Torrington by-election, 1958

The Torrington by-election of 1958, in Devon, England, was the first gain by the British Liberal Party at a by-election since Holland with Boston in 1929.

The election was caused by the accession of George Lambert, National Liberal and Conservative Member of Parliament for Torrington to a hereditary peerage as Viscount Lambert. He had held the constituency since its creation in 1950, with large majorities over Labour Party candidates. The Liberal Party had only contested the seat in 1950, although they then came second, with 25% of the vote. Lambert's father, also George Lambert, had held the predecessor seat of South Molton for much of its history, initially as a Liberal, but then as a National Liberal.

Although generally popular, the Conservative administration of Harold Macmillan had been hit by differences over economic policy, and in January 1958, all the Government's Treasury Ministers had resigned.

The Liberal Party had reached its lowest ebb in the 1951 general election, winning just 2.5% of the vote nationally, and gaining only six MPs. They had been reduced to five seats when they lost the Carmarthen by-election, 1957, but their fortunes had shown signs of a revival when they came a close second in North Dorset later in the year, and Rochdale early in 1958.

The Conservatives selected Anthony Royle, President of the Western Area Young Conservatives, a London-based insurance broker who had unsuccessfully contested St Pancras North in the 1955 general election. The Liberals chose Mark Bonham Carter, a publisher and advisor (and brother-in-law) to Jo Grimond who had unsuccessfully stood in Barnstaple in the 1945 election. Labour stood L. Lamb, who had been their candidate in Torrington in 1955.

The by-election was held on 27 March 1958. Following Granada Television's screening of the Rochdale by-election earlier in the year, BBC Television chose Torrington for their second election broadcast (after the 1955 general election). When the votes were counted, Bonham-Carter won a surprise victory, by just 219 votes - their first by-election victory since Middlesbrough West in 1945, and that achieved due to the wartime electoral pact. The Conservatives were beaten into second place, while Labour also lost votes and finished third.

For the Liberals there was a somewhat ironic situation. The previous year they had lost a seat to Lloyd George's daughter. Now they had gained a seat with Asquith's grandson.

Bonham-Carter lost the seat less than eighteen months later, in the 1959 general election, and failed to retake it when he stood again in 1964. In 1959, Royle chose to fight Richmond instead, winning a seat in the Commons. The Torrington by-election proved the first Liberal success in a long revival which continued with the 1962 Orpington by-election.

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = Mark Bonham Carter
votes = 13,408
percentage = 38.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Anthony Royle
votes = 13,189
percentage = 37.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = L. Lamb
votes = 8,697
percentage = 24.6
change = -10.4Election box majority
votes = 219
percentage = 0.6
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Liberal Party (UK)
loser = National Liberal Party (UK)
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = National Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = George Lambert
votes = 20,124
percentage = 65.1
change = -1.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = L. Lamb
votes = 10,812
percentage = 35.0
change = +1.2Election box majority
votes = 9,312
percentage = 30.1
change = -2.4Election box turnout
votes = 30,936
percentage = 69.2
change = - 7.2Election box hold with party link
winner = National Liberal Party (UK)
swing =

References

* [http://www.geocities.com/by_elections/58.html#torrington British Parliamentary By Elections]
* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge55/i20.htm Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources]
* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20020102/ai_n9667941/pg_2 Obituary: Lord Fanshawe of Richmond] , "Independent"
* [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/pt2.html Political Television 1955-59: A review]