 votes and Melanie Roberts of UKIP came in a comfortable third ahead of the Liberal Democrats. Nick Clegg’s party suffered a collapse to the tune of 22 percentage points, as all three of the parties ahead of them increased their vote share.

The Greens meanwhile mustered nearly 2,000 votes - a considerable improvement on their 2010 showing. The election battle for the DEWSBURY constituency had been billed from the start as a two horse race, with both Labour and the Conservatives naming it as a key seat in their respective campaigns early on. Most national and constituency polls had pointed towards a win for Labour’s Paula Sherriff - a health worker and councillor for Pontefract North who was selected from an all-women shortlist back in November 2013. Since then she has been on the campaign trail, arguing that the town deserved a ‘full-time MP’ and promising to act on unpopular services changes at its local hospital. Nobody was taking it for granted though, with the only thing that every party agreed on being that the result was too close to call. But shortly after 7am, the Labour was given some respite with news that it had won back the seat with a majority of 1,351. Miss Sherriff said: “I know it’s been a very long evening and long morning for everybody.

I would like to thank my amazing campaign team, many of which are here with me this evening.” In HUDDERSFIELD one thing remained a constant - the town’s MP Barry Sheerman. With eight General Election victories under his belt, Mr Sheerman could have been forgiven for feeling confident that a ninth would follow. But a night spent watching other Labour colleagues, including many ‘dear friends’ in Scotland, losing their seats clearly tempered the delight he felt at being re-elected once more. “I think the old politics is dead,” he told the assembled media after the results were announced. “I think a real change has occurred. We’re no longer in that two party or three party system many of us have got comfortable with.” Acknowledging the devastating blow dealt to Labour in Scotland, he said that there were challenging times ahead for his party there and elsewhere in the UK. “The Labour party will have to reinvent itself in England and Wales,” he said. “Social media has changed politics. Everything I know has changed in this election.” An extremely-close contest in HALIFAX saw Labour have retain power after Holly Lynch edged past Conservative candidate Philip Allott by fewer than 500 votes.

The Labour candidate’s 17,506 votes was just 428 ahead of Mr Allott’s 17,078, with a voter turnout of 62.1 per cent. The Conservatives gained a 5 per cent share of the vote from the 2010 result, slashing their 1,500 majority from five years ago, but it still wasn’t enough to wrestle power away from the incumbent Labour party. Ms Lynch, who was a late replacement for Linda Riordan, who stepped down in February after 10 years due to ill health. said: “I’m delighted. Mixed results for Labour across the country but I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work on some big issues in Halifax. There was election night triumph for the Conservatives in Calderdale as they held on to the CALDER VALLEY. Craig Whittaker MP will represent the constituency for a second term after winning with a majority of 4,427 votes. Mr Whittaker received 23,354 votes - 2957 more than he did in the 2010 General Election - with a voter turnout of 67.3 per cent.

The seat fell to the Conservatives in 2010, following the retirement of Labour’s Christine McCafferty. There was wild applause when Mr Whittaker’s winning share of the vote was announced. Labour’s Josh Fenton-Glynn received 18,927 votes and UKIP’s Paul Rogan came in third place with 5,950 votes. Liberal Democrat candidate Alisdair Calder McGregor followed with 2,666.

BATLEY AND SPEN Jo Cox (elected) Labour Party 43% 21,820 Imtiaz Ameen Conservative Party 31% 15,769 Aleks Lukic UK Independence Party 18% 9,080 John Lawson Liberal Democrats 5% 2,396 Ian Bullock Green Party 2% 1,232 Dawn Wheelhouse Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 0% 123 Karl Varley Patriotic Socialist Party 0% 53 BRADFORD EAST Imran Hussain (elected) Labour Party 47% 19,312 David Ward Liberal Democrats 30% 12,228 Iftikhar Ahmed Conservative Party 11% 4,682 Owais Rajput UK Independence Party 10% 4,103 Dave Stevens Green Party 2% 871 James Lewthwaite British Democrats 1% 210 BRADFORD SOUTH Judith Cummins (elected) Labour Party 43% 16,328 Tanya Graham Conservative Party 26% 9,878 Jason Smith UK

