Bradford West
2010 Results:
Conservative: 12638 (31.15%)
Labour: 18401 (45.35%)
Liberal Democrat: 4732 (11.66%)
BNP: 1370 (3.38%)
UKIP: 812 (2%)
Green: 940 (2.32%)
Others: 1683 (4.15%)
Majority: 5763 (14.2%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 14359 (39.6%)
Conservative: 11779 (32.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 6659 (18.4%)
Other: 3472 (9.6%)
Majority: 2580 (7.1%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 11544 (31.7%)
Labour: 14570 (40.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 6620 (18.2%)
BNP: 2525 (6.9%)
Green: 1110 (3.1%)
Majority: 3026 (8.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 14236 (37.1%)
Labour: 18401 (48%)
Liberal Democrat: 2437 (6.4%)
UKIP: 427 (1.1%)
Green: 2672 (7%)
Other: 197 (0.5%)
Majority: 4165 (10.9%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 15055 (33%)
Labour: 18932 (41.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 6737 (14.8%)
Referendum: 1348 (3%)
Other: 3496 (7.7%)
Majority: 3877 (8.5%)
Boundary changes: changes to take account of ward boundary changes. The seat loses part of Bowling and Barkerend and a large part of Little Horton to Bradford East, and a small part of Queensbury to Bradford South. It gains part of City and part of Manningham from the old Bradford North, part of Clayton and Fairweather Green from Bradford South and a large chunk of Heaton from shipley.
Profile: One of three seats in the West Yorkshire city of Bradford. Bradford West is a diverse seat, stretched from the city centre itself and the student population of Bradford University, through the largely Pakistani areas of Toller and Manningham which have some of the most overcrowded and run-down housing stock of the city, all the way out to the semi-rural outskirts of Bradford Clayton, Thornton and Allerton.
Bradford West was held by the Labour party throughout the 1980s, but is now a Conservative target. In 1997 when the Labour party swept the rest of the country, Bradford West was one of the few seats where the Conservatives advanced, possibly due to sectarian reason – the former Labour MP, Marsha Singh was a Sikh representing a largely Muslim seat, while his 1997 Conservative opponent, Mohammed Riaz, was Muslim.
There is some history of success for minor parties, in 2005 the BNP managed 6.9% of the vote, in 2001 the Greens pushed the Liberal Democrats into fourth place.
Current MP: George Galloway (Respect) born 1954, Dundee. Educated at Harris Academy. A flamboyant left-winger, talented orator and outspoken critic of Tony Blair and George W Bush. Galloway was first elected to Parliament as the Labour MP for Glasgow Hillhead in 1987, defeating Roy Jenkins. He has long been involved in Palestinian and Arab causes. He opposed the 1991 Gulf war and travelled to Iraq several times, meeting both Saddam Hussein and Tariq Aziz. In 1998 he founded a charity to campaign against sanctions on Iraq. He opposed the Iraq War and in 2003 was expelled from the Labour party for making comments encouraging British troops to refuse to obey illegal orders. Galloway was subsequently involved in the founding of the Respect Party, and was often (incorrectly) identified as its leader. MP for Bethnal Green and Bow 2005-2010, contested Popular and Limehouse 2010. MP for Bradford West since 2012 by-election.
2012 By-election
Marsha Singh announced his resignation on the 29th February, having been seriously ill since July 2011 (he died in July 2012). The by-election was held on 29th March and was a surprise victory for George Galloway, who achieved the largest swing at a by-election since the 1983 Bermondsey by-election.
By-election result:
George Galloway (Respect): 18,341 (55.9%)
Imran Hussain (Labour): 8,201 (25.0%)
Jackie Whiteley (Conservative): 2,746 (8.4%)
Jeanette Sunderland (Liberal Democrat): 1,505 (4.6%)
Sonja McNally (UKIP): 1,085 (3.3%)
Dawud Islam (Green): 481 (1.5%)
Neil Craig (Democratic Nationalists): 344 (1.0%)
Howling Laud Hope (Loony): 111 (0.3%)
Majority: 10,140 (30.9%)
By-election candidates:
Jackie Whiteley (Conservative) Educated at Leeds Metropolitan University. Runs a company selling environmentally friendly horticultural products. Contested Rotherham 2010.
Imran Hussain (Labour) Born Bradford. Barrister. Bradford councillor. Deputy leader of Bradford council.
Jeanette Sunderland (Liberal Democrat) Born in Idle. Office manager. Bradford councillor since 1994.
Sonja McNally (UKIP) Defected from the Green party in 2012.
Dawud Islam (Green) Home energy consultant. Contested Brent South 1997.George Galloway (Respect) born 1954, Dundee. Educated at Harris Academy. A flamboyant left-winger, talented orator and outspoken critic of Tony Blair and George W Bush. Galloway was first elected to Parliament as the Labour MP for Glasgow Hillhead in 1987, defeating Roy Jenkins. He has long been involved in Palestinian and Arab causes. He opposed the 1991 Gulf war and travelled to Iraq several times, meeting both Saddam Hussein and Tariq Aziz. In 1998 he founded a charity to campaign against sanctions on Iraq. He opposed the Iraq War and in 2003 was expelled from the Labour party for making comments encouraging British troops to refuse to obey illegal orders. Galloway was subsequently involved in the founding of the Respect Party, and was often (incorrectly) identified as its leader. MP for Bethnal Green and Bow 2005-2010, contested Popular and Limehouse 2010.
Howling Laud Hope (Official Monster Raving Loony) Real name Alan Hope. Born Mytchett. Publican. Leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party since 1999. Contested Teignbridge 1983, 1987, 1992, Aldershot 1997, Eddisbury by-election 1999, Kensington and Chelsea by-election 1999, Brent East by-election 2003, Hartlepool by-election 2004, Aldershot 2005, Blaenau Gwent by-election 2006, Sedgefield by-election 2007, Norwich North by-election 2009, Witney 2010, Barnsley Central 2011.
Neil Craig (Democratic Nationalists) Born Bradford. Publican. Contested Bradford West 2010.
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Zahid Iqbal (Conservative) Educated at Preisthorpe Comprehensive and Leeds Metropolitan Polytechnic. Contested Bradford North in 2001.
Marsha Singh(Labour) born 1954, Punjab. Educated at Belle Vue Grammar and Loughborough University. Formerly a development manager with Bradford Health Trust. First elected as MP for Bradford West in 1997 (more information at They work for you)
David Hall-Matthews (Liberal Democrat)
David Ford (Green) Bookseller. Bradford councillor 2000-2007.
Jason Smith (UKIP) Administration supervisor and IT co-ordinator. Contested Bradford South 2005.Jenny Sampson (BNP) Arshad Ali (Respect) Neil Craig (Democratic Nationalists)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 97913
Male: 48.8%
Female: 51.2%
Under 18: 29.1%
Over 60: 15.5%
Born outside UK: 23.8%
White: 52.6%
Black: 1.5%
Asian: 43%
Mixed: 2%
Other: 0.9%
Christian: 39.5%
Hindu: 1.8%
Muslim: 38%
Sikh: 1%
Full time students: 11.1%
Graduates 16-74: 15.6%
No Qualifications 16-74: 38.4%
Owner-Occupied: 65.5%
Social Housing: 18.6% (Council: 11.3%, Housing Ass.: 7.3%)
Privately Rented: 12.3%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 26.3%