Bradford East
2010 Results:
Conservative: 10860 (26.84%)
Labour: 13272 (32.81%)
Liberal Democrat: 13637 (33.71%)
BNP: 1854 (4.58%)
Independent: 612 (1.51%)
Others: 222 (0.55%)
Majority: 365 (0.9%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 15903 (43.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 11243 (30.5%)
Conservative: 6262 (17%)
Other: 3445 (9.3%)
Majority: 4660 (12.6%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 5569 (16.2%)
Labour: 14622 (42.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 11111 (32.3%)
BNP: 2061 (6%)
Green: 560 (1.6%)
Other: 474 (1.4%)
Majority: 3511 (10.2%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 8450 (24.1%)
Labour: 17419 (49.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 6924 (19.8%)
Green: 611 (1.7%)
BNP: 1613 (4.6%)
Majority: 8969 (25.6%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 10723 (25.6%)
Labour: 23493 (56.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 6083 (14.5%)
Referendum: 1227 (2.9%)
Other: 369 (0.9%)
Majority: 12770 (30.5%)
Boundary changes:
Profile:
Current MP: David Ward (Liberal Democrat) works as a business Development Manager at Leeds Metropolitan University. Long serving Bradford City Councillor and former Liberal Democrat group leader. Contested 1990 Bradford North by-election and Bradford North in the general elections of 1992, 2001 & 2005.
Mohammed Riaz (Conservative) Contested Bradford North 1992, Bradford West 1997, 2001.Terry Rooney(Labour) (more information at They work for you)David Ward (Liberal Democrat) works as a business Development Manager at Leeds Metropolitan University. Long serving Bradford City Councillor and former Liberal Democrat group leader. Contested 1990 Bradford North by-election and Bradford North in the general elections of 1992, 2001 & 2005.Neville Poynton (BNP) Gerry Robinson (National Front)Peter Shields (Independent) Born 1971, Manchester. Project Leader for Kidz Klub Bradford.Raja Hussain (Independent)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 99913
Male: 48.2%
Female: 51.8%
Under 18: 30%
Over 60: 16.5%
Born outside UK: 16.2%
White: 67.1%
Black: 1.5%
Asian: 29.1%
Mixed: 2%
Other: 0.4%
Christian: 51.2%
Hindu: 0.9%
Muslim: 24.3%
Sikh: 2.7%
Full time students: 3.9%
Graduates 16-74: 10.9%
No Qualifications 16-74: 42.4%
Owner-Occupied: 66.6%
Social Housing: 20% (Council: 13.9%, Housing Ass.: 6.1%)
Privately Rented: 9.7%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 31.8%
I don’t find that childish personally, though I think it’s very simplistic. It is certainly not without basis in fact, I’m sad to say. His comments at least don’t go as far as those of Jenny Tonge who actually seems to equate British Jews with the actions of Israel, which is anti-Semitic of course – when you start calling British Jews “the Zionist lobby” you are straying on to extremely dangeous territory. What I wil say is; the early Zionist pioneers did not go to Israel with the primary intention of oppressing Arabs, whether Christian or Muslim. They went with, in my opinion, honourable intent. I myself believe that Israel was and is not the answer to the oppression Jews in the world have suffered over the centuries, but now it exists, it has a right to do so, in peace. I do however want it to abide by international law, stop stalling and start talking, even if some of the leadership of the Palestinians is extreme. There’s no other way. I think David Ward’s words are not very well put but they are not grossly offensive to me – they do need qualifying though.
Just doesnt need bringing up in the context of holocaust memorial day. Time and a place
You have a point there. It is sad that there are groups such as the British Muslim Council who refuse take part in Holocaust Memorial Day, and the timing of Ward’s wards are hardly going to help in that. The fact that Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals & Jehovah’s Witnesses were industrially killed isn’t made any less appalling, and requiring commemoration, just because of the policies of Israel. Nor do the policies of Israel, discriminatory & in many disgusting as they have been (and they are clearly worse now than ever) justify the equally disgusting treatment of Jewish minorities by most Arab or other Muslim countries.
It’s hard to decide whether Ward’s comments are ‘the mask slipping’ or just a bit of political opportunism (he is a Lib Dem after all). In either case they are foolish.
I’m afraid we may see more of this as a result of the demographic changes of the last fifteen years.
A desperate attempt from a doomed Lib Dem in a northern seat to appeal to Muslims amongst his electorate. I doubt that even they will be taken in by the crassness of this.
After George Galloway I’m not as hopeful as you.
There is a considerably larger white population in this seat than in West, though there is of course a substantial Muslim population too. It is certainly less white-dominated than South. I obviously hope that Ward isn’t rewarded for what he has said, though for mixed reasons.
