MEET THE WINNERS
ELECTION SPECIAL
ELECTION RESULTS night brought mixed fortunes for Jewish politicians and voters across the country.
There had been speculation of potential recounts and shock results in the seats with Britain’s biggest Jewish communities, but few of the more outlandish predictions came to pass in the early hours of last Friday morning.
In Finchley and Golders Green, the seat with the largest number of Jewish voters, Conservative MP Mike Freer was comfortably re-elected following a strong challenge from Labour’s Jewish candidate, Sarah Sackman.
He collected 25,835 votes to Ms Sackman’s 20,173, representing a majority of 5,662 — down only slightly from 2010. Mr Freer said he was “humbled and proud”.
In neighbouring Hendon, Matthew Offord was returned as a Conservative MP, fending off the challenge of Labour’s Andrew Dismore. He had held one of the smallest majorities — 106 — for the past five years, but will now enjoy a cushion of 3,724.
At the declaration, Dr Offord said he would tackle housing problems and a lack of school places in the constituency. He added : “There is still a fear, both in the Jewish and Muslim communities, about radicalisation.”
Ukip candidate Raymond Shamash, who served as an Israeli army dentist in the Six-Day War, came third with what he called a “credible” 2,595 votes.
One of the biggest shocks came in Ilford North, where former National Union of Students president Wes Streeting ousted Conservative incumbent Lee Scott by 589 votes.
Mr Scott had been a strong campaigner on Jewish issues. His seat had been 28th on Labour’s target list and overturning his majority of 5,404 represented a rare glimmer of hope on a bad night for the party nationally. Mr Street- ing won 21,463 votes, pipping former UJIA regional director Mr Scott’s 20,874. Jewish great-grandmother Doris Osen, 85, an independent candidate and the oldest in the country, won 87 votes.
There was further success for Labour in Hampstead and Kilburn, which had been the country’s second tightest constituency five years ago. Tulip Siddiq held the seat, increasing the party’s majority from 42 to 1,138 following Glenda Jackson’s retirement.
She recorded 23,977 votes to Jewish Conservative candidate Simon Marcus’s 22,839. Maajid Nawaz, a former Hizb ut-Tahrir member turned antiextremism campaigner, stood for the Liberal Democrats and finished third with 3,039.
Ms Siddiq, who grew up in Bangladesh — where her grandfather was the country’s first president — said during her campaign that suspicions over her relationship with the Jewish community had dissipated after she reiterated her determination to represent minority groups. Accepting defeat, Mr Marcus acknowledged the strength of the “ground operation” run by Labour.
Bob Blackman held his Harrow East seat following a stiff challenge from Labour’s Uma Kumaran. The Conserv- ative MP won with a majority of 4,757, an increase of more than 1,300 on his result five years ago.
The victory came despite a strong campaign from Ms Kumaran, who had been leading in some polls in the weeks before election day. Mr Blackman, an advocate for Israel and for the protection of Jewish religious practices, said he was “delighted”.
In neighbouring Harrow West, Labour MP Gareth Thomas held the seat, albeit with a reduced majority of 2,208. He beat Jewish Conservative candidate Hannah David, best-known in the community for her Let’s Meat restaurant in Borehamwood.
DavidCameron’sformerdeputychief of staff Oliver Dowden comfortably held Hertsmere for the Tories, winning 29,696 votes, 18,461 more than Labour candidate Richard Butler. Mr Dowden replaced James Clappison, who retired after 23 years as an MP.
The 36-year-old will represent the third most Jewish constituency in Britain, with Jews making up 14.3 per cent of Hertsmere’s population.
There was a heavy defeat for Lynne Featherstone, who had been the most senior Jewish woman in the previous government. She saw her 6,875 majority
evaporate as Labour’s Catherine West took Hornsey and Wood Green by 11,058 votes. At the declaration, an emotional Ms Featherstone said: “We had a mountain to climb and we could not do it.”