 Independence Party 24% 9,057 Andrew Robinson Green Party 3% 1,243 Andrew Tear Liberal Democrats 3% 1,094 BRADFORD WEST Naseem Shah (elected) Labour Party 50% 19,977 George Galloway Respect Party 21% 8,557 George Grant Conservative Party 15% 6,160 Harry Boota UK Independence Party 8% 3,140 Alun Griffiths Liberal Democrats 3% 1,173 Celia Hickson Green Party 3% 1,085 James Kirkcaldy Independent 0% 100 Therese Hirst English Democrats 0% 98 CALDER VALLEY Craig Whittaker (elected) Conservative Party 44% 23,354 Josh Fenton-Glynn Labour Party 35% 18,927 Paul Graham Rogan UK Independence Party 11% 5,950 Alisdair Calder McGregor Liberal Democrats 5% 2,666 Jenny Shepherd Green Party 4% 2,090 Rod Sut

cliffe Yorkshire First 1% 389 Joe Stead World Peace Through Song 0% 165 COLNE VALLEY Jason McCartney (elected) Conservative Party 44% 25,246 Jane East Labour Party 35% 19,868 Melanie Roberts UK Independence Party 10% 5,734 Cahal Burke Liberal Democrats 6% 3,407 Chas Ball Green Party 3% 1,919 Paul Salveson Yorkshire First 1% 572 Melodie Staniforth Independent 0% 54 DEWSBURY Paula Sherriff (elected) Labour Party 42% 22,406 Simon Reevell Conservative Party 39% 20,955 Mark Thackray UK Independence Party 12% 6,649 Ednan Hussain Liberal Democrats 4% 1,924 Adrian Cruden Green Party 3% 1,366 Richard Carter Yorkshire First 0% 236 Steve Hakes Christian Peoples Alliance 0% 94 ELMET AND ROTHWELL Alec Shelbrooke (elected

) Conservative Party 48% 27,978 Veronica King Labour Party 34% 19,488 Paul Spivey UK Independence Party 11% 6,430 Stewart Golton Liberal Democrats 5% 2,640 Dave Brooks Green Party 2% 1,261 HALIFAX Holly Lynch (elected) Labour Party 40% 17,506 Philip Allott Conservative Party 39% 17,078 Liz Phillips UK Independence Party 13% 5,621 Mohammad Ilyas Liberal Democrats 4% 1,629 Gary Scott Green Party 3% 1,142 Asama Javed Respect Party 1% 465 Trevor Bendrien Christian Party 1% 312 HEMSWORTH Jon Trickett (elected) Labour Party 51% 21,772 Chris Pearson Conservative Party 23% 9,694 Steve Ashton UK Independence Party 20% 8,565 Mary Macqueen Liberal Democrats 3% 1,357 Martin Roberts Yorkshire First 2% 1

,018 HUDDERSFIELD Barry Sheerman (elected) Labour Party 45% 18,186 Itrat Ali Conservative Party 27% 10,841 Rob Butler UK Independence Party 15% 5,948 Andrew Cooper Green Party 7% 2,798 Zulfiqar Ali Liberal Democrats 6% 2,365 Mike Forster Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 1% 348 KEIGHLEY Kris Hopkins (elected) Conservative Party 44% 21,766 John Grogan Labour Party 38% 18,713 Paul Latham UK Independence Party 12% 5,662 Ros Brown Green Party 3% 1,661 Gareth Epps Liberal Democrats 3% 1,321 LEEDS CENTRAL Hilary Benn (elected) Labour Party 55% 24,758 Nicola Wilson Conservative Party 17% 7,791 Luke Senior UK Independence Party 16% 7,082 Michael Hayton Green Party 8% 3,55