I wonder if the MP would be tempted to do the mad and desperate and stand for Respect. Probably have more of a chance than as a LD
I imagine there will be a substantially higher affinity with the political process in Bradford among the Muslim than white voters, and so the vote and result will be “more muslim” than it would naturally be.
The results for Bradford West certainly suggested it at any rate, I dont agree with others who claimed that many white voters voted Respect, I believe its a very divergent turnout.
I wonder what the white muslim population of bradford is? Would be intresting to know.
Having looked at Ward’s comments again, I think I was wrong. It’s one thing to say something like “successive members of Israeli governments as Jews” but another to talk of Jews as a people. Ward has at least apologized but he should not have made such remarks in the first place.
Re white Muslims, that’s an odd question, though Joe might conceivably remember that a previous candidate for one of the Bradford constituencies, for the Islamic Party (I have no idea whether it still exists), was a white convert to Islam, David Pidcock.
The Green candidate at the Bradford West by-election (who defected to Respect almost immediately after the result) was a white convert to Islam
‘Ward has at least apologized but he should not have made such remarks in the first place.’
They were careless at worst, but why is it that when anyone says anything slightly critical about Israelis or Jews – and let’s not forget in the case of Israel there is more than plenty to be critical about – they are automatically a Nazi-sympathising, anti-semite?
My hunch is that if you paint people with legitimate beef against Israel as extremists, you don’t have to start attempting to justify the unjustifiable acts Israel commits against the Palestinians
But that’s the whole point – you have blurred the clear distinction between Israel as a state and Jews as a whole. There are about 14m Jews worldwide, far more than the population of Israel, so the distinction is very important. Furthermore, many who count themselves as Jews, or are halachically Jewish, such as myself, cannot be held in any way responsible for the actions of Israel as a state, and in my case and many others do not condone its policies towards the Palestinians. Therefore, for Mr Ward to imply as he does that in some way I and others like me are in favour of trampling on the rights of Palestinians or Israeli Arabs is grossly unfair. Criticism of Israel must be allowed, criticism of some of the spokespeople for British Jews or those of other countries must also be allowed, but a blanket condemnation of Jews, whether deliberate or otherwise, is not acceptable.
Have to agree with Barnaby here. As someone whose wife and her family are Jewish, I’m stung somewhat by the implication that the acts carried out by the state of Israel (even though I sit more on the Israel side of the fence in that debate than Gaza, there is still plainly fault on both sides) are used as a stick to beat “Jews” with.
As it is some of the people in my wife’s family and their circle of friends are quite disparaging about Israeli folk…!
Whilst the Jewish communities in the UK would I’m sure largely agree with Barnaby’s admirable approach, regretfully that is not true of mainstream Jewish opinion in the US.
Last year whilst driving through a very Jewish suburb of Chicago I was incensed to see house after house displaying garden placards that said “Nuke Iran” on one side and “We Stand Side By Side With Israel” on the other.
This kind of thing is what both provokes and provides cover for the comments of people like Ward and Galloway. You can bet that those placards would have been shown worldwide across the internet and stirred things up needlessly.
I’ve often thought that the best contribution that the US could make to world peace would be to keep its nose – and especially that of its Jewish lobby – out of meddling in the Israel debate for good.
It’s interesting that the dog whistle politics we are seeing in this area in the UK seems to come mostly from the Lib Dems.
‘Therefore, for Mr Ward to imply as he does that in some way I and others like me are in favour of trampling on the rights of Palestinians or Israeli Arabs is grossly unfair.’
I don’t think he is implying that though Barnaby – and I doubt you do either.
I can understand the uproar caused by Mel Gibson’s infamous anti semitic rant, and the host of racially provacative comments made by the likes of Galliano, Ahmadinejad and others, but people are going way overboard trying to compare such comments with what the likes of Ward and Jenny Tongue before him, have said
Both were clumsily worded but hardly any politicians in the UK – apart from people on the fringes of their parties like Jeremy Corbyn and Peter Tapsell – is willing to condermn Israel for the increasingly depraved way they have been behaving of late – whether it’s illegally building on the occupied terreitories, the blocade of Gaza, or killing and maiming palestinian women and children – not because our polticians naturally feel for Israel – althoigh the amount of MPs in the conservative and Labour Friends of Israel is quite frightening – but because they don’t want to upset Uncle Sam
If, as Hemelig suggest, the US did keep its nose out of meddling in the Israel debate, it would be a overnight game changer and Isarel would recognise that it woul have to radically change its behaviour.
