Liverpool Walton by-election, 1991

The Liverpool Walton by-election was held on 4 July 1991, following the death of the Labour Party Member of Parliament Eric Heffer for Liverpool Walton, on 27 May.

The constituency had become a safe Labour seat under Heffer, who was known as a left-wing MP. During the 1980s, the Trotskyist Militant Tendency, operating within the Labour Party, had gained control of Liverpool City Council. Following a confrontation with the Conservative government over cuts to their budget and the Council's refusal to set a rate, the Liverpool 47, included all the Militant councillors, were surcharged and disqualified in 1986. [Taaffe, P. & Mulhearn, T. (1988) "Liverpool: A City That Dared to Fight" London:Fortress] They were also roundly criticised by Labour leader Neil Kinnock.

While the Liverpool 29 left-wing councillors, including many Militant members, were subsequently elected to the Council, in 1990 they were later expelled from the Labour Party as part of a general policy to curtail Militant's activities. They formed the "Broad Left" group on the Council.

When Heffer announced his retirement, Lesley Mahmood, a "Broad Left" councillor and a member of Militant, stood for the Labour nomination. She was narrowly beaten by Peter Kilfoyle, who was highly critical of Militant and had been appointed by the NEC to lead the 1986 inquiry identifying Militant-supporting members of the Labour Party. Kilfoyle was strongly supported by Kinnock, See, e.g., [http://www.politicos.co.uk/books/24170.htm Politicos' books] .] but despised by Militant. Mahmood stood as a "Walton Real Labour" candidate. However, some of Militant's leaders, Ted Grant and Rob Sewell, remained convinced of the merits of entrism and argued privately against Mahmood standing. [Taaffe, P. (1995) "The Rise of Militant" Militant Publications: London pg.437]

Attitudes on the far left to Mahmood's candidature varied. It was supported by the Socialist Workers Party [http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/militant/mil2frame.htm?ch44.htm] and Workers Power. [ [http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/327/kateford.html Livingstone Factor] - Retrieved 30/08/07] "Socialist Organiser" opposed it, claiming that "a comparatively tiny breakaway such as theirs can only result in making the Liverpool Labour Party safe for the Kinnockites", and calling instead for a vote for Labour. [http://www.workersliberty.org/node/6876] The Revolutionary Communist Party opposed a vote for any candidate. [http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/230/rcpdesign.html]

Several other candidates stood. The Liberal Democrats stood Paul Clark, a local councillor and the Liberal Party candidate in the previous general election. The Conservatives, who had little support in the constituency, despite having held it until 1964, stood Berkeley Greenwood. Screaming Lord Sutch stood for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, and George Lee-Delisle stood on a platform advocating proportional representation.

Kilfoyle was able to win the election, taking a majority of the votes cast, although significantly down on Heffer's result in the 1987 election. The Liberal Democrats gained from the division in the Labour Party and increased their vote to come second. Mahmood was only able to take a distant third place. The Conservatives were beaten into fourth, for the first time in Britain since the Bermondsey by-election, 1983, and lost their deposit. They did not place fourth in an English by-election again until the Hartlepool by-election, 2004.

Kilfoyle held the seat at the 1992 UK general election and at each subsequent election.

For Militant, the candidacy was a key moment in their turn to an open party. They stood candidates in the 1992 election in Liverpool, and also in Glasgow (as Scottish Militant Labour). This led Ted Grant to form a minority tendency, and ultimately to his expulsion from Militant to form Socialist Appeal. The remainder of Militant later founded the Socialist Party (England and Wales) and the Scottish Socialist Party, Mahmood eventually leaving in 1998.

Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Peter Kilfoyle
votes = 21,317
percentage = 53.1
change = −11.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Paul Clark
votes = 14,457
percentage = 36.0
change = +14.8Election box candidate
party = Walton Real Labour
candidate = Lesley Mahmood
votes = 2,613
percentage = 6.5
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Berkeley Greenwood
votes = 1,155
percentage = 2.9
change = −11.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Official Monster Raving Loony Party
candidate = Screaming Lord Sutch
votes = 546
percentage = 1.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = George Lee-Delisle
votes = 63
percentage = 0.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 6,860
percentage = 17.1
change = −26.1Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Eric Heffer
votes = 34,661
percentage = 64.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = Paul Clark
votes = 11,408
percentage = 21.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = I. Mays
votes = 7,738
percentage = 14.4
change = Election box majority
votes = 23,253
percentage = 43.2
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 73.6
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

References

* [http://www.geocities.com/by_elections/liverpool91.html British Parliamentary By Elections: Liverpool Walton 1991]
* [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1987.html Results of By-Elections in the 1987-92 Parliament]
* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge87/i13.htm UK General Election results: June 1987]