Wikipedia

2022 Birmingham Erdington by-election

A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Birmingham Erdington was held on 3 March 2022. It was triggered by the death of the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Jack Dromey on 7 January.[1][2] The winner was Paulette Hamilton, standing for Labour, who won 55.5% of the votes on a turnout of 27% of the electorate.

2022 Birmingham Erdington by-election
← 2019 3 March 2022 2024 →
Birmingham Erdington constituency
Turnout27.0% (Decrease 26.3 pp)
  First party Second party
 
Con
Candidate Paulette Hamilton Robert Alden
Party Labour Conservative
Last election 50.3% 40.1%
Popular vote 9,413 6,147
Prozentualer Anteil 55.5% 36.3%
Swing Increase 5.2pp Decrease 3.8pp
MP before election

Jack Dromey
Labour

Elected MP

Paulette Hamilton
Labour

This was the first by-election in a parliamentary constituency in Birmingham since the 2004 Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election.

Background and voter registration

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Labour has held Birmingham Erdington since the seat was re-established in 1974.[2] Dromey had been the MP for the constituency since 2010, being re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019. He died suddenly in his Birmingham flat on the Friday morning of 7 January 2022, according to a family statement. He had spoken in a House of Commons afternoon debate on the UK resettlement scheme for Afghan refugees the day before.[3][4]

The writ was issued on 31 January. The deadline to register to vote was 00:00 GMT on 15 February, with applications for postal votes due by 17:00 GMT on 16 February.[5]

Candidates

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The Labour Party candidate was Paulette Hamilton, who is Birmingham City Council's cabinet member for Health and Social Care. She was selected in a virtual hustings against Ashley Bertie, the former West Midlands deputy police and crime commissioner, receiving 82 votes to Bertie's 32.[6]

The Conservative Party selected Robert Alden, who had contested the seat in the previous four general elections.[7]

Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) selected Birmingham postman Jack Brookes.[5]

The Liberal Democrats selected Lee Dargue, who works in the rail sector, occupational health and safety and environmental management.[5]

The Green Party selected local businesswoman Siobhan Harper-Nunes as its candidate.[8]

Michael Lutwyche stood as an independent. Lutwyche is a Justice-4-the-21 campaigner, supporting the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings.[9]

Dave Nellist stood for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). He was the Labour MP for Coventry South East from 1983 to 1992.[10][11] Nellist received support from the Breakthrough Party, the Northern Independence Party and Left Unity, who joined the TUSC on 20 January 2022 in the PAL - People's Alliance of the Left.[12]

David Bishop was a satirical candidate. He said he was standing for serious policies, such as scrapping HS2 and saving public lavatories, as well as less serious ones, like legalising brothels with a 20% discount for pensioners.[13][14] This would be the last by election contested by David Bishop before his death in December 2022.[15]

Campaign

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Near the end of the campaign, remarks made by Paulette Hamilton in 2015 were uncovered by GB News where she suggested she was torn between a democratic vote and an uprising to enable black people to get what "we really deserve in this country".[16] The comments led to calls from some Conservative MPs for her to be suspended by the Labour Party, who responded saying the remarks were taken out of context.[17]

Results

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Bar chart of the election result.
2022 Birmingham Erdington by-election[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paulette Hamilton 9,413 55.5 +5.2
Conservative Robert Alden 6,147 36.3 –3.8
TUSC Dave Nellist 360 2.1 K.A.
Reform UK Jack Brookes 293 1.7 –2.4
Green Siobhan Harper-Nunes 236 1.4 –0.4
Liberal Democrats Lee Dargue 173 1.0 –2.7
Independent Michael Lutwyche 109 0.6 K.A.
CPA Mel Mbondiah 79 0.5 K.A.
Independent Thomas O'Rourke 76 0.4 K.A.
Monster Raving Loony The Good Knight Sir NosDa 49 0.3 K.A.
Independent Clifton Holmes 14 0.1 K.A.
Church of the Militant Elvis David Bishop 8 0.0 K.A.
Majority 3,266 19.2 +9.0
Turnout 17,016 27.0 –26.3
Labour hold Swing +4.5

Previous result

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General election 2019: Birmingham Erdington[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Dromey 17,720 50.3 –7.7
Conservative Robert Alden 14,119 40.1 +1.7
Brexit Party Wendy Garcarz 1,441 4.1 K.A.
Liberal Democrats Ann Holtom 1,301 3.7 +1.7
Green Rob Grant 648 1.8 +0.2
Majority 3,601 10.2 –9.4
Turnout 35,229 53.3 –3.9
Labour hold Swing –4.7

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Jack Dromey: Funeral held for veteran Erdington MP". BBC News. 31 January 2022. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b Murray, Jessica (7 January 2022). "Jack Dromey, Labour MP, dies aged 73". The Guardian. PA Media. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Jack Dromey: Birmingham 'will not be the same' without the veteran MP". BBC News. 8 January 2022. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme — [Rushanara Ali in the Chair]". TheyWorkForYou. 6 January 2022. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Birmingham Erdington by-election 2022: The candidates standing". BBC News. 6 February 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  6. ^ Haynes, Jane (26 January 2022). "Birmingham could be in line for first black MP after Paulette Hamilton gets Erdington by-election nod". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Erdington by-election: Conservatives pick Robert Alden as candidate". BBC News. 2 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  8. ^ "ELECTION NEWS: Green Party announce Siobhan Harper-Nunes as Erdington by-election candidate". Erdington Local. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  9. ^ "ELECTION NEWS: Justice-4-the-21 campaigner, Michael Lutwyche, first independent to run for Erdington MP in March by-election". Erdington Local. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  10. ^ "ELECTION NEWS: Dave Nellist to run for Erdington MP". Erdington Local. 27 January 2022. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Dave Nellist to stand in the Birmingham Erdington by-election". Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). 27 January 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  12. ^ "People's Alliance of the Left (PAL)". Left Unity. 20 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  13. ^ Cardwell, Mark (10 February 2022). "Erdington election - who's who of 12 candidates who want to be MP". BirminghamLive. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Kath Stanczyszyn - David Bishop - Militant Bus-Pass Elvis Party - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  15. ^ Moore, Joel (6 December 2022). "Tributes to satirist Lord Biro who 'brought entertainment' to politics". NottinghamshireLive. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  16. ^ Merrick, Rob (2 March 2022). "Labour candidate suggested 'an uprising' might help black people more than democracy". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Row over by-election Labour candidate's comments". BBC News. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  18. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED AND NOTICE OF POLL" (PDF). Birmingham City Council. 8 February 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Birmingham Erdington Parliamentary by-election". Birmingham City Council. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Birmingham Erdington Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
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