8 Emma Spriggs Liberal Democrats 3% 1,529 Liz Kitching Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 1% 330 LEEDS EAST Richard Burgon (elected) Labour Party 54% 20,530 Ryan Stephenson Conservative Party 21% 7,997 Mark Maniatt UK Independence Party 19% 7,256 Edward Sanderson Liberal Democrats 3% 1,296 Kate Bisson Green Party 3% 1,117 LEEDS NORTH EAST Fabian Hamilton (elected) Labour Party 48% 23,137 Simon Wilson Conservative Party 33% 15,887 Warren Hendon UK Independence Party 8% 3,706 Aqila Choudhry Liberal Democrats 5% 2,569 Emma Carter Green Party 5% 2,541 Celia Foote Alliance for Green Socialism 1% 451 LEEDS NORTH WEST Greg Mulholland (elected) Liberal Democrats 37% 15,948 Alex Sobel Labour Party 30% 13

,041 Alex Story Conservative Party 19% 8,083 Tim Goodall Green Party 7% 3,042 Julian Metcalfe UK Independence Party 7% 2,997 Bob Buxton Yorkshire First 0% 143 Mike Davies Alliance for Green Socialism 0% 79 Mark Flanagan Above and Beyond 0% 24 LEEDS WEST Rachel Reeves (elected) Labour Party 48% 18,456 Alex Pierre-Traves Conservative Party 20% 7,729 Anne Murgatroyd UK Independence Party 18% 7,104 Andrew Pointon Green Party 8% 3,217 Laura Coyle Liberal Democrats 4% 1,495 Matthew West Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol 1% 217 Ben Mayor Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 1% 205 MORLEY AND OUTWOOD Andrea Jenkyns (elected) Conservative Party 39% 18,776 Ed Balls Labour Party 38% 18,354 David Dews UK Independence Party 16% 7

,951 Rebecca Taylor Liberal Democrats 3% 1,426 Martin Hemingway Green Party 3% 1,264 Arnie Craven Yorkshire First 1% 479 NORMANTON, PONTEFRACT AND CASTLEFORD Yvette Cooper (elected) Labour Party 55% 25,213 Nathan Garbutt UK Independence Party 21% 9,785 Beth Prescott Conservative Party 21% 9,569 Edward McMillan-Scott Liberal Democrats 3% 1,330 PUDSEY Stuart Andrew (elected) Conservative Party 46% 23,637 Jamie Hanley Labour Party 38% 19,136 Roger Tattersall UK Independence Party 9% 4,689 Ryk Downes Liberal Democrats 4% 1,926 Claire Allen Green Party 3% 1,539 SHIPLEY Philip Davies (elected) Conservative Party 50% 25,269 Steve Clapcote Labour Party 31% 15,645 Waqas Ali Khan UK

 Independence Party 9% 4,479 Kevin Warnes Green Party 5% 2,657 Andy Martin Liberal Democrats 4% 1,949 Darren Hill Yorkshire First 1% 543 WAKEFIELD Mary Creagh (elected) Labour Party 40% 17,301 Antony Calvert Conservative Party 34% 14,688 Alan Hazelhurst UK Independence Party 18% 7,862 Finbarr Cronin Liberal Democrats 3% 1,483 Rebecca Thackray Green Party 2% 1,069 Mick Griffiths Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 1% 287 Elliot Barr Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol 1% 283 MORE RESULTS The Election Battleground 6) Yorkshire and the Humber | Conservative Home The Election Battleground 6) Yorkshire and the Humber Follow @HCH_Hill Related Articles Corbyn will find it hard to cope in Copeland, and risks humiliation Overview There are 54 parliamentary constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Currently Labour hold 32, the Conservatives 19, and the Liberal Democrats three. Whilst seats such as Scunthorpe, Wakefield, Halifax, and Morley and Outwood suggest that the Conservatives have potential for good medium-term growth in this region, with further seats in Leeds as long-term prospects, all signs point to 2015 being a defensive election. With little prospect of any direct gains from Labour, the Tories will be fighting hard to hold onto seats like Cleethorpes, Dewsbury, Keighley and Pudsey, each of which would give Miliband an effective two-seat swing. However the party reportedly holds out distant hopes for Morley and Outwood where Ed Balls, the Shadow Chancellor, defends a precarious majority. This should be a fairly exciting region for Ed Miliband’s team in May. There is a decent clutch of the vital Conservative-Labour marginals which they need, and Electoral Calculus predict that they will pick up seven of them on the night.

