Oldham East and Saddleworth (UK Parliament Constituency) - History

History

The seat was established in 1997, from parts of the former Littleborough and Saddleworth and Oldham Central and Royton constituencies. Whilst Oldham Central and Royton was a safe Labour seat, Littleborough and Saddleworth had been held by the Conservatives until a 1995 by-election, when it was lost to the Liberal Democrats. Since the 1997 general election, the seat has been a Labour/Liberal Democrat marginal. Although Phil Woolas of Labour (who was their defeated candidate in the 1995 by-election) has been victorious in all three general elections since then, his majorities have not been substantial and the Conservative vote has increased from 16% to 24%.

The constituency "gained notoriety" at the 2001 general election, when the British National Party gained over 5,000 votes (an 11.2% share), retaining their deposit. Along with the BNP's showing in the neighbouring Oldham West and Royton constituency, this was interpreted as a reaction to the 2001 Oldham race riots. At the 2005 election the BNP's share of the vote dropped to 4.9%.

For the 2010 General election the seat lost the Milnrow and Newhey ward to the neighbouring Rochdale constituency and gained part of Alexandra ward from Oldham West and Royton.

After losing the 2010 election by 103 votes, Liberal Democrat candidate Elwyn Watkins submitted a petition for a hearing by an election court, claiming that campaign literature issued by his Labour opponent Phil Woolas breached the Representation of the People Act 1983 by making false statements about his personal character. On 5 November 2010, the election court, presided over by Mr Justice Nigel Teare and Mr Justice Griffith Williams, upheld the petition and declaring the election void after finding Phil Woolas guilty of making false election statements. Woolas sought a judicial review of the decision in the High Court, but was unsuccessful overall as that Court upheld the decision of the Election Court in relation to two statements, whilst quashing the decision in relation to a third. As a result, the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, 2011, was required to take place, by which time the constituency was described as an "ultra-marginal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats". The by-election took place on 13 January 2011. Ten candidates were nominated to contest the by-election, which was won by the Labour Party candidate Debbie Abrahams.