Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, 2011

Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election

← 2010 13 January 2011 2015 →
Candidate Debbie Abrahams Elwyn Watkins Party Labour Liberal Democrat Popular vote 14,718 11,160 Percentage 42.1 31.9   Candidate Kashif Ali Paul Nuttall Party Conservative UKIP Popular vote 4,481 2,029 Percentage 12.8 5.8
Map showing the Oldham East and Saddleworth Parliamentary constituency within Greater Manchester.
MP before election Phil Woolas Labour Subsequent MP Debbie Abrahams Labour

Phil Woolas
Labour

Debbie Abrahams
Labour

The 2011 by-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth was a by-election for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's House of Commons constituency of Oldham East and Saddleworth held on 13 January 2011. Labour Party candidate Debbie Abrahams held the seat for her party with an increased majority over the Liberal Democrats, succeeding Phil Woolas, whose victory in the 2010 general election had been declared void because he had knowingly made false statements attacking his Liberal Democrat opponent's personal character.

The contest was the first by-election of the 2010 Parliament, and the first by-election to be caused by an election court overturning the previous result since the 1997 Winchester by-election. It is also notable for being the earliest by-election in the calendar year for 55 years and the fifth-earliest since the First World War.

The election was triggered on 5 November 2010 after sitting MP Phil Woolas was reported personally guilty of "knowingly making false statements" about the personal character of his Liberal Democrat opponent, Elwyn Watkins, during the 2010 general election campaign by an election court consisting of two High Court judges. In consequence, Woolas ceased to be an MP on 5 November and was banned from holding public office for three years.