Barbara Keeley wins Worsley and Eccles South for sixth time

Barbara Keeley has been elected as the MP for the constituency of Worsley and Eccles South with 20,446 votes.

Conservative candidate Arnie Saunders nearly caused a huge shock as the long serving Keeley held on to win by a narrow margin.

Mrs Keeley won 20,446 votes to edge Mr Saunders’s total of 17,345.

The result represents a 12% fall in her majority compared with the result of the 2017 snap election.

Keeley’s wealth of experience at her disposal ultimately played a pivotal role in seeing off her spirited opponent.

This was the moment Barbara Keeley won yet again in Worsley and Eccles South #mmelection19 pic.twitter.com/dzqy6vbTWk

— Matthew Chivers (@mgchivers) December 13, 2019

The victory extends Keeley’s 14-year supremacy in the region and gives her an unprecedented sixth consecutive election triumph.

Salford University’s very own Barbara Keeley is a vastly experienced MP having been in office since 2005 and was deputy leader of the House of Commons in 2009 for a year.

The Worsley and Eccles seat merged together in 2010 and now Mrs Keeley must focus on delivering election promises on transport and education.

Her ties to Salford University go back to the early 1970’s when she gained a degree in Politics and Contemporary History.

The 67-year-old’s political career started when she spent several years on the council working for Trafford Council in 1995 until 2004, before taking on various governmental positions in the Department of Education.

Labour hold Worsley and Eccles South. Barbara Keeley elected as MP with a majority of 3219.

— Salford City Council (@SalfordCouncil) December 13, 2019

Her political views have spanned from voting on replacing Britain’s nuclear deterrent Trident and increasing the benefits allowance.

She is a member of the GMB Union, the Co-operative Party and the Fabian Society, all closely associated with Socialism and the Labour Party.

Mr Saunders progressive policies not often associated with far-right Conservative ideology gave him a platform to threaten an upset.

His willingness to invest in schools, adopt a no deal Brexit stance and commit to environmental issues won him only 3,000 less votes than Mrs Keeley.

When Parliament reconvenes in the New Year, Labour’s Worsley and Eccles MP knows she has much to do to deliver on the promises she has made.

Credit: James Spencer (web and radio package) and Abdul Shikhmous (radio package).