HUDDERSFIELD: Town's MP clocks up 31 years' service with victory in safe seat

LONG-serving MP Barry Sheerman has been re-elected in Huddersfield. Mr Sheerman, who has been in the Commons for 31 years, took 15,725 votes, with the Conservative candidate Karen Tweed in second place, on 11,253. Liberal Democrat James Blanchard came third with 10,023.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th May 2010, 16:51 BST
Updated 10th May 2010, 16:51 BST

The historic Pennine town was always considered a safe seat for Labour, although the Lib Dems have been making inroads over recent years. Former university lecturer Mr Sheerman, 69, has been chairman of the Commons Select Committee on Education and Skills and has been an MP since 1979, and the sitting Huddersfield MP since 1983.

Last year he captured the limelight when he called for a secret ballot in the Parliamentary Labour Party to decide whether Gordon Brown should stay on as PM. Mr Sheerman, who took 16,341 votes in 2005, has also lambasted major supermarket chains for "sucking the life" out of their communities and called for them to pay a special tax to support their neighbourhoods.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This year he made improvements to the environment, education and enterprise key themes in his campaign and said Huddersfield should aspire to be the "best place on earth" to live, work and be happy.

Ms Tweed managed to increase the Tories' share of the vote by 6.7 per cent, pushing the Lib Dems, runners-up last time, into third place. Ms Tweed, Huddersfield-born and educated, has worked for NHS for 26 years, and works in Leeds.

British National Party candidate Rachel Firth polled 1,563 votes and Andrew Cooper, a Green councillor on Kirklees Council, got 1,641 votes.

Turnout rose 4.5 per cent to 40,524 (61.1 per cent).

Related topics:HuddersfieldLabour