They should also have high hopes of gains from the Liberal Democrats in seats like Bradford East and, if the consistent constituency polling is any indication, of pulling off a spectacular scalp and furnishing 2015’s “Portillo moment” by unseating Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, in Sheffield Hallam. Yorkshire and the Humber was something of a broken promise for the Liberal Democrats in 2010. After having their hopes raised by ‘Cleggmania’ not only did they miss out on seats like Hull North and Sheffield Central by eye-watering three-figure margins, but they actually lost seats like York Outer and Harrogate and Knaresborough. Whilst this notionally leaves the party with a decent handful of prospects based on the 2010 results, in truth this region can only be the scene of a ferocious rearguard action as the party fights to save its leader, and his safe seat, from a gleeful and determined Labour attack. UKIP are on the rise in this province, with many constituency polls finding ten or even twenty point increases in the party’s share of the voting intention and the Liberal Democrats pushed into fourth.

Whilst this isn’t going to immediately translate into seats it does auger well, if it produces similar results on the day itself, for future growth. The party does have its eye on two Labour-held constituencies, and whilst Rochdale is likely beyond its reach this time Lord Ashcroft’s constituency polling has found Victoria Ayling closing to a single point in Great Grimsby. Issues National issues such as immigration, welfare and the economy have plenty of resonance in Yorkshire, but there are also local concerns such as the region’s treatment vis-a-vis the devolved nations and the poor performance of its schools. Jobs and the Economy: The Chancellor likes to boast that under the Conservatives Yorkshire has created more jobs than the whole of France, and Coalition candidates of both stripes make much of the Government’s economic track record. On the other side, Labour candidates like to attack zero-hours contracts, the economic impact of spending cuts, and highlight local funding and investment reductions. The Yorkshire Post has called for any incoming Government to rule out regional pay for teachers “from day one”.

Local Power: Amongst the issues raised in the Yorkshire Post’s manifesto are the need to give England and Scotland an “equal say on devolution” and for the next Government to appoint a Minister for Yorkshire, “to act as a voice for the region”. The paper emphasises the need for the region’s MPs to band together to prevent it “losing out to the devolved nations” and “London-centric decision making”. Education: Another subject raised by the Post, Yorkshire’s schools are amongst the most poorly rated in England. The paper identifies education as critical to the long-term rebalancing of the British economy and advocates a Yorkshire version of the London Challenge, as well as policies to foster closer links between schools and business. The region has gained several of the Government’s new free schools . Minor Parties: If UKIP’s long-term strategy is to quietly build its strength in the north to make strong incursions into Labour territory in 2020 and beyond, constituency polling suggests they may be well on track.

The party’s growth may also have a direct impact on several important Conservative-Labour marginals this time out, and if the party does manage to win a Labour-held seat here it will do much to lend credence to its claims of a broader national appeal. Battleground Rating: 7/10 Targets by party: (NB These are our own suggestions of potential attack seats for each party – including those officially designated as targets and others where the incumbent has a relatively small majority, or local factors are at play which may open the seat to change.) Conservatives: Batley and Spen: Conservative from 1983 to 1997, Labour’s Mike Wood held here in 2010 with a majority of just under four and a half thousand. He is stepping down, and hoping to hold for Labour is Jo Cox, a charity campaigner and national chair of the Labour Women’s Network whose website adopts a puzzling “white text on white background” style. Her Conservative opponent is Imtiaz Ameen , a local solicitor who fought Blackburn for the party in 2005 and was selected in August of last year.

