United Kingdom by-election records: Difference between revisions
Warofdreams (talk | contribs) →Lowest Share of the Vote: Bevan's description |
→Minor parties strong performance: stechford |
||
Line 407: | Line 407: | ||
*[[Bermondsey by-election, 1983]] Independent Labour candidate gains third place and 7.6% |
*[[Bermondsey by-election, 1983]] Independent Labour candidate gains third place and 7.6% |
||
*[[Lambeth Central by-election, 1978]] [[National Front]] gain third place and 6.2% |
*[[Lambeth Central by-election, 1978]] [[National Front]] gain third place and 6.2% |
||
*[[Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977]] [[National Front]] gain third place and 8.2% |
|||
*[[Birmingham Ladywood by-election, 1977]] [[National Front]] gain third place and 5.7% |
*[[Birmingham Ladywood by-election, 1977]] [[National Front]] gain third place and 5.7% |
||
*[[Walsall North by-election, 1976]] Independent candidate gains third place and 11.7% |
*[[Walsall North by-election, 1976]] Independent candidate gains third place and 11.7% |
Revision as of 12:01, 24 November 2006
Notes about records
Prior to 1945, electoral competition in the United Kingdom exhibited features which make meaningful comparisons with modern results difficult. Among the most significant were:-
- Frequent interventions and withdrawals of parties in different seats.
- Frequent Coalitions between parties, splits within parties and floor-crossing by members.
- Uncontested elections and truces between parties, in particular during both World Wars.
- Generally more significant competition from independent candidates and minor parties.
- Multi-member seats.
- Higher frequency of by-elections.
- Generally higher turnouts, although several wartime elections exhibited the lowest recorded turnouts.
- Generally higher variation in size of constituency electorates.
Since 1945, the evolution of a stable 3-party system has tended to negate each of the above features so that, generally speaking, elections are more comparable.
In Northern Ireland, as ever, the pattern of party competition is completely different to that on the mainland and comparisons remain problematic.
Hence, unless otherwise stated records are based on results since the 1945 General Election, and earlier exceptional results are listed separately.
Largest swings
29.2% at the Dudley West by-election, 1994
23.1% at the Dagenham by-election, 1994
22.1% at the South East Staffordshire by-election, 1996
22.0% at the Barking by-election, 1994
21.3% at the Mid Staffordshire by-election, 1990
Labour -> Conservative
22.6% at the Walsall North by-election, 1976
21.2% at the Dudley by-election, 1968
20.9% at the Ashfield by-election, 1977
Conservative
-32.2% at the Christchurch by-election, 1993
-31.7% at the Rochdale by-election, 1958
-30.2% at the Dudley West by-election, 1994
-29.5% at the Paisley by-election, 1961
-29.0% at the Newbury by-election, 1993
-28.3% at the West Lothian by-election, 1962
-27.7% at the Torrington by-election, 1958
-25.2% at the West Derbyshire by-election, 1962
-25.0% at the Stratford by-election, 1963
Labour
-37.5% at the Bermondsey by-election, 1983
-33.4% at the Birmingham Ladywood by-election, 1969
-29.7% at the Hamilton by-election, 1967
-29.6% at the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election, 2004
-29.4% at the Brent East by-election, 2003
-28.7% at the Caerphilly by-election, 1968
-28.7% at the Hamilton South by-election, 1999
-28.1% at the Liverpool Edge Hill by-election, 1979
Liberal/Liberal Democrat
-18.3% at the Sowerby by-election, 1949
-14.4% at the Bradford South by-election, 1949
-14.2% at the Clitheroe by-election, 1979
-13.8% at the Epsom and Ewell by-election, 1978
Nationalist parties
Conservative
22.5% at the Bristol West by-election, 1951
