The election was won by Mike Kane of the Labour Party[3] with a greatly increased share of the vote compared with the 2010 general election. UKIP, which had previously performed poorly, came second, beating the Conservative Party into third place. The Liberal Democrats lost their deposit. The turnout was 28.2%, compared with 54.3% for the 2010 general election.
Background
On 30 December 2013, Goggins became seriously ill after collapsing while running.[4] He died in hospital on 7 January 2014 following complications from a brain haemorrhage.[2][5]
Candidates and result
John Bickley leaflet
Applications to register to vote had to be received by Manchester City Council by 28 January.[6] The Statement of Persons Nominated was published at 5 pm on 29 January 2014.[7]
The result was declared at around 2.30am GMT on Friday, 14 February.[8]
Mike Kane, a former Manchester councillor and the acting chief executive of Movement for Change, was confirmed as the Labour Party candidate, on 24 January.[10] In a selection process described as "quick-fire",[11]London interviews on 22 January[12] produced a short list of five local councillors and ex-councillors: Rosa Battle and Suzannah Reeves of Manchester City Council, Catherine Hynes and Sophie Taylor of Trafford Borough, and Mike Kane.[13]
The Wythenshawe branch of the Conservative Party chose Daniel Critchlow, a Trafford-based vicar, on 23 January 2014.[14]
The Liberal Democrats chose a Manchester City councillor, Mary di Mauro, on 26 January 2014.[15]
The UK Independence Party selected John Bickley, 60, a former Labour supporter[19] who grew up in Wythenshawe.[20] Bickley, who runs a mobile app firm, told The Guardian that he felt Parliament needed to "take responsibility" having "outsourced running of the country to the EU". Bickley added that he felt "Labour had let down the working class" and that Labour's behaviour would mean his former trade unionist father would be "turning in his grave".[21]