Cameron would have to be on course for a majority for this seat to be in contention, and Electoral Calculus gives him only a 14 per cent chance of winning. Bradford East: This Liberal Democrat-held three-way marginal is a top Labour target, but the Tories were only about 2,600 votes behind them in 2010 so it ought not to be impossible for them to carry the day. Hoping to pull off a surprise result and unseat controversial MP David Ward is business consultant Iftikhar ‘Ifti’ Ahmed , whose campaign emphasises the need to bring businesses to Bradford. Unfortunately for him a Lord Ashcroft Poll in June 2014 found the Tories slumping to a distant third place, but Electoral Calculus gives Ahmed just under a one in five chance of winning – nine times the odds they give Ward of holding on. Don Valley: Labour have held this seat since they took it off the National Democratic Party in 1922, but in 2010 Caroline Flint saw her majority cut by 5,000 to just 3,595 over the Conservatives.

Running against the Shadow Climate Change Secretary is Carl Jackson , a solicitor and consultant who once worked as a policy advisor to David Davis, whose campaign stresses the classic Conservative themes of immigration, retirement and the European Union. Electoral Calculus predict a comfortable Labour retention, so Jackson will have to hope that effective local campaigning can buck the national trend. Great Grimsby: Whilst the Tory candidate from 2010, Victoria Ayling, is now standing for UKIP in what is one of their regional targets, the fact that the Conservatives only fell 714 votes short of defeating Austin Mitchell means the party should still be able to approach this borough constituency with some optimism. In the blue corner in 2015 is Grimsby-born housing entrepreneur and community activist Marc Jones , selected in August last year to take on Melanie Onn, Mitchell’s replacement. A series of Lord Ashcroft Polls conducted last year found the Tories falling back and UKIP within a single point of Labour, but whilst Electoral Calculus predict a Labour hold they still give Jones a 22 per cent chance of being returned in May.

Halifax: Although this seat was last won by the Conservatives for a single term in 1983, Labour incumbent Linda Riordan saw her majority more than cut in half in 2010 to just 1,472. Aiming to finish the job he started in 2010 is returning Conservative candidate Philip Alott , a lawyer and self-made businessman whose website emphasises his credentials as an effective local campaigner on subjects such as jobs, health facilities and post offices. A Lord Ashcroft Poll in May last year found Labour had opened a 17 point lead, so he will need to put his campaigning skills to full effect if he hopes to disprove Electoral Calculus’ 75 per cent prediction of a Labour hold. Leeds North West: Picked out by Conservative sources as being “technically in play”, this was once a safe Tory seat before falling to Labour in 1997. Liberal Democrat incumbent Greg Mulholland turfed Labour out in 2005, and enters the 2015 election with a majority of 9,103 over the second-placed Conservatives.

Electoral Calculus finds Labour and the Liberal Democrats neck and neck and predicts a Lib Dem hold, but still gives the Conservatives a one in five chance of winning. Unfortunately the selection was left extremely late, and Alex Story, a former Olympic rower who fought Wakefield in 2010, was only selected last weekend. Morley and Outwood: Almost the site of 2010’s ‘Portillo moment’, Tory Antony Calvert fell just 1,101 votes short of defeating the now Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls. Following his decampment to Wakefield, the Tory candidate hoping to provide one of 2015’s most memorable upsets is Andrea Jenkyns , who has pursued a varied career in the private and public sectors and emphasises transport, planning and the health service. Alas, a Lord Ashcroft Poll in May last found Balls had opened up a 17 point lead over the Conservatives, but Electoral Calculus gives Jenkyns a one in four chance of taking one of the night’s biggest scalps. Penistone and Stocksbridge: This new constituency was won by Labour’s Angela Smith by just over 3,000 votes in 2010.

