Leicester South by-election, 2004
Encyclopedia
A by-election
was held in Leicester South
on 15 July, the same day as the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election. It was won by Parmjit Singh Gill
of the Liberal Democrats, over-turning a Labour
majority of 13,243 votes at the 2001 General Election
.
The MP
for Leicester South
, Jim Marshall
, from the Labour Party
died on 27 May 2004, shortly before the local and European elections in June.
The seat was first won by Marshall in 1974. He lost it to the Conservative Party
candidate, Derek Spencer
, in the 1983 general election
by 7 votes, but won it back at the 1987 election
. Marshall had a large personal vote, and both the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Parties targeted the seat at the 2004 by-election. At the 2005 general election
, the Liberal Democrats were unable to retain the seat and Peter Soulsby
became Leicester South's MP.
The constituency is diverse, covering leafy suburbs such as Stoneygate
and Knighton
along with inner city areas with a strong Asian community.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held in Leicester South
Leicester South (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicester South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , by the first past the post voting system...
on 15 July, the same day as the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election. It was won by Parmjit Singh Gill
Parmjit Singh Gill
Parmjit Singh Gill is a British Liberal Democrat politician. As Member of Parliament for Leicester South from 2004 to 2005, he is the only ever ethnic-minority Liberal Democrat MP....
of the Liberal Democrats, over-turning a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
majority of 13,243 votes at the 2001 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
.
The MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Leicester South
Leicester South (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicester South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , by the first past the post voting system...
, Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall (UK politician)
James Marshall was a British Labour Party politician.-Education:Marshall was born into a working class family in the Attercliffe district of Sheffield...
, from the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
died on 27 May 2004, shortly before the local and European elections in June.
The seat was first won by Marshall in 1974. He lost it to the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate, Derek Spencer
Derek Spencer
Sir Derek Harold Spencer, QC , is a British Conservative Party politician.-Professional career:Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, he became a barrister in 1961 and 'took silk' as a QC in 1980.He is a Master of the Bench, Gray's Inn....
, in the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
by 7 votes, but won it back at the 1987 election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. Marshall had a large personal vote, and both the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Parties targeted the seat at the 2004 by-election. At the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, the Liberal Democrats were unable to retain the seat and Peter Soulsby
Peter Soulsby
Sir Peter Alfred Soulsby is a British Labour Party politician and the current Mayor of Leicester. He was the Member of Parliament for Leicester South from 2005 until he resigned in order to contest the new post of mayor in April 2011...
became Leicester South's MP.
The constituency is diverse, covering leafy suburbs such as Stoneygate
Stoneygate
Stoneygate is part of the City of Leicester, England.Situated on the south-east side of the city some two miles from the centre, Stoneygate is a mainly residential suburb characterised by its large Victorian houses...
and Knighton
Knighton, Leicestershire
Knighton is an area of Leicester, situated roughly between Clarendon Park to the north, Stoneygate to the east, Oadby and Wigston to the south and the Saffron Lane estate to the west...
along with inner city areas with a strong Asian community.