#ELLGE2015: Tower Hamlets Labour and UKIP surge

Both Tower Hamlets’ Labour MPs held their seats in the general election while extending their majorities by an additional 18 per cent. Support for the party remained strong in the borough in stark contrast to Labour’s bleak results across the country.

Rushanara Ali won Bethnal Green and Bow with a majority of 24,317 votes, while the Liberal Democrats lost 15.6 per cent of their vote share. The Green Party gained 7.6 per cent of the vote over their last election result. UKIP, who did not contest in 2010, won 6.1 per cent.

In Poplar and Limehouse, Jim Fitzpatrick was returned to his seat, gaining more than half the votes of his constituency with a 58.5 per cent share. The Labour majority rose by over 11,000 votes compared to the 2010 result. The Liberal Democrats lost the most votes with a 6.9 per cent decrease, while UKIP gained popularity with 3,128 votes compared to 565 in the last election.

By David Blood, Kara Fox and Dawn Tan

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