Griffin won't stand in Oldham East and Saddleworth

Friday, 24 December 2010 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Rumours that British National party (BNP) leader Nick Griffin could stand in the coalition's first by-election test have proved unfounded.

Nominations, which closed yesterday for the January 10th poll in Oldham East and Saddleworth, saw Derek Adams, a local activist, confirmed as the far-right party's candidate instead.

The poll is taking place after Labour's ex-immigration minister Phil Woolas' 103-vote win in the seat in the general election was overturned. Mr Woolas had made misrepresentative claims about the campaign of his main rival, Liberal Democrat Elwyn Watkins.

Mr Watkins is standing again but is not the favourite. Labour's candidate Debbie Abrahams, who took Labour from first place into third in nearby Colne Valley this year, is hotly tipped to hold the seat.

Such a result would be viewed as a blow for the coalition, however, as the vote is the first electoral test of the Lib Dems' decision to enter a formal coalition with the Tories.

The result in May in Oldham East and Saddleworth turned the seat into a three-way marginal, with human rights lawyer Kashif Ali attracting many voters from the seat's large Asian community.

Not all Tories are hoping Mr Ali wil win the seat, however. International development secretary Andrew Mitchell used this week's Cabinet meeting to highlight the broader importance of a Lib Dem win, the Independent newspaper reported.

The full list of candidates in Oldham East and Saddleworth is:

Debbie Abrahams - Labour
Derek Adams - British National party
Kashif Ali - Conservative
Peter Allen - Green party
David Bishop - Bus-pass Elvis party
The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony party)
Loz Kaye (Pirate party)
Stephen Morris (English Democrats
Paul Nuttall (UK Independence party)
Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrat)

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