- South Dorset by-election, 1962
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The South Dorset by-election, 1962 occurred following the death of George Montagu, 9th Earl of Sandwich on 15 June 1962. His son Viscount Hinchingbrooke, the incumbent MP for the constituency of South Dorset, was subsequently elevated to the peerage becoming the 10th Earl of Sandwich. Following the 1963 Peerage Act the 10th Earl disclaimed his peerages in 1964, becoming Victor Montagu, but never sat in the House of Commons again.
The campaign coincided with a period when the United Kingdom was negotiating to join the Common Market. The application was later vetoed by Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Viscount Hinchingbrooke was staunchly against joining the Common Market while the Conservative candidate, Angus Maude, had to back the official party pro-Common Market policy. The issue resulted in a local Conservative, Sir Piers Debenham, standing as an anti-Common Market candidate with the support of Viscount Hinchingbrooke.
The election took place on 22 November 1962 and resulted in a gain for the Labour Party from the Conservatives. Guy Barnett was elected with a majority of 704, overturning a 6,693 Conservative majority at the 1959 General Election, and with one of the lowest winning shares of a by-election vote at 33.5%. The 5,000 votes for Piers Debenham proved decisive, although the increase in the Liberal Party vote was also important. Debenham lost his deposit gaining 12.3% of the votes against the 12.5% required.
With a total of seven candidates, the by-election matched the then record which had been set at the Stockport by-election, 1920 and was not beaten until the Walsall North by-election, 1976.
Angus Maude was subsequently elected to parliament in the Stratford by-election in 1963 after the resignation of John Profumo following the Profumo Affair. At the 1964 General Election Guy Barnett was defeated by the Conservative candidate Evelyn King by 935 votes. He later returned to parliament in 1971 following another by-election. Piers Debenham died in 1964 just before the 1964 General Election.
Votes
South Dorset by-election, 22 November 1962 Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labour Guy Barnett 13,783 33.51 -1.16 Conservative Angus Maude 13,079 31.79 -17.99 Liberal Lawrence Norbury-Williams 8,910 21.66 +6.11 Anti Common Market Sir Piers Debenham 5,057 12.29 N/A Independent P. Burn 181 0.44 N/A Independent M. Fudge 82 0.20 N/A Independent J.C. O'Connor 45 0.11 N/A Majority 704 1.71 Turnout 41,137 Labour gain from Conservative Swing References
- South Dorset, 1962 at British Parliamentary by-elections
External links
« 41st Parliament « By-elections to the 42nd Parliament of the United Kingdom » 43rd Parliament » 1960 March: Brighouse and Spenborough • Harrow West • May: Edinburgh North • November: Mid Bedfordshire • Bolton East • Carshalton • Ludlow • Petersfield • Tiverton • Ebbw Vale • Blyth1961 March: Cambridgeshire • Colchester • High Peak • Worcester • Birmingham Small Heath • April: Paisley • Warrington • May: Bristol South East • November: Manchester Moss Side • East Fife • Oswestry • Glasgow Bridgeton1962 March: Lincoln • Blackpool North • Middlesbrough East • Orpington • Pontefract • April: Stockton-on-Tees • Derby North • May: Montgomeryshire • June: Middlesbrough West • West Derbyshire • July: West Lothian • Leicester North East • November: Chippenham • South Dorset • Glasgow Woodside • Central Norfolk • South Northamtonshire •1963 March: Colne Valley • Rotherham • Swansea East • June: Leeds South • July: Deptford • West Bromwich • August: Stratford • Bristol South East • Belfast South • November: Kinross and West Perthshire • Luton • December: Manchester Openshaw • St Marylebone • Sudbury and Woodbridge • Dumfriesshire • Dundee West1964 Categories:- By-elections to the United Kingdom Parliament in South West England constituencies
- 1962 elections in the United Kingdom
- 1962 in England
- Elections in Dorset
- British election stubs
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