20.8% at the Walthamstow East by-election, 1969
20.8% at the Ashfield by-election, 1977
Labour
28.1% at the Dudley West by-election, 1994
24.3% at the Mid Staffordshire by-election, 1990
Liberal/Liberal Democrat
50.9% at the Bermondsey by-election, 1983
41.4% at the Paisley by-election, 1961
Nationalist Parties
- Largest share of the vote won by any candidate, since 1918:
- Conservative, Middleton and Prestwich by-election, 1940: 98.7%
- Democratic Unionist, North Antrim by-election, 1986: 97.4%
- Conservative, Leeds North East by-election, 1940: 97.1%
- Labour, Leeds South East by-election, 1929: 95.8%
- Conservative, Glasgow Central by-election, 1915: 95.3%
- Ulster Unionist, Strangford by-election, 1986: 94.2%
- Ulster Unionist, South Antrim by-election, 1986: 94.1%
- Major parties winning 2% or less of the vote, since 1918:
- Liberal, Glasgow Camlachie by-election, 1948: 1.2%
- Liberal, Westminster Abbey by-election, 1924: 1.3%
- Liberal, Glasgow Central by-election, 1989: 1.6%
- Liberal, Glasgow Pollok by-election, 1967: 1.9%
- Labour, Newbury by-election, 1993: 2.0%
- Candidates winning fewer than ten votes, since 1918:1
- 5: Bill Boaks, "Public Safety Democratic Monarchist White Resident", Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982
- 5: Dr Kailash Trivedi, Independent Janata Party, Kensington and Chelsea by-election, 1988
- 7: John Connell, "Peace - stop ITN manipulation", Chesterfield by-election, 1984
- 8: Esmond Bevan, "Systems Designer" (Independent Labour), Bermondsey by-election, 1983
- 1 F. R. Lees, a Temperance Chartist, won no votes in the Ripon by-election, 1860, as his supporters mistakenly believed that he had withdrawn.
Smallest majorities
57 votes Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1973
62 votes Walthamstow West by-election, 1967
100 votes West Derbyshire by-election, 1986
Largest majorities
Highest turnout
- Highest turnout in any by-election since 1918:
Lowest turnout
- Lowest turnout in any by-election since 1918:
- South Poplar by-election, 1942: 9.2%
- Harrow by-election, 1941: 10.7%
- North Camberwell by-election, 1944: 11.2%
Most candidates
Fewest candidates
- Uncontested by-elections since 1945:
- Armagh by-election, 1954
- North Down by-election, 1953
- Antrim North by-election, 1952
- Londonderry by-election, 1951
- Hemsworth by-election, 1946 (The last such mainland UK by-election)
- Most recent by-elections with two candidates:
- Eight of the Northern Ireland by-elections, 19861
- Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981.
- Widnes by-election, 1971 (The last such mainland UK by-election)
- Most recent by-election with three candidates:
1 Four of the eight straight fights were between the Unionist incumbent and a "paper candidate" named Peter Barry, the name of the then Irish Foreign Minister.
Durable by-election candidates
Tony Benn has contested no fewer than four by-elections, topping the poll on each occasion: Bristol South-East in 1950, 1961 and 1963 and Chesterfield in 1984.
Former Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd finally secured election at her third by-election attempt at West Bromwich in 1973. She had previously failed in the Leicester South East by-election, 1957 and the Nelson and Colne by-election, 1968 as well as the General Elections of 1959 and 1970.
Fringe candidates Bill Boakes, Screaming Lord Sutch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Tom Keen of the Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain contested numerous by-elections without success.
Pre-1945
Arthur Henderson was distinguished in being successful in no fewer than five by-elections in different seats, in Barnard Castle, Widnes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne East, Burnley, and Clay Cross.
