Barking

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Barking constituency has elected Labour MPs since its creation in 1945, usually with strong majorities. It is the BNP's strongest seat in the country, they managed to come third at the last election and won 12 seats on Barking and Dagenham Borough Council in the 2006 local elections. While the boundary changes appear to reduce the BNP's support in the seat, the BNP returned councillors in all three of the new wards in 2006 and they are likely to prove fertile territory for the far-right.

Current MP

Margaret Hodge (Labour)

Candidates

Simon Marcus (Conservative)
Simon was educated at Kings College London and runs the London Boxing Academy.

Margaret Hodge (Labour)
Born in 1944 in Egypt, before being educated at the LSE. Prior to her election to Parliament, she was leader of Islington Council and first entered Parliament in a 1994 by-election. Prior to the 2006 local elections was criticised for giving the BNP the oxygen of publicity by claiming that up to 9 out of 10 of her white constituents would vote for them. She has been a Minister of State for Culture, Media and Sport since 2007, taking a year out between 2008 and 2009 to care for her terminally ill husband.

Dominic Carman (Liberal Democrat)
The son of George Carman QC, Dominic is a journalist and author and was a finalist in ITV's political talent show “Vote for Me” in 2005.

Jayne Forbes (Green)
Jayne contested Hornsey and Wood Green in 2001, 2005.

Frank Maloney (UKIP)
Frank was born in Peckham and is a boxing manager and promoter, having managed Lennox Lewis from 1989-2001. Frank contested the London mayoralty election in 2004.

Nick Griffin (BNP)
Born in 1959 in London, he was educated at Woodbridge School and Cambridge University. He is the chairman of the BNP and MEP for North-West England. Nick was the publicity officer and Parliamentary candidate for the National Front before leaving the party in 1989 and joined the BNP in 1995.

George Hargreaves (Christian)
Born George Jackman in 1958, George was educated at Woolverstone Hall School and Oxford University.  A former songwriter, most famously penning Sinitta’s “So Macho”, he is now a Pastor of the Hephizibah Christian Centre, Hackney. George contested Walthamstow for the Referendum Party in 1997 and 2004 Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election for Operation Christian Vote.

Crucial Chris Dowling (Official Monster Raving Loony)
Musician

Dapo Sijuwola (Restoration)

Thomas Darwood (Independent)
Religious publisher. Claims to be the true Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope and heir to the throne. Contested Haltemprice and Howden 2008 by-election.

2005 Results

Conservative: 4,943 (17.1%)
Labour: 13,826 (47.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 3,211 (11.1%)
BNP: 4,916 (17%)
Green: 618 (2.1%)
UKIP: 803 (2.8%)
Other: 589 (2%)
Majority: 8883 (30.7%)