Everyone who is standing in the Rochdale by-election

UPDATE 13 February 2024: As of 12 February 2024, Azhar Ali, the Labour candidate is no longer being endorsed by the party. His name will still appear on the ballot paper and residents will still be able to vote for him.

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UPDATE 7 February 2024: As of 7 February 2024, Guy Otten, the Green Party candidate, is no longer being endorsed by the party. His name will still appear on the ballot paper and residents will still be able to vote for him.

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On 29 February, residents of the Rochdale constituency will have their chance to say who they want to represent them in Parliament.

The full list of candidates has been officially confirmed this afternoon (Friday 2 February):

• Azhar Ali – Labour (no longer endorsed)
• Mark Coleman – Independent
• Simon Danczuk – Reform UK
• Iain Donaldson – Liberal Democrat
• Paul Ellison – Conservative
• George Galloway – Workers Party of Britain
• Michael Howarth – Independent
• William Howarth – Independent
• Guy Otten – Green Party (no longer endorsed)
• Ravin Rodent Subortna – Official Monster Raving Loony Party
• David Tully – Independent

The by-election has been called following the death of the Rochdale MP, Sir Tony Lloyd, in January 2024, with a general election also set to take place at some point later this year.

Mr Lloyd was last elected in 2019 with 24,475 votes, a 9,668 majority over the Conservative Party’s Atifa Shah, who came in second with 14,807 votes.

The turnout for the Rochdale seat at the last general election was 60.3% - however, the last by-election in the borough, which was for the Heywood and Middleton seat in 2014, saw a 36.0% turnout.

Rochdale has not had a by-election since 1972, when disgraced former MP Cyril Smith won the seat for the Liberals from Labour. 

All residents in the wards that make up the Rochdale constituency – Balderstone & Kirkholt; Central; Healey; Kingsway; Littleborough Lakeside; Milkstone & Deeplish; Milnrow & Newhey; Smallbridge & Firgrove; Spotland & Falinge Wardle; Shore & West Littleborough – who are registered to vote will have the opportunity to cast their votes and determine who will become the new local MP.

Throwing their hats into the ring this year for Rochdale are 11 candidates from the mainstream parties, as well as other political parties and independents.

The Labour Party, which will hope to retain the seat it has held since 2010, has selected its Lancashire group leader, Azhar Ali.

The “Pendle born-and-bred” councillor for Nelson East was leader of Pendle Council from 2000 to 2003, having joined the council when he was 24, and previously made the Labour longlist as the Heywood and Middleton parliamentary candidate [Rochdale councillor Elsie Blundell was chosen].

They will be facing competition from former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, now standing for Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party), who says that Labour has gone "too woke" as well as the Conservative Party, which has selected former Man of Rochdale and local resident Paul Ellison as its hopeful, and the Liberal Democrats, who have selected former Manchester councillor Iain Donaldson to bid for the seat.

 

 

The Green Party, Workers Party of Britain and the Official Monster Raving Loony Party have all selected candidates for the by-election: respectively, Guy Otten, George Galloway and Ravin Rodent Subortna.

Several independents are also optimistic in taking the seat from Labour: Billy Howarth, founder of Parents Against Grooming UK and Mark Coleman, a former Rochdale reverend and current Just Stop Oil campaigner. David Tully and Michael Howarth are also listed as standing independently.

However, the view of many of the candidates seems to be that Labour ‘has taken Rochdale for granted’ as a safe seat.

George Galloway, himself a former Labour and Respect Party MP now leader of the Workers Party of Britain, has said he is running ‘to teach [Sir Keir] Starmer and Labour a lesson’ whilst Reform’s Simon Danczuk, a former Labour MP for Rochdale, has criticised his former party for being ‘too woke’.

Meanwhile local resident, community champion and past Man of Rochdale Paul Ellison feels the Conservative values would best serve the town and help it live up to its potential, “bucking the expectation of a so-called Labour safe seat.”

However, members of other parties have been critical that a Conservative MP wouldn’t be in the town’s best interests, claiming the Conservative government has been “disastrous.”

Iain Donaldson, of the Lib Dems, has promised to "hold this disastrous Conservative government to account" for their 'failings on the NHS', the cost-of-living crisis, and water companies polluting the rivers with filthy sewage.

Similarly, Guy Otten has branded the years of a Conservative government “sluggish and neglectful” and hopes that Rochdale will vote him in its first Green MP, to address the “various crises” the borough and the country face.

The Official Monster Raving Loony Party’s Nick Antrobus has thrown his hat into the ring as 'Ravin Rodent Subortna' having never stood in an election before, and is aiming to get zero votes as “you can be kicked out if you get too many for not being loony enough.”

Four independent candidates are also standing up for what they believe in and hope the people of Rochdale will lend them their votes.

Whilst some other candidates have outlined their positions on national issues, Billy Howarth – who founded the Rochdale-based group Parents Against Grooming UK – has kept his focus close to home – such as campaigning about mould and damp in houses and the housing crisis – so that his family can “have a town they can be proud of.”

Reverend Mark Coleman, a long-time climate campaigner and Just Stop Oil supporter who has twice been jailed for taking nonviolent direct action, wants “radical action on climate right now” for a “safe and stable future.”

David Tully and Michael Howarth, both local businessmen, have also put their names forward as independent candidates.

Candidates

• Azhar Ali – Labour (no longer endorsed)
• Mark Coleman – Independent
• Simon Danczuk – Reform UK
• Iain Donaldson – Liberal Democrat
• Paul Ellison – Conservative
• George Galloway – Workers Party of Britain
• Michael Howarth – Independent
• William Howarth – Independent
• Guy Otten – Green Party (no longer endorsed)
• Ravin Rodent Subortna – Official Monster Raving Loony Party
• David Tully – Independent

We are inviting candidates to submit their election 'pitch'; that is, why they believe they should be elected as the MP and why you should vote for them on 29 February.

Pitches from the candidates will be displayed in our Election section: www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/elections/

 

Read more about the candidates for the Rochdale by-election (most recently published to latest)

Rochdale by-election: Lib Dem candidate Iain Donaldson launches campaignPublished: 02 February 2024
Rochdale by-election: Community champion selected as Conservative candidatePublished: 02 February 2024
Rochdale by-election: former Labour MP Simon Danczuk bids to become Rochdale's first Reform MPPublished: 01 February 2024
Rochdale by-election: Green Party announces Guy Otten as its Parliamentary candidatePublished: 01 February 2024
Twice jailed Just Stop Oil supporter Mark Coleman to stand in parliamentary by-electionPublished: 30 January 2024
Rochdale by-election: George Galloway to stand for Workers Party of Britain to ‘teach Labour a lesson’Published: 29 January 2024
Azhar Ali chosen as Labour candidate for Rochdale seat in upcoming by-electionPublished: 27 January 2024
Billy Howarth, founder of Parents Against Grooming UK, to run for Rochdale MP in forthcoming by-electionPublished: 25 January 2024