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Double triumph for Labour
IT was a night of double triumph for the Labour party in Calderdale when they held both the Halifax and Calder Valley seats.
Sitting MP Christine McCafferty pulled off one of Labour's best results of the night to retain her seat in the Calder Valley ward after a nail-biting recount. The result finally came in at about 3.40 this morning.
And Linda Riordon ensured Halifax, Alice Mahon's seat for 18 years, remained with the Labour party.
Chris McCafferty defied the national Tory swing although her majority was almost halved. She polled 18,426 while the Conservative's candidate Elizabeth Truss polled 17,059.
But the result is bound to rekindle controversy over the controversial ousting of their original candidate Sue Catling a few months ago.
Mrs Catling, from Cheshire, was de-selected in January by Calder Valley Conservative Association. She had already survived two attempts to deselect her.
Among the allegations during her time as prospective candidate were claims that she had an affair with former chairman of the Calder Valley Conservative Association Mr Barry Henderson.
She had always been confident of taking the seat for the Tories and said she would be watching the Calder Valley result closely.
The Liberal Democrat Liz Ingleton was third with 9,027 votes, Paul Palmer polled 1,371 for the Greens and the BNP candidate John Gregory took 1,887 votes.
Returning officer Paul Sheehan announced the Halifax result at North Bridge Leisure Centre at 2.05am.
Mrs Riordan, who is Calderdale councillor for Ovenden, praised her retiring predecessor Alice Mahon for her "energy, honesty and commitment over the past 18 years."
Mrs Riordan was applauded by party members and promised to serve all her constituents, regardless of how they voted.
She said: "Quite simply you value what the Labour Government has achieved for Halifax. You voted for it and I thank you. "
She said her victory was a victory for all those people who work in education, the health service and the police.
She also said she was glad Halifax had rejected extreme right-wing parties outright.
Conservative runner-up Kris Hopkins thanked his team and fellow candidates for a fair campaign. He also thanked people in Halifax who had voted for the Conservative Party.
Liberal Democrats candidate Michael Taylor said he was delighted his party had achieved a substantial increase and was happy the BNP had an abysmal turnout.
Mrs Mahon, who has won the last four elections in Halifax, was in London working on television. Mrs Riordan said she did not want to detract from today's results.
In Bradford South - which covers Queensbury and Wyke - Labour's Consumer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe survived a swing to Tory candidate Geraldine Carter.
He held the seat with a reduced majority, polling 17,954 against Calderdale councillor Mrs Carter's 8,787 votes.
Calder Valley result
Christine McCafferty (Lab) 18,426
Liz Truss (C) 17,059
Liz Ingleton (LD) 9,027
John Gregory (BNP) 1,887
Paul Palmer (Green) 1,371
Lab hold Maj: 1,367
Electorate 71,325 Turnout 47,770 (66.98%)
June 2001: Lab Maj 3,094 Turnout 47,425 (62.98%) McCafferty (Lab) 20,244. Robson-Catling (C) 17,150. Taylor (LD) 7,596. Hutton (Green) 1,034. Nunn (UKIP) 729. Lockwood (LCA) 672.
Halifax result
Linda Riordan (Lab Co-op) 16,579
Kris Hopkins (C) 13,162
Michael Taylor (LD) 7,100
Geoff Wallace (BNP) 2,627
Thomas Holmes (NF) 191
Lab Co-op hold Maj: 3,417
Electorate 64,861 Turnout 39,659 (61.14%)
June 2001: Lab Maj 6,129 Turnout 40,390 (57.81%) Mahon (Lab) 19,800. Walsh (C) 13,671. Durkin (LD) 5,878. Martinek (UKIP) 1,041.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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