 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Blackpool South constituency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnout | 32.5% ( 24.3pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Boundary of Blackpool South in Lancashire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aby-election took place on 2 May 2024 in theUK Parliament constituency ofBlackpool South, the same day aslocal elections in England and Wales.
The by-election followed the resignation of incumbent MPScott Benton.[1][2] Benton had beensuspended for 35 days from theHouse of Commons after being caught in a newspapersting operation offering lobbying services for payment. This triggered arecall petition, which had started, but was then terminated by Benton's resignation.
The by-election was won byChris Webb of theLabour Party with a 26% swing, on a turnout of 32.5%.[3] It was the last by-election of the2019–2024 Parliament, with the general election held on 4 July.
Blackpool South had been aLabour-held seat since1997. Before that election,Conservative Party MPs had won in and represented the constituency since it was first contested in1945. In the2019 general election it was won by Conservative candidate Scott Benton, who defeated the incumbent Labour MPGordon Marsden. Some reporters and pollsters describe the constituency as one of the seats that make up the "red wall" and "sea wall".[4][5][6] It is one of the most deprived constituencies in England, with high levels of unemployment and crime.[7] All 14 of Lancashire'sdistricts voted forBrexit in the2016 European Union membership referendum, with theborough of Blackpool registering a particularly strong leave vote of 67.5%.[8]
In April 2023The Times published an article resulting from asting operation alleging that Benton was willing to table parliamentary questions, leak documents and lobby ministers on behalf of gambling companies in return for "thousands of pounds per month".[9] He also told the reporters that other MPs would be similarly willing to accept such payments.[10] Benton was subsequently suspended from the Conservative Party,[11] sitting thereafter as anindependent MP.[12]
In December 2023 the House of Commons'Standards Committee found that he had breached the House's rules and recommended a 35-day suspension from the House.[10] This finding was appealed to theIndependent Expert Panel, but the panel "found no substance" in Benton's arguments and dismissed the appeal.[13] On 27 February 2024 the Commons approved a motion suspending Benton from the House for 35 days.[12]
As the length of Benton's suspension exceeded the ten-day threshold designated in theRecall of MPs Act 2015, a recall procedure was triggered.[12]
The signing period began on Tuesday 12 March and was set to run until Monday 22 April 2024.[14] The number of signatures required for the petition to be successful, 10% of the constituency's electorate, was 5,634.[14] The Labour party officially registered as campaigning for the petition's success.[15]
Bentonresigned as an MP on 25 March 2024, terminating the recall petition thirteen days into the signing period.[16]
Thewrit of election was moved on 26 March 2024.[17] The by-election was held on 2 May 2024, concurrently withlocal elections andpolice and crime commissioner elections.[2]
Issues in the by-election included"levelling-up",[18] social deprivation,[19] overstretchedNHS,[20] homelessness,[21] low investment,[22] crime, anti-social behaviour,[23] and child poverty.[24]
On 19 April 2024, ahustings was held between the candidates at Blackpool Cricket Club.[25][26]
Labour selectedChris Webb to stand for the constituency in August 2023. Webb is a former assistant toGordon Marsden, who represented Blackpool South as MP from 1997 until 2019.[27][28]
TheConservative candidate was David Jones.[29] His background is in the construction industry and charitable fundraising.[30]
Ben Thomas stood for theGreen Party.[29] He is secretary of the Blackpool and Fylde Green Party.[31] The Greens have called for the new football regulator to be based in Blackpool.[32]
TheLiberal Democrats selected Andrew Cregan as their candidate.[33] Cregan was previously a Labour councillor inTower Hamlets, but defected to the Liberal Democrats in 2017 over Brexit.[34]
Reform UK selected Mark Butcher to stand as their candidate.[31] He is a former street preacher and local charity worker.[35] During the campaign theCharity Commission confirmed it had not opened a "statutory case" into his soup kitchen amid allegations of misuse of funds but has raised a "compliance case" into issues regarding political bias with the Trustees of the charity.[36]
The Alliance for Democracy and Freedom selected Kim Knight.[37] Damon Sharp stood for the label New Open Non-Political Organised Leadership.[38] Stephen Black was an Independent candidate.[39] Perennial candidateHowling Laud Hope stood for theOfficial Monster Raving Loony Party.[40]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Chris Webb | 10,825 | 58.9 | +20.6 | |
| Conservative | David Jones | 3,218 | 17.5 | –32.1 | |
| Reform | Mark Butcher | 3,101 | 16.9 | +10.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Andrew Cregan | 387 | 2.1 | –1.0 | |
| Green | Ben Thomas | 368 | 2.0 | +0.3 | |
| Independent | Stephen Black | 163 | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Alliance for Democracy and Freedom | Kim Knight | 147 | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Monster Raving Loony | Howling Laud Hope | 121 | 0.7 | N/A | |
| New Open Non-Political Organised Leadership | Damon Sharp | 45 | 0.2 | N/A | |
| Majority | 7,607 | 41.4 | N/A | ||
| Rejected ballots | 73 | 0.4 | |||
| Registered electors | 56,696 | ||||
| Turnout | 18,375 | 32.5 | −24.3 | ||
| Labourgain fromConservative | Swing | +26.3 | |||
The result was considered a strong performance by Labour and a weak one for the Conservatives, with the swing being the third-largest Conservative-to-Labour swing since 1945.[43]PsephologistJohn Curtice likened this and other recent results to elections in the years before Labour'slandslide win in 1997.[44]
Reform UK came a close third behind the Conservative Party, giving it the largest share of the vote in a by-election since its change of name from the Brexit Party.[45]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Scott Benton | 16,247 | 49.6 | +6.5 | |
| Labour | Gordon Marsden | 12,557 | 38.3 | –12.0 | |
| Brexit Party | David Brown | 2,009 | 6.1 | N/A | |
| Liberal Democrats | Bill Greene | 1,008 | 3.1 | +1.3 | |
| Green | Becky Daniels | 563 | 1.7 | +0.7 | |
| Independent | Gary Coleman | 368 | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 3,690 | 11.3 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 32,752 | 56.8 | –3.0 | ||
| Conservativegain fromLabour | Swing | +9.3 | |||
Election of a Member of Parliament ... Blackpool South Constituency
.jpg)
