Bethnal Green and Bow
Notional 2005 Results:
Respect: 14491 (37.0%)
Labour: 13160 (33.6%)
Conservative: 5211 (13.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 4416 (11.3%)
Other: 1868 (4.8%)
Majority: 1331 (3.4%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 6244 (14.2%)
Labour: 14978 (34%)
Liberal Democrat: 4928 (11.2%)
Green: 1950 (4.4%)
Other: 15907 (36.1%)
Majority: 823 (1.9%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 9323 (24.2%)
Labour: 19380 (50.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 5946 (15.5%)
Green: 1666 (4.3%)
BNP: 1267 (3.3%)
Other: 888 (2.3%)
Majority: 10057 (26.1%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 9412 (21.1%)
Labour: 20697 (46.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 5361 (12%)
Referendum: 557 (1.2%)
Other: 8655 (19.4%)
Majority: 11285 (25.3%)
Boundary changes: Bethnal Green and Bow loses the Tower of London, St Katherine`s Docks, Wapping and part of Shadwell ward to Poplar and Canning Town.
Profile: An East End seat dominated by povery, unemployment and racial tension. The area has a long history of immigrant communities, racial conflict and radical politics, being home to Huguenots, Jews and now the Bangladeshi immigrant community. The West of the constituency is undergoing gentrification, with rising house prices in Spitalfields, and the galleries and artists of Whitechapel becoming increasingly fashionable. Despite this the seat remains one of the most deprived in the country.
The constituency covers Spitalfields, Banglatown, Whitechapel, Stepney, Bethnal Green and Bow and includes Brick Lane, renowned for its curry restaurants, the East London Mosque, Victoria Park and the Royal London Hospital.
Current MP: George Galloway (Respect) born 1954, Dundee. Educated at Harris Academy. A flamboyant left-winger, talented orator and outspoken critic of Tony Blair and George W Bush. Galloway was first elected to Parliament as the Labour MP for Glasgow Hillhead in 1987, defeating Roy Jenkins. He has long been involved in Palestinian and Arab causes. He opposed the 1991 Gulf war and travelled to Iraq several times, meeting both Saddam Hussein and Tariq Aziz. In 1998 he founded a charity to campaign against sanctions on Iraq. He opposed the Iraq War and in 2003 was expelled from the Labour party for making comments encouraging British troops to refuse to obey illegal orders.
Galloway was subsequently involved in the founding of the Respect Party, and is often (incorrectly) identified as its leader. In 2005 he defeated the Labour MP Oona King in Bethnal Green and Bow. In January 2006 he controversially appeared on Celebrity Big Brother. In January 2008 he announced he would be distancing himself from Respect and standing for a new party, Respect itself having fractured between the SWP and other groups the previous year. Having pledged only to serve one term as the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, at the next election he will contest Poplar and Limehouse (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Rushanara Ali (Labour) Educated at Oxford University. Associate Director of the Young Foundation. Formerly worked in Home Office and as an assistant to Oona King.
Abjol Miah (Respect) Former drugs worker. Tower Hamlets councillor, leader of Respect group on Tower Hamlets council.
Ajmal Masroor(Liberal Democrat) born 1971. Broadcaster and production consultant. Selected as Lib Dem PPC for West Ham prior to the last election, but stood down shortly before the close of nominations after being criticised for posting on the Muslim Public Affairs Committee forum.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 101252
Male: 49.5%
Female: 50.5%
Under 18: 25.9%
Over 60: 13.8%
Born outside UK: 34.2%
White: 49.6%
Black: 5.9%
Asian: 40.2%
Mixed: 2.4%
Other: 1.9%
Christian: 35.4%
Hindu: 0.8%
Jewish: 1.2%
Muslim: 39.6%
Full time students: 10.1%
Graduates 16-74: 28.1%
No Qualifications 16-74: 35.9%
Owner-Occupied: 28.1%
Social Housing: 55% (Council: 39.3%, Housing Ass.: 15.7%)
Privately Rented: 14%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 5.7%
Yes, my estimate is that Labour and the LD’s will remain static in 35 and 10% (which in the context of the 2010 election will mean that Labours vote is up relatively compaired to the UK). I also see Respect slumping (but not collapsing) and the Tories rising back to 25% (as per 1997/ 2001), so they will both be neck and neck 4000 behind Labour.
I the Birmingham Sparkbrook & Small Heath constituency had not been abolished an Respect has re-selected Salma Yaqoob I would think a Respect Gain from Lab in that seat would be more likely than a Respect Hold here.
She was extreemly articulate on Question Time.