Joseph Gibbins is the only person in modern times to gain the same seat twice in two different by-elections. He triumphed for Labour in the Liverpool West Toxteth by-election, 1924 and the Liverpool West Toxteth by-election, 1935
Shortest-serving by-election victors since 1945
- Bobby Sands, Anti-H Block Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981 25 days 1
- Michael Carr, Labour Bootle by-election, 1990 57 days 1
- Oswald O'Brien, Labour Darlington by-election, 1983 77 days 2
- Margo Macdonald, SNP Govan by-election, 1973 112 days 2
- Charles Beattie, Unionist Mid Ulster by-election, 1955 123 days 3
- Nicol Stephen, Lib Dem Kincardine and Deeside by-election, 1991 154 days 2
- Helen McElhone, Labour Glasgow, Queen’s Park by-election, 1982 189 days 4
- David Austick, Liberal Ripon by-election, 1973 217 days 2
- Christopher Ward, Conservative Swindon by-election, 1969 231 days 2
- Parmjit Singh Gill, Lib Dem Leicester, South by-election, 2004 294 days 2
- David Colville Anderson, Conservative Dumfriesshire by-election, 1963 309 days 5
- Thomas Teevan, Unionist Belfast, West by-election, 1950 330 days 2
- George Machin, Labour Dundee, East by-election, 1973 364 days 2
Notes
- 1 died
- 2 defeated at next general election
- 3 disqualified (Beattie was never elected. He was awarded the seat on the disqualification of his predecessor, only to be found to be disqualified himself)
- 4 retired at next general election (seat abolished by redistribution and failed to secure alternative seat)
- 5 retired at next general election due to personal difficulties
Pre-1945
- R.M. Bell, Conservative Newport by-election, 1945 70 days 2a
- D.C.T. Bennett, Liberal Middlesbrough West by-election, 1945 ~70 days 2
- D.R.S. Davies, Liberal Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, 1945 91 days 2
- R.D. McIntyre, SNP Motherwell by-election, 1945 104 days 2
- A.B. Clarke, Labour Midlothian and Peebles North by-election, 1929 121 days 2b
- G. Banton, Labour Leicester East by-election, 1922 230 days 2a
- C.F. Palmer, Independent The Wrekin by-election, 1920 261 days 1
- J.E. Sutton, Labour Manchester Clayton by-election, 1922 270 days 2a
- J.C. Ede, Labour Mitcham by-election, 1923 278 days 2a
- J.J. Cleary, Labour Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935 281 days 2
- Sir W.H. Beveridge, Liberal Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1944 282 days 2
- W.P. Sidney, Conservative Chelsea by-election, 1944 ~282 days 3
- W.E. Gibbons, Conservative Bilston by-election, 1944 309 days 2
- T.E. Naylor, Labour Southward South East by-election, 1921 336 days 2a
- 1 died
- 2 defeated at next general election
- 3 retired at next general election, upon succession to a peerage
- a returned to Parliament at a subsequent election
- b had served previously as an MP
Babies of the House elected at by-elections
See Baby of the House of Commons
Most by-elections in one day
The largest number of by-elections held on a single day occurred on 23 January 1986 when 15 simultaneous contests were held in Northern Ireland. The elections had been engineered by the incumbent Unionist parties as a protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985. They intended the results to be interpreted as a referendum on the treaty. The elections were boycotted by the main Nationalist parties except in four seats where they had a reasonable prospect of victory. In the event, the SDLP gained one seat, Newry and Armagh, from the Ulster Unionist party.
Apart from the above example, it is common for UK mainland parties to schedule several by-elections on the same day. Motivations include attempting to divide opponents resources and getting bad news (expected losses) out of the way. Since 1945, the largest number of simultaneous mainland by-elections has been 6, held on 16 November 1960. On four occasions, 5 by-elections have been held on the same day, most recently on 9 June 1994. Groups of two or three are very common.
The largest number of by-elections lost on a single day is 3, when the Labour party lost Acton, Dudley and Meriden on 28 March 1968.
Seats with more than one by-election in a single Parliament
- Bootle: May and November 1990.
- Fermanagh and South Tyrone: April and August 1981.
- Bristol South East: 1961 and 1963.
- Mid Ulster: 1955 and 1956.
- Middlesbrough West: 1940 and 1945.
- Combined Scottish Universities: 1936, 1938 and 1945.
- Berwick-upon-Tweed: 1941 and 1944.
- Clay Cross: 1936 and 1944.
- West Derbyshire: 1938 and 1944.
- Buckingham : 1937 and 1943.
- Manchester Gorton: 1937 and 1942.
- Dunbartonshire: 1936 and 1941.
- Greenock: 1936 and 1941.
- Doncaster: 1938 and 1941.
- Southampton: February and November 1940.
- Preston: 1936 and 1940.
- Wandsworth Central: 1937 and 1940.
- City of London: 1938 and 1940.
- Combined Scottish Universities: 1934 and 1935.
- Eastbourne: 1932 and 1935.
- Twickenham: 1932 and 1934.
- The Wrekin: February and November 1920.
Longest period without a by-election
All periods of over a year between by-elections are listed:
- 20 November 1997 - 10 June 1999: 567 days
- 7 November 1991 - 6 May 1993: 546 days
- 12 March 1987 - 14 July 1988: 489 days
- 14 February 2002 - 18 June 2003: 489 days
- 23 May 1974 - 26 June 1975: 399 days
- 18 June 2003 - 15 July 2004: 393 days
Notes. 1992 and 1998 are the only calendar years in history without a single by-election. Since 1992 was nonetheless a General Election year, 1998 stands as the only year in British history without any parliamentary election.
