Frequently Asked Questions — Rossendale and Darwen Constituency

Who won the Rossendale and Darwen constituency election in 2005?

Labour gained Rossendale and Darwen constituency at the 5 May 2005 General Election, taking the seat from Conservative. Labour won with a majority of 3,676 votes (8.3%). Turnout was 61.5%.

What was the swing in Rossendale and Darwen at the 2005 election?

The swing in Rossendale and Darwen was 13.9% from CON to LAB — a modest shift towards LAB. Swing is calculated using the Butler two-party formula: the average of the change in winner's vote share and the fall in the runner-up's vote share compared to the previous election here.

What does swing mean in UK elections?

Swing measures how much support has shifted between two parties compared to a previous election. The Butler swing formula — used in British election reporting since the 1950s — takes the average of the gain in the winner's vote share and the loss in the runner-up's. A 5% swing is considered large at ward level; anything above 10% is exceptional. The swing figure for Rossendale and Darwen in 2005 is shown in the statistics above.