This time out her Conservative opponent is Steven Jackson , a local councillor whose campaign puts infrastructure front and centre but appears to be flying determinedly under the radar by apparently having no website. Despite the relative slenderness of the Labour lead both Electoral Calculus and the party appear to rate Conservative chances poorly here. Scunthorpe: Labour’s majority here has been declining since 1997, and first-term incumbent Nic Dakin saw it fall from almost 9,000 to just 2,549 in 2010 after a 12.5 per cent swing away from the party. Hoping to finish the job and turn Scunthorpe blue is Cllr Jo Gideon , a local small businesswoman whose campaign emphasises investment by the Conservative government and council in local schools, infrastructure and industry. Competitive if the Conservatives were heading for a majority, Electoral Calculus give Dakin an almost four in five chance of holding his seat and reinforcing Labour’s precarious position here.

Iain Dale flags it as “one for the Tories to target in 2020.” Wakefield: Held by Labour since a by-election in 1932, in 2010 Mary Creagh saw her majority cut from over 5,000 to just 1,613. Against her is Antony Calvert , a self-described “Wakefield lad” who proved his mettle as a Tory candidate in 2010 by securing a 9.3 per cent swing in Ed Balls’ nominally safe Morley and Outwood constituency. At the time of writing he lacks a website, although his Twitter feed suggests one is imminent. Electoral Calculus give the Tories a 21 per cent chance here. Labour: Bradford East: Notionally a three-way marginal after 2010, the aforementioned fall in the Tory vote means that Labour will be confident of turfing out David Ward. Their candidate in May is Imran Hussain, a Bradford-born barrister and deputy leader of the local council whose campaign emphasises jobs, pay and policing.

He has every reason to be confident: a Lord Ashcroft Poll conducted last June found Labour had opened up a 22 point lead over the Liberal Democrats, and Electoral Calculus predict a three-in-four chance of a Labour gain. Brigg and Goole: Labour from 1997 to 2010, Conservative Andrew Percy won this seat by over five thousand votes in 2010 after securing a handsome swing of almost ten per cent. Dispatched to win it back is local nurse and social worker Jackie Crawford, whose biography describes her career path as “very much forged by Labour policies”. Electoral Calculus predicts a close race but a Conservative hold, and the Tories have finished first in every local election here since 2007. Cleethorpes: Labour held this seat from 1997 until 2010, when Conservative incumbent Martin Vickers secured a 7.8 point swing to replace Shona McIsaac on his second attempt. Hoping to regain this seat for Miliband is Ulster-born Peter Keith, who grew up in northern Belfast before crossing the water to study and pursue a career in publishing and business.

Electoral Calculus have this seat as neck and neck, but somewhat confusingly predict a Labour gain despite giving the Tories slightly better odds. Iain Dale thinks that the precise impact of UKIP could decide the outcome, although he predicts that Vickers will hold it. Colne Valley: Since 1974 this seat has spent extended periods of time in the hands of each of the three big parties, and after ditching the Conservatives for Labour in 1997 it was returned to the Tory fold by incumbent Jason McCartney in 2010. He approaches the next election with a majority of 4,837, and his Labour opponent is Jane East, a former Belfast social worker who has since pursued charity work in Africa and a career in the voluntary sector. Conservatives are worried that the substantial Liberal Democrat vote might break to Labour, and the fight in this constituency is incredibly close: Electoral Calculus predict a Labour gain by the narrowest of margins, whilst a Lord Ashcroft Poll in February found the Tories one point ahead despite an obvious squeeze on the Liberal Democrats and a substantial increase in UKIP support.

