By Jonathan Isaby
Nominations have formally closed for the Leicester South parliamentary by-election which is taking place on May 5th and there will be just five names on the ballot paper:
- Jonathan Ashworth (Labour)
- Zuffar Haq (Liberal Democrat)
- Alan "Howling Laud" Hope (Monster Raving Loony)
- Jane Hunt (Conservative, pictured)
- Abhijit Pandya (UKIP)
The last time there were as few as five candidates contesting a by-election was in Cheadle in 2005, so Lib Dem blogger Jonathan Calder can sleep soundly in the knowledge that his prediction that "this is no Barnsley Central: we are not going to finish sixth" will come to fruition.
The result in the seat at last year's general election was:
Labour - Sir Peter Soulsby 21,479 45.6% (+6.2)
Liberal Democrat - Parmjit Singh Gill 12,671 26.9% (-3.7)
Conservative - Ross Grant 10,066 21.4% (+3.6)
BNP - Adrian Waudby 1,418 3.0% (+3.0)
Green - Dave Dixey 770 1.6% (-1.6)
UKIP - Christopher Lucas 720 1.5% (+1.5)
> On Monday, Conservative candidate Jane Hunt invited ConHome readers to lend her a hand on the campaign trail
