Heywood & Middleton By-election 2014 - Live Commentary

Date published: 09 October 2014

Labour candidate Liz McInnes has won the seat in the by-election.

A delighted Liz McInnes with Mayor Carol Wardle in the background

Labour members are cheering in the counting hall.

Candidates and agents have been called to meet the returning officer. Results could follow shortly.

UKIP candidate John Bickley has that "Labour shouldn't even have to get out of bed to win this seat"

We understand that there is now a bundle recount instead of all papers.

Labour believed to have been ahead by just over 600 votes in first count.

We understand that it was UKIP who asked for the recount.

UKIP candidate John Bickley at the election count

1.00am The votes are being recounted. This is a full recount so all the counters are busy once again.

00.45am A result is expected to be announced within the next half hour.

Labour MP for Chesterfield Toby Perkins at the election count

00.30am Labour MP Toby Perkins says the party is surprised at the collapse of the Conservative vote and added that to keep the seat as Labour would be a fitting tribute to Jim Dobbin.

Acting Return Officer, Linda Fisher

At the last General Election in 2010, Labour won the seat with 18,499 votes with a majority of 5,971. The total number of votes cast in that year was 46,125.

11.50pm UKIP Deputy Leader Paul Nuttall at the election count

11.45pm The official turnout has been given as 36.02%. 28,519 people have voted. The count will now begin with the result expected within a couple of hours.

The turnout at the last General Election in 2010 for the constituency was 58%. 

11.30pm Paul Nuttall the UKIP North West MEP has said that he is confident the party will produce their best ever by-election result tonight. He also said that if they don't secure the seat tonight, they will continue to chase Labour. He added "once the dam breaks, it has broken, and this is only the beginning."

10.40pm Verification has started - expected to take two hours

Lots of media here tonight

Ready for the count

The candidates in today's election are:

• John Joseph Bickley (UKIP)
• Iain Brian Gartside (Conservative)
• Abigail Louise Jackson (Green Party)
• Liz McInnes (Labour)
• Anthony J Smith (Liberal Democrat)

10.10pm The first ballot boxes are starting to arrive at the count.

The Sports Hall in Heywood Sports Village is set up, with counters and staff ready and waiting for the polls to close.