Dewsbury: Before Simon Reevell captured Dewsbury for the Tories in 2010 this seat had only returned Conservative MPs twice since 1868, in two single-term flirtations in 1918 and 1983. Intent on overturning his 1,526 majority and reasserting that unhappy pattern is Labour’s Paula Sherriff, a local district councillor with a background in the police and health service whose campaign leads heavily on the NHS. A Lord Ashcroft Poll in August last found Labour with a ten point lead over the Tories, with the Liberal Democrat vote squeezed and UKIP coming from nowhere to attract almost 20 per cent of the vote. Electoral Calculus predicts a Labour gain with 64 per cent probability. Along with Pudsey, this constituency is one of those deemed most at risk by the Tories. Elmet and Rothwell: Alec Shelbrooke won this new seat for the Conservatives in 2010 with a majority of just over 4,500.

His Labour opponent is Veronica King, a former national officer of the National Union of Students with a career in the voluntary sector, whose website leads with the happy news that Harriet Harman’s pink van recently visited the constituency. She will have her work cut out to win, for whilst Electoral Calculus predict a Labour win in a tight race a Lord Ashcroft Poll in December found Shelbrooke four points ahead of Labour. Keighley: Historically a seat that regularly passed between Labour and the Tories, the former held this seat from 1997 until 2010. Kris Hopkins enters the coming election defending a Conservative majority of just under 3,000. In the red corner is John Grogan, who from 1997 to 2010 was the Labour MP for Selby and is currently chair of the Mongolian-British Chamber of Commerce. A Lord Ashcroft Poll in October of last year found that whilst Labour had only advanced one point on their 2010 score, an 11 point fall in the Conservative vote had given Grogan a six point lead.

That poll also found UKIP storming into third place with 23 per cent of the voting intention, against only three per cent in 2010. Electoral Calculus predicts a Labour gain but gives Hopkins a 42 per cent chance of defending successfully. Leeds North West: Despite only taking the seat for the first time in 2005, in true Liberal Democrat style incumbent Greg Mulholland enters the 2015 election with a majority of over 9,000. Yet despite being in third place Electoral Calculus puts Labour in close contention, albeit narrowly favouring Mulholland. The Labour candidate is Leeds-born councillor Alex Sobel, who runs Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber. Pudsey: Reliably Conservative from 1950 until 1997, Stuart Andrew retook this seat from Labour by just 1,659 votes in 2010. Challenging him for the second time is Labour’s Jamie Hanley, a lawyer, local councillor and campaigner who has represented Labour internationally in places like Serbia and Palestine.

Electoral Calculus give him a two in three chance of unseating Andrew, but a Lord Ashcroft Poll in October of last year found both parties neck and neck, with UKIP pushing the Liberal Democrats into fourth place. Along with Dewsbury, this constituency is one of those deemed most at risk by the Tories. Sheffield Hallam: The scalp to end scalps, Labour would dearly love to decapitate the Liberal Democrats by unseating Nick Clegg here. Hoping to come from third place and overturn the Deputy Prime Minister’s 15,284 majority is Oliver Coppard, a locally-born candidate who works in the sustainability sector and whose slick website emphasises students and cuts in investment to the city. Whilst Electoral Calculus is confident of a Liberal Democrat hold with 55 per cent probability, actual polling suggests this could be 2015’s ‘Portillo moment’: not only did a Lord Ashcroft Poll in November last find Labour three points ahead but it was actually the least impressive Labour lead yet found.

An ICM poll commissioned by Lord Oakeshott in May 2014 found Labour nine points clear of the second-placed Conservatives and a Survation poll in January found Labour ten points head of the Liberal Democrats. Liberal Democrats: Harrogate and Knaresborough: Phil Willis held this seat for the Liberal Democrats from 1997 until 2010, when he stepped down and Tory incumbent Andrew Jones edged out his replacement by just over 1,000 votes. Seeking to recapture the constituency this time around is Helen Flynn, a local councillor, smallholder and businesswoman who is a member of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee and the left-wing Social Liberal Forum. A Lord Ashcroft Poll in June of last year found the party had shed 20 points from its 2010 share, leaving it 17 points behind the Conservatives and only eight above UKIP, which has risen to third place. Electoral Calculus gives the Tories an 81 per cent chance of holding here, and it would be a very surprising result if Flynn achieved her much-publicised aim of being the constituency’s first female MP.