It certainly would be the best contribution that the US has ever made to world peace, but the chances of it happening are almost non-existant – given that having the least pro-Israeli President in living memory has done absolutely nothing to moderate Israel’s behaviour
I have to agree with H.Hemmelig. My views are not unfortunately representative of those of Jews in Britain or, less still, America. However, they are becoming less of a minority especially in this country. Eventually more of my fellow-Jews will realise that the policies of Israel make Jewish people, both in Israel & the Diaspora, less secure, not more so. At the same time, there may yet come a time when the Palestinian people realise that Israel cannot be wiped out & the only way forward for them is to accept that fact & learn to live in peace with Israel & its citizens. I yearn for the day that both peoples are more sensibly led SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Tim, obviously there is a qualitative difference between Julius Streicher (to give an extreme example), or Mel Gibson his modern-day imitator, and David Ward or Jenny Tonge. I know that Mr Ward & the good Baroness are not in favour of sending me or my family to the gas chambers, or of legislation making us second-class citizens. However, there is a slippery slope which I don’t think they should go down, and Tonge in particular too often makes an equation which is totally unjustified. If, for example, a leading British Jewish figure such as, say, Ed Miliband, were to condemn all Arabic-speakers living in the UK & tried to implicate them in Hamas or al-Qaeda atrocities, imagine the outcry – and such an outcry would be justified, too.
Wouldn’t want to get in to a discussion over Israel but doesn’t Mr Ward have anything to say about Bradford? Or if he’s worried about Muslims being killed the top Muslim killers are as we speak
1. Assad
2. the Taliban and their friends in the ISI
3. Iran
none of whom have Israeli citizenship.
‘I yearn for the day that both peoples are more sensibly led SIMULTANEOUSLY.’
Certainly agree with that Barnaby
I agree that Hamas and Likud are as bad as each other – but we all know what Hamas is all about, whereas Likud try and present themselves as a modern Western-style democratic political party and have succeeded in presenting that image, certainly on the other side of the Atlantic
I find both of these parties utterly deplorable – warmongering terrorists who give absolutely no consideration to the increasing collateral damage (ie: innocent lives) caused by their ugly conflict and both ought to be treated with contempt by anybody claiming to be civilised
Hamas are no better and no worse than Sinn Fein or any other organisation. Looking at the actions of France in Mali Hamas are probably of a higher ethical standard than the French Socialist Party. By the way a man died in custody in a Liberal Democrat seat for protesting against Sharia Law. That does worry me.
Do you have more details about that case wolf? I have to say that without yet knowing any details, I can safely say that whatever happened in police custody cannot reasonably be laid at the door of the local MP whatever the party. I’m interested nevertheless to know a bit about the situation
I know this is hypothetical but the irony is that had Ward not made these comments I very much doubt we’d be having this discussion now.
Not on this forum no. However, the middle East & racism against Jews & Arabs alike are of great concern to me, and I contribute to a forum on Facebook dedicated to dialogue & peace in the middle East.
Hmm, that “man died in custody in a LibDem seat” has the smell of Facebook-aided urban myth about it
“A MUSLIM BURNED A POPPY AND JUST GOT A SLAP ON THE WRIST BUT OUR BRAVE BOYS LEFT TOO MUCH ON HIS PLATE AT A CHINESE ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT AND WAS TASERED AND FORCED TO WEAR A TAG FOR 18 MONTHS AND ALSO HE HAS BLACK FRIENDS AND THAT.”
I am strongly anti-Zionist. However, the use of the term ‘Jews’ rather than ‘Israel’ was the mistake.
Do wonder why the LibDems seem so over-sensitive about this issue though. They seem very keen to criticise anyone who makes an anti-Zionist statement, notably Jenny Tonge who I largely agree with
In Oona King’s memoirs, she speaks about her and Jenny Tonge visiting Israel and Palestine in 2003 with the charity Christian Aid and how they witnessed some disturbing scenes involving some of the IDF and their mistreatment of ordinary Palestinians incl children. It was following this trip that Jenny Tonge began to be critical of the policy of the Israeli government. Oona King herself is a member of Jews for Justice for Palestine.
@Mike Homfray I think all parties are just as “sensitive” as the Lib Dems – though it should be noted that Jenny Tonge was made a Baroness in 2005, two years after her criticism of IDF and the Israeli government had begun.
I’m afraid some people on the left have always had a tendency to lose perspective on issues like Israel/Palestine.
They start with sympathy for one side in such struggles, and end up uncritically accepting large parts of the propaganda and mythology of the other side. Often they become blind to the severe faults of the ‘suffering’ side and end up making fools of themselves as result. The wholesale denial of the crimes of Stalin being an obvious example, or more recently the tendency to accept large parts of the IRA narrative and even excuse IRA violence.
