Residents of Oldham East and Saddleworth will be heading to the polls on 4 July to decide who represents them in parliament.
Who’s standing?
It’s a crowded field in Oldham East and Saddleworth, with eight candidates in total. Labour’s Debbie Abrahams, who has represented the constituency since 2011, will be defending the seat against the following candidates:
- Lib Dem – Sam Al-Hamdani
- Conservative – Tom Fish
- Reform – Jacob Barden
- Green – Fesl Reza Kahn
- Workers Party – Shanaz Saddique
- Independent – Nick Buckley (the same Nick Buckley who ran for Mayor of Greater Manchester earlier this year)
- Independent – Paul Errock
Read more about each candidate and what they have to say here.
Key issues
Oldham East and Saddleworth is a constituency of two halves: one urban, and one rural, with two very different sets of voters.
Labour will still be reeling from losing control of the council, largely over the party’s stance on Gaza, so expect the ongoing war to be a major campaign issue.
The economy is also a major issue, and child poverty in particular – more than half of kids in the borough of Oldham live in poverty.
Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency has the eighth-highest level of child poverty in the country, and candidates have promised a raft of measures to tackle the issue.
Voting history
Voters in Oldham East and Saddleworth have always elected Labour since the seat was created in 1997, although in 2019 – the election that saw the collapse of the ‘Red Wall’ of Labour seats across the north – Labour’s Debbie Abrahams won by only 1,499 votes.
Predictions
Given the constituency’s voting history, it looks likely that Labour will come out on top, especially given the huge swing to the party nationally since 2019.
However, May’s local election results suggest this seat is one to watch. Anger with the Labour party over Gaza is still widespread, while the Lib Dems only trailed Labour by 200 votes. An upset is unlikely – but not impossible.
Electoral information
In order to vote in the upcoming election the requirements are that you have to be:
- Over 18.
- A British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU Citizen living in the UK.
- A British citizen living overseas who has resided in the UK within the previous 15 years.
- Registered at an address in Oldham East and Saddleworth.
The deadline to register to vote has now passed – it was Tuesday 18 June. You have to apply for a postal vote by today, Wednesday 19 June.
Polling day is on 4 July and you can cast your vote between 7am and 10pm. If voting at a polling station you will need a valid form of photo ID.
Results will be announced on 5 July usually in the early hours of the morning.
Featured image credit: © Copyright Peter McDermott and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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