2016 Tooting by-election
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Tooting constituency
Turnout42.5%
  First party Second party
 
Candidate Rosena Allin-Khan Dan Watkins
Party Labour Conservative
Popular vote 17,894 11,537
Percentage 55.9% 36.1%
Swing Increase8.7% Decrease5.8%
MP before election

Sadiq Khan
Labour

Elected MP

Rosena Allin-Khan
Labour

On 16 June 2016, a by-election was held in the UK parliamentary constituency of Tooting. It was triggered by the resignation of Sadiq Khan from Parliament following his election as Mayor of London.[1][2][3]

Candidates

Rosena Allin-Khan, an accident and emergency doctor and deputy leader of the Labour group on Wandsworth Council, was the Labour candidate.[4]

Dan Watkins was the Conservative Party's candidate.[5] He was the 2015 candidate and is currently the party's spokesman for Tooting and a local campaigner for issues including for a local station on the planned Crossrail 2 railway.[6]

Esther Obiri-Darko was the Green Party's candidate. She also stood at the 2015 election.[7]

Alex Glassbrook, a local barrister and volunteer lawyer,[8] was the candidate for the Liberal Democrats.[9]

Elizabeth Jones, who had recently stood in the London Assembly election, stood for the UK Independence Party (UKIP).[10]

Des Coke stood for the Christian Peoples Alliance.[10]

Howling Laud Hope was the candidate of the Monster Raving Loony Party.[10][11]

There were three independent candidates: Zirwa Javaid, Zia Samadani and Smiley Smillie.[10] Ankit Love, who was a candidate in the London mayoral election, stood for One Love Party.[10] Akbar Ali Malik stood under the banner of the Immigrants Political Party.[10] Graham Moore stood for the English Democrats.[12] Bobby Smith, leader of Give Me Back Elmo and perennial election candidate, stood for his party.[10][11]

Former MP George Galloway had floated the idea of standing after his candidacy in the London mayoral election, but withdrew, citing fears of splitting the Labour vote and thus allowing the Conservatives to win.[13][14]

Result

A two minute silence was held during the count, to commemorate Jo Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen, who was killed on the day of the election.[15]

Tooting by-election 2016[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rosena Allin-Khan 17,894 55.9 +8.7
Conservative Dan Watkins 11,537 36.1 –5.8
Green Esther Obiri-Darko 830 2.6 –1.5
Liberal Democrats Alex Glassbrook 820 2.6 –1.4
UKIP Elizabeth Jones 507 1.6 –1.3
CPA Des Coke 164 0.5 New
Monster Raving Loony Alan "Howling Laud" Hope 54 0.2 New
English Democrat Graham Moore 50 0.2 New
Immigrants Political Party Akbar Ali Malik 44 0.1 New
One Love Ankit Love 32 0.1 New
Independent Zirwa Javaid 30 0.1 New
Independent Zia Samadani 23 0.1 New
Give Me Back Elmo Bobby Smith 9 0.0 New
Independent Smiley Smillie 5 0.0 New
Majority 6,357 19.8 +14.5
Turnout 32,048 42.5 –27.2
Registered electors 74,701
Labour hold Swing +7.3

Previous result

General election 2015: Tooting[18][19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sadiq Khan 25,263 47.2 +3.7
Conservative Dan Watkins 22,421 41.9 +3.4
Green Esther Obiri-Darko 2,201 4.1 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Philip Ling 2,107 3.9 –10.9
UKIP Przemek Skwirczyński 1,537 2.9 +1.6
Majority 2,842 5.3 +0.3
Turnout 53,529 69.7 +1.1
Registered electors 76,782
Labour hold Swing +0.1

References

  1. ^ "When Sadiq Khan becomes London's new mayor, what will happen in the Tooting by-election?". New Statesman. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Sadiq Khan sworn in as new London mayor". BBC News. 7 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Khan resigns as MP for Tooting". UK Parliament. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  4. ^ A&E doctor to fight Sadiq Khan's Tooting seat
  5. ^ "Conservatives set to appoint Dan Watkins as their candidate for Tooting by-election". Wandsworth Guardian. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Crossrail 2: Tooting Broadway beats Balham as 2,000 have their say in survey". Wandsworth Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Wandsworth Green Party | Esther Obiri-Darko For Tooting By Election". wandsworth.greenparty.org.uk. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Liberal Democrats announce candidate for Tooting by-election". Wandsworth Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Labour 'odds on to hold Tooting'", by Joe Murphy, Evening Standard, 19 May 2016, p. 6
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Taylor, Rebecca (20 May 2016). "Full candidate list for Tooting by-election announced". Wandsworth Times. London. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Junior doctor Rosena Allin-Khan selected as Labour's candidate for Tooting by-election". Your Local Guardian. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  12. ^ "English Democrats announce candidate in Tooting by-election". Wandsworth Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  13. ^ Proto, Laura (16 May 2016). "George Galloway backs out of standing in Tooting by-election". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  14. ^ Murphy, Joe (10 May 2016). "Tooting by-election: George Galloway 'almost certain' to stand". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  15. ^ "Tooting by-election count holds two-minute silence for MP Jo Cox". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  16. ^ Council, Wandsworth. "Tooting by-election candidate list published - News - Wandsworth Council". www.Wandsworth.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  17. ^ Council, Wandsworth. "Tooting Constituency by-election result June 2016 - Tooting Constituency by-election result June 2016 - Wandsworth Council". www.Wandsworth.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. ^ Council, Wandsworth. "Tooting Constituency - Parliamentary election results May 2015 - Wandsworth Council". www.wandsworth.gov.uk.
  20. ^ "Tooting parliamentary constituency - Election 2015 - BBC News". Retrieved 8 May 2017 – via www.BBC.co.uk.

See also

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