It seems today that the Lib Dems may be more prone to this than Labour, although I suspect in the specific case we are discussing political opportunism plays a rather big role also.
The Arabs have no incentive to compromise with Israel because
(1) they know that over the very long term the demographics of Israel vs Palestine are moving in their favour
(2) they know that eventually the US will have to substantially reduce its military support for Israel due to lack of money and lack of domestic support for foreign interventions. This is already starting to happen in fact.
The Israelis realise this full well, and it elicits a similar unwillingness to compromise. It’s a classic fight to the death sceanrio which in the end I doubt Israel has much chance of winning.
A comedian recently suggested that the US could solve their government debt problems at a stroke, by selling Israel to the Arab sovereign wealth funds for $1 trillion, plus the expenses incurred in providing a home in a sunny part of the US for every citizen of Israel who was prepared to move there.
It might not be such a stupid idea as it sounds. When the writing really appears on the wall for Israel in 10 or 20 years time there will be a huge exodus of people, mostly to the US.
I fear that there may be some truth in what you say HH. My hopes may be unrealistic. But at least the poor Likud Beiteinu result in the general election gives me some greater cause for optimism than I had a week ago. Perhaps a larger number of Israelis are tired of the lack of talks than we realised.
South Africa shows how a minority white group can negotiate a strong settlement for themselves despite the fact that they were facing certain long-term defeat.
That kind of solution is the best the Israelis can hope for if they are interested in a long-term durable peace. But it does also depend on the willingness of the other side to negotiate. We don’t know how the Arab spring will impact how the rulers of neighbouring countries seek to inflame the Israel issue to distract from domestic political problems….initial signs on that front are not encouraging.
‘That kind of solution is the best the Israelis can hope for if they are interested in a long-term durable peace.’
How many Israelis are genuinely interested in a long-term durable peace with the Palestinians. The actions of a democtratically approved government over the last 5 years or so would suggest not
This certainly didn’t used to be the case – and I think partly the Arabs have themselves to blame for Israel’s dramatic shift to the Right over the past couple of decades – and the fact that the Isaraelis no lonfger seem interested in negoitiating a long-term peace
I suspect the Arab spring will have a detrimental effect. Populist leaders who have been elected by promising way more than they are capable of delivering will find criticism of Israel a helpful distraction from their own domestic problems – as the sinister and ineffective Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has shown
What’s happening in Israel is extremely sad – that a country that was born with such hopes and expectations has been transaformed into a terroristic, almost universally-despised rogue state – which can breal international law and effectively terreorise and kill whoever it pleases, because America has its back
This isn’t a sustainable state of affairs
I smell a rat – despite his British-sounding name Tim Jones is clearly an Iranian! He has managed to spell Mahmoud Ahmedinajad correctly, whereas he has consistently failed to spell the names of most of our British MPs right over several years.
Seriously though Tim, your points are well made & worthwhile.
It isn’t surprising to discover that Tim is an Iranian. Certainly his irrational ranting and frothing at the mouth whenever Israel is discussed is reminiscent of the mad mullahs (or at the very least George Galloway without the eloquence)
‘I smell a rat – despite his British-sounding name Tim Jones is clearly an Iranian! He has managed to spell Mahmoud Ahmedinajad correctly, whereas he has consistently failed to spell the names of most of our British MPs right over several years’
I have to come clean Barnaby, with my habit of spelling the most simple names incorrectly, I felt I couldn’t take any chances with Mahmoud Ahmedinajad so looked it up
And if my comments are reminiscent of the mad mullahs Pete (a fairly apt comparison I admit) some of the suff you post sounds like it’s coming from the mouth of Nick Griffin on one of his off days
@DoktorB
was on thisissouthdevon website. To paraphrase -Stuart Parsons,82, a retired teacher collapsed and died in the dock at Torquay Magistrates Court on January 3rd 2013.. He was in court to answer a charge of religiously aggravated harassment.It was alleged on March 25 2012 he was handing out leaflets about the influence of Sharia Law Apparently he displayed some writing , sign or other visible representation which was threatening abusive or insulting within the hearing or sight of a person likely
to be caused harassment , alarm or distress and the offence was regiously aggravated. Sounds more like Teheran than Torquay but the Daily Mail have recorded it thus. By the way he died of natural causes so no inquest needed.But he’s a martyr now
I see Mr.Ward is continuing to plough this unpromising furrow
He probably thinks he might as well. He won’t be the MP come the general election anyway.
Perhaps he will stand for Respect instead of the Lib Dems.