Longest period without a seat changing hands
The longest period without a seat changing hands in a by-election was the 5 years between the Conservative victories in the Glasgow Camlachie by-election, 1948 and the Sunderland South by-election, 1953.
During the short Parliaments of 1910, 1950-1 and 1974 no seats changed hands in a by-election.
Length of time between by-election gains for a party
The Liberal Party endured 29 years without a single by-election gain between the Holland and Boston by-election, 1929 and the Torrington by-election, 1958. It did not win a single by-election in the thirteen years from the Middlesbrough West by-election, 1945 until Torrington.
At the time of writing, late 2006, the Conservative Party has not gained a seat in almost 25 years, the last being the Mitcham and Morden by-election, 1982. It did not win a single by-election in the eight years between the Richmond by-election, 1989 and the Uxbridge by-election, 1997, losing a record 15 consecutive seats where it was the incumbent.
Labour's longest lean stretch was almost 18 years, between the Brecon and Radnor by-election, 1939 and the Lewisham North by-election, 1957.1
Note 1 The Labour Party acted as the official opposition throughout the Parliament elected in 1935, but after joining the Coalition Government in 1939, they did not contest any Government seats for the remainder of the Parliament, a period of six years.
Longest period without an opposition gain
Since the 1997 General Election, the principal opposition Conservative Party has failed to register a by-election gain against the incumbent Labour Government. This is the longest period of such failure since records began, and nearly twice the previous record of the 5 years it took the Labour opposition to gain the Lewisham North by-election, 1957.
Apart from the brief parliaments of 1910, 1950-1 and 1974, the parliaments of 1951-5 and 1997-2001 are the only occasions when the incumbent government did not lose a by-election.
Miscellaneous Records
Incumbents fall directly from first place to third place
- Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election, 1995
- Perth and Kinross by-election, 1995
- Eastleigh by-election, 1994
- Brecon and Radnor by-election, 1985
- Merton, Mitcham and Morden by-election, 19821
- Rochdale by-election, 1958
Notes
1 Bruce Douglas-Mann had been re-elected as Labour MP for the seat in the 1979 General Election. In 1982, along with several other MPs, he defected to the newly-formed SDP. Against his new colleagues' advice, he honoured a pledge to face his electors under his new party colours and precipitated a by-election. He came second in the by-election which was won by the Conservatives. The new Labour candidate finished third.
By-election victors had not contested previous election
- North Down by-election, 1995
- Isle of Ely by-election, 1973
- Hamilton by-election, 1967
- Torrington by-election, 1958
Incumbent party did not contest
- North Down by-election, 1995 (party disintegrated before by-election)
- Walsall North by-election, 1976
- Bristol South East by-election, 1963 (winner of previous by-election had agreed to stand aside if law was changed to permit disqualified candidate to take his seat)
- Cardiff East by-election, 1942 (Conservatives stood aside to allow election of National Government minister)
- City of London by-election, 1940 (Conservatives stood aside to allow election of National Government minister)
- Southampton by-election, 1940 (National Liberals stood aside to allow election of National Government minister)
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938 (National Labour stood aside to allow election of National Government minister)
- Ross and Cromarty by-election, 1936 (National Liberals stood aside to allow election of National Government minister)
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1936 (Conservatives stood aside to allow election of National Government minister)
- Liverpool Scotland by-election, 1929 (lone mainland Irish Nationalist was essentially a Labour supporter)
Incumbent Governments gain seats
- Conservative Government gains:
- Merton, Mitcham and Morden by-election, 1982
- Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1960
- Sunderland South by-election, 1953
- Labour Government gains:
- Liverpool Scotland by-election, 19291
- Preston by-election, 19292
- Liverpool West Toxteth by-election, 1924
- 1Uncontested gain from Irish Nationalist.
- 2Liberal MP defected to Labour and was re-elected as Labour at by-election.
Principal Opposition loses seats to third parties
- Conservative
- Romsey by-election, 2000
- Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election, 1965
- Paddington South by-election, 19301
1A confused situation, where the victorious Empire Free Trade Crusade candidate was basically an extreme Conservative, who quickly took the whip and was subsequently re-elected as official Conservative candidate.
