Labour's Philip Woolas held Oldham East and Saddleworth with 17,537 votes. The far-right British National Party, however, obviously benefiting from the racial tension in the city in the last week, polled 5,091 votes.
In the neighbouring Oldham West and Royton constituency, Environment Minister Michael Meacher held his seat, but the BNP took 16 per cent of the vote. The votes represent the biggest success of the far-right in British politics for many years.