Theresa Villiers held Chipping Barnet — where 6.8 per cent of voters are Jewish — for the Tories, with a slightly reduced majority.
Ivan Lewis won the Bury South seat for Labour for the fifth time. The former chief executive of the Fed charity in Manchester received 21,272 votes. Mr Lewis said: “I still want to be an agent for change. People can get cynical in politics but I still get a buzz from serving the area where I am from. To be elected for a fifth term is remarkable. It is a privilege. But with that privilege comes responsibility.”
Blackley and Broughton, with a sizeable Jewish population, remained a safe Labour seat with sitting MP Gra
ham Stringer winning an increase in support with a majority of 16,874. Ukip pipped the Tories to second place.
Mr Stringer said he would attempt to protect his constituents from “attack from the Conservative government”. In Altrincham and Sale West, Tory
Graham Brady increased his majority to 13,290. Across the Pennines in York- shire, Fabian Hamilton also won a fifth term as Labour MP for Leeds North East, increasing his majority to 7,250. During the campaign, the 60-year-old grandson of a rabbi had accused Ed Miliband of “betraying” Israel with his position on the Gaza conflict.
In Liverpool, Labour’s two leading Jewish women MPs, Luciana Berger and Louise Ellman, won comfortably.
Ms Berger was returned with an increased majority of 24,303 in Liverpool Wavertree. After being elected as Britain’s youngest Jewish MP five years ago, she has risen rapidly through the Labour ranks and can expect a key job under the party’s next leader.
In Liverpool Riverside, Ms Ellman also enjoyed a landslide victory, gaining 29,835 votes and increasing her majority by more than 10,000 to 24,463.
Commons Speaker John Bercow held his seat in Buckingham for the Conservatives with 34,617 votes, while Tory Jonathan Djanogly was returned as Huntingdon MP with a 19,404 majority.
In line with the trouncing suffered by Lib Dems across the country, Julian
Huppert lost his Cambridge seat by 599 votes to Labour.
Diane Abbott retained Hackney North and Stoke Newington, where 11.3 per cent of voters are Jewish. She secured a 24,008 majority for Labour.
Ukip candidate and Woodside Park United Synagogue member Keith
Fraser received 1,085 of votes, coming fifth.
In Tottenham, home to a large section of the capital’s Charedi community, Labour’s David Lammy increased his majority to a 23,564. Vociferous Israel critic Sir Gerald
Kaufman was returned for Labour in Manchester Gorton with 67 per cent of the vote. As the longest-serving MP without a break, he now becomes Father of the House of Commons.
Robert Halfon was one of the big Tory winners on the night, significantly increasing his majority in Harlow to 8,350, and being rewarded with a promotion to the cabinet.
Julian Lewis and Michael Ellis, both Tories, held New Forest East and Northampton North respectively.
Senior party figure Grant Shapps won Welwyn Hatfield with a reduced majority. Margaret Hodge retained her safe seat of Barking for Labour.
Ruth Smeeth will join the ranks of Jewish MPs for the first time. She won Stoke-on-Trent North for Labour with 15,429 votes, a majority of 4,836. Another first-timer is lawyer Lucy
Frazer who romped home in the Tory stronghold of Cambridgeshire South East with 28,845 votes. Other Jewish winners included Tory
Michael Fabricant, elected for a fifth term in Lichfield; former Conservative Friends of Israel chairman Richard Harrington, who secured his Watford seat with a vastly increased majority; Labour veteran David Winnick who won a ninth term in Walsall North; and Oliver Letwin, who held his Dorset West seat for the Tories.
Meanwhile it was a bad night for Israel critics in Bradford. George Galloway claimed “racists and Zionists” would be celebrating after he lost his Bradford West seat. The Respect politician, who deemed the city an “Israeli-free zone” last year, lost by more than 11,000 votes to Labour’s Naz Shah.
He is expected to run for Mayor of London next year.
In Bradford East, Lib Dem anti-Israel tweeter David Ward lost his seat by more than 7,000 votes.