- Labour
- Glasgow Govan by-election, 1988
- Greenwich by-election, 1987
- Bermondsey by-election, 1983
- Glasgow Govan by-election, 1973
- Lincoln by-election, 1973
- Rochdale by-election, 1972
- Southwark North by-election, 1927
By-election holds overturned at next election
By-elections usually see the high watermark of any challenge to the incumbents. On rare occasions a party has failed to overturn an incumbent in the by-election yet has gone on to win the seat at the subsequent general election.
South Down by-election, 1986 gained by the Social Democratic and Labour Party in 1987.
Darlington by-election, 1983 gained by the Conservatives in 1983.
Dundee East by-election, 1973 gained by the Scottish National Party in 1974.
Bolton East by-election, 1960 gained by Labour in 1964.
Minor parties strong performance
- Blaenau Gwent by-election, 2006 Independent candidate wins with 46.7%
- Bromley and Chislehurst by-election, 2006 UKIP gain third place and 8.1%
- Hartlepool by-election, 2004 UKIP gain third place and 10.2%
- Leicester South by-election, 2004 Respect garner 12.7%
- Hamilton South by-election, 1999 Scottish Socialist Party gains third place and 9.5%
- Liverpool Walton by-election, 1991 Independent Labour candidate gains third place and 6.5%
- Bermondsey by-election, 1983 Independent Labour candidate gains third place and 7.6%
- Lambeth Central by-election, 1978 National Front gain third place and 6.2%
- Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977 National Front gain third place and 8.2%
- Birmingham Ladywood by-election, 1977 National Front gain third place and 5.7%
- Walsall North by-election, 1976 Independent candidate gains third place and 11.7%
- Newham South by-election, 1974 National Front gain third place and 11.5%
- West Bromwich by-election, 1973 National Front gains 16.0%
- Rochdale by-election, 1972 Anti-Immigration candidate gains 8.9%
- Southampton Itchen by-election, 1971 National Democrat gains third place and 7.6%
- Liverpool Scotland by-election, 1971 Independent Labour Anti-Abortion candidate gains 10.3%
Miscellaneous notable results
- The drop in the Conservative share of the vote, 11.1%, at the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election, 2006 was their worst result in a Conservative-held seat while in opposition since at least 1918. At the same by-election, the Labour Party's fall from second to fourth place was the first time the party had suffered such a reverse in an English seat.
- At the Blaenau Gwent by-election, 2006, held on the same day as Bromley, the Conservative Party's fifth-place ranking equalled the worst-place achieved by a major party in England or Wales, a feat the Conservatives had first achieved in the same seat in the 2005 General Election. The Blaenau by-election victor, Dai Davies was the first independent to hold a seat previously occupied by a independent since Sir C.V.F. Townshend held The Wrekin in 1920.
- The Conservative Party fell from second to fourth place in the Hartlepool by-election, 2004.
- The Labour party fell from second to fourth place in the Ceredigion by-election, 2000.
- In the Hamilton South by-election, 1999, the Liberal Democrats came sixth, equalling the worst ever placing by a major party in the UK.
- The Conservative party fell from third to fourth place in the Liverpool Walton by-election, 1991.
- At the Bootle by-election, 1990 the "continuing" SDP finished seventh out of eight candidates, behind the Monster Raving Loony Party, in a seat parts of which had once been in adjoining Crosby, scene of the party's greatest triumph only eight years previously.
- The Labour party achieved fourth place in the Richmond (Yorks) by-election, 1989 although this was contrived somewhat by the Liberal(SLD) and SDP parties running separate candidates.
- The Conservative party fell from second place to fourth place in the Bermondsey by-election, 1983, the first time they had suffered such a reverse since at least 1945.
- At the Walsall North by-election, 1976, the Liberal Party could take only fifth place. Beaten by an independent and a minor party candidate, this was the worst placing for any major party in an English by-election since at least 1945.
- The Conservative party fell from third place to fourth place in the Newham South by-election, 1974, at the time their worst ranking in an English by-election since at least 1945.
- The last time time the Liberals lost a by-election they were defending was at the Carmarthen by-election, 1957, defeated by the former Liberal MP turned Labour candidate, Lady Megan Lloyd-George. The Liberal parliamentary contingent was thus reduced to 5 MPs, its lowest ever level.