Walsall North by-election, 1976

Walsall North by-election, 1976

The Walsall North by-election on 4 November 1976 was held after the resignation of sitting Member of Parliament (MP) John Stonehouse. Elected as a Labour, Stonehouse was a member of the English National Party when he resigned, after an interlude in which he faked his own death. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/7/newsid_4357000/4357365.stm 1976: Government crisis as Stonehouse quits] ] The English National Party did not contest the by-election, the first occasion on which the incumbent's party did not do so since the Bristol South East by-election, 1963, and the last until the North Down by-election, 1995.

Amidst the confusion, the Conservative Party gained the seat in the by-election. [ [http://www.geocities.com/by_elections/76.html#walsall Full results] ]

The by-election was also noted for the performance of independent candidate Sidney Wright, the debut of the Ecology Party [ [http://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2006/10/green-party-hist-ch1-pt-2.html Green Party history, Derek Wall] ] and the split of the far right vote due to the appearance of both the National Front and their splinter group the National Party on the ballots. [M. Walker, "The National Front", Glasgow: Fontana Collins, 1977] The Liberal Party could take only fifth place, their worst ever placing in a by-election in England. The party had previously come fifth in Wales in the Merthyr Tydfil by-election, 1972, and next placed so low at the Glasgow Central by-election, 1989.

The by-election also saw a record number of candidates, beating the long-standing record of seven who contested the Stockport by-election, 1920, where two seats were available, a total first reached in a single-member by-election in the Dorset South by-election, 1962. This record was again beaten at the City of London and Westminster South by-election, 1977.

Results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Robin Hodgson
votes = 16,212 | percentage = 43.35 | change = +17.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = David Winnick
votes = 11,833 | percentage = 31.64 | change = -27.85Election box candidate
party = Independent
candidate = Sidney Wright
votes = 4,374 | percentage = 11.70 | change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = National Front (UK)
candidate = Joseph Parker
votes = 2,724 | percentage = 7.28 | change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = Frances Oborski
votes = 1,212 | percentage = 3.24 | change = -13.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Workers Party (UK)
candidate = James McCallum
votes = 574 | percentage = 1.53 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = National Party
candidate = Marian Powell
votes = 258 | percentage = 0.69 | change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Ecology Party
candidate = Jonathan Tyler
votes = 181 | percentage = 0.48 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Air, Road, Public Safety, White Resident
candidate = Bill Boaks
votes = 30 | percentage = 0.08 | change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 37,398
percentage =
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

NB: Gain from Labour as Stonehouse had been elected as such, even though he was a member of the ENP at the time of his resignation.

ee also

*United Kingdom by-election records

References


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