The member of Parliament for Leicester South, Jim Marshall, from the Labour Party died on May 27, 2004, shortly before shortly before the local and European elections in June.
The by-election was held on July 15, the same day as the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election. Turnout was 41.6%.
Marshall had a large personal vote, and both the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Parties targetted the seat. The constituency is diverse, covering leafy suburbs such as Stoneygate and Knighton along with inner city areas with a strong Asian community. 20% of the voters in the constituency are Muslims. The seat was first won by Marshall in 1974. He lost it to the Conservative Party candidate in the 1983 general election by 7 votes, but rewon it at the 1987 election.
Many pundits think that the LibDems are the favourites to win Leicester South, and replicate the Brent East by-election, because in city council elections last year, the Lib Dems took all but four of the seats in the constituency.
Complete list of candidates:
- Jitendra Bardwaj - Independent - Yoga and Meditation
- Alan Gordon Barrett - Independent - Conservative
- Mark Edwin Benson - Independent - has been a UKIP parliamentary candidate
- Parmjit Singh Gill - Liberal Democrats - local councillor
- Chris Heaton-Harris - Conservative Party - a member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands
- Pat Kennedy - Independent - Save Our Schools - endorsed by the Green Party
- Paul Lord - Independent
- David Roberts - Socialist Labour Movement
- R.U. Seerius (aka Jon Brewer) - Official Monster Raving Loony Party
- Sir Peter Soulsby - Labour Party - leader of Leicester City Council from 1981 to 1999
- Yvonne Ridley - RESPECT - journalist
2001 Result
| Jim Marshall | (Lab) | 22,958 | 54.5% | |
| Richard Hoile | (Con) | 9,715 | 23.0% | |
| Parmjit Singh Gill | (L Dem) | 7,243 | 17.2% | |
| Margaret Layton | (Green) | 1,217 | 2.9% | |
| Arnie Gardner | (Soc Lab) | 676 | 1.6% | |
| Kirti Ladwa | (UKIP) | 330 | 0.8% |