Kingston upon Hull North: In his second run at the constituency, Liberal Democrat Denis Healy cut Labour’s majority here from 7,351 to just 641 in 2010. He isn’t standing again, but seeking to finish what he started is Mike Ross, a local councillor since 2002 and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat council group. Unfortunately for him Electoral Calculus predict that Labour incumbent Diana Johnson is safe and will comfortably retrench her party’s position in the constituency in May. Sheffield Central: Prior to the Coalition Sheffield looked like fertile territory for the Liberal Democrats, for in 2010 they fell an eye-watering 165 votes short of capturing this seat. Their candidate this time is Cllr Joe Otten, a local businessman who serves as environment spokesman for the Liberal Democrat opposition on Sheffield council. However the golden moment appears to have truly passed by now, and Electoral Calculus predicts a Labour hold with nothing less than a 94 per cent probability. Iain Dale gives Otten an outside chance if Labour commit too many of their local resources into unseating Clegg in Sheffield Hallam.

York Outer: The Conservatives’ Julian Sturdy won this new seat in 2010, but it was a notional gain from the Liberal Democrats. The man they’ve picked to take it back is James Blanchard, whose rather sparse online profile reveals only that he joined the party whilst at Leeds University and has pursued a career in communications. His campaign emphasises the Government’s income tax cuts and the pupil premium. As with Sheffield Central this one seems to have passed well beyond reach: Electoral Calculus predicts a three-quarters chance of a Conservative hold, with a 20 per cent chance of a Labour win and the Liberal Democrats nowhere to be seen. UKIP: Cleethorpes: Iain Dale reports that “UKIP have their sights on this seat”, which Tory incumbent Martin Vickers captured from Labour for the first time in 2010 with swing of almost eight points. The party’s candidate this time is Stephen Harness, a councillor in North East Lincolnshire. Whilst Electoral Calculus gives him only a six per cent chance of being returned, a strong showing could still have a decisive impact on what looks like a tight two-party race between Labour and the Conservatives.

Great Grimsby: Retiring incumbent Austin Mitchell famously claimed that even a “raving alcoholic sex paedophile” could hold Grimsby for Labour, which displayed remarkable confidence given that Victoria Ayling, then the Conservative candidate, came just 714 votes of unseating him last time out. Now Ayling is standing for UKIP and two Lord Ashcroft Polls from May and December 2014 found her gaining ground, ending up just one point short of Labour’s replacement candidate, local-born union organiser Melanie Onn. Unfortunately for Ayling, a businesswoman and trained barrister, her candidacy has divided her local UKIP branch, with one member who thought she was racist branding her “possibly the worst candidate we could have”. Electoral Calculus give UKIP only a 13 per cent chance of victory here. Rotherham: Despite placing a miserable sixth at the 2010 election, in 2012 Jane Collins MEP took UKIP into second place at the Rotherham by-election with 21 per cent of the vote.

Now Collins, who was elected to the European Parliament in 2014, is hoping to throw out Labour’s Sarah Champion with a campaign that has zeroed in on the town’s child abuse scandal. Indeed so vigorous has she been that three of Rotherham’s Labour MPs, including Champion, announced in January that they were suing her for libel. Despite all that sound and fury Electoral Calculus predict a Labour hold with 90 per cent certainty, and the by-election performance does not seem strong enough to auger a breakthrough.

Question: There are fifteen Parliamentary constituencies in South Yorkshire. Only one is not represented by a Labour MP. Who is he?
Answer: NICK CLEGG