Kensington and Chelsea by-election, 1999

The Member of Parliament for Kensington and Chelsea, and outstanding political diarist, the Rt. Hon. Alan Clark, (Conservative) died of a brain tumour on September 5, 1999.

This was the first truly safe Conservative seat to have a by-election in the Parliament. There was immediate speculation that Michael Portillo, the most high-profile casualty of the 1997 general election, would use it to return to frontline politics. Portillo immediately confirmed his interest in the seat, but was then confronted with the publication of an interview he had given previously that summer in which he had confirmed that while at Peterhouse, Cambridge he had had homosexual affairs.

Portillo was selected as Conservative candidate but faced demonstrations organised by gay rights group OutRage! and its principal campaigner Peter Tatchell who protested against his vote for an unequal age of consent for gay and straight sex, and support for the ban on homosexuality in the UK armed forces while Secretary of State for Defence. Tatchell continued to try to confront Portillo throughout the election, not assuaged by Portillo saying that he had changed his mind on the age of consent.

The Labour Party selected Robert Atkinson, who had fought the 1997 election and was a local councillor. The Liberal Democrats also renominated their general election candidate, Robert Woodthorpe Browne. Because of the prominence of the byelection in central London and the big political name, there were a wide variety of fringe and minor party candidates. Polling day was set for November 25. Michael Portillo returned safely to Parliament.

Results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Michael Portillo
votes = 11,004
percentage = 56.4
change = +2.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Robert Atkinson
votes = 4,298
percentage = 22.0
change = -5.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Robert Woodthorpe Browne
votes = 1,831
percentage = 9.4
change = -5.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Pro-Euro Conservative Party
candidate = John Stevens
votes = 740
percentage = 3.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Damian Hockney
votes = 450
percentage = 2.3
change = +0.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Hugo Charlton
votes = 446
percentage = 2.3
change = Election box candidate
party = Democratic Party
candidate = The Earl of Burford
votes = 182
percentage = 0.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Legalise Cannabis Alliance
candidate = Colin Paisley
votes = 141
percentage = 0.7
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Dr. Michael Irwin
votes = 97
percentage = 0.5
change = Election box candidate
party = UK Pensioners Party
candidate = Paul Oliver
votes = 75
percentage = 0.4
change = -0.1Election box candidate
party = Independent Referendum Party
candidate = Stephen Scott-Fawcett
votes = 57
percentage = 0.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Louise Hodges
votes = 48
percentage = 0.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Natural Law Party
candidate = Gerard 'Ged' Valente
votes = 35
percentage = 0.2
change = 0.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Prolife Alliance
candidate = Lisa Lovebucket
votes = 26
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = John Davies
votes = 24
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Peter May
votes = 24
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Official Monster Raving Loony Party
candidate = Howling Laud Hope
votes = 20
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Tonysamuelsondotcom
votes = 15
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 6,706
percentage = 34.4
change =Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 29.7
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

General Election result, 1997

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Alan Clark
votes = 19,887
percentage = 53.6
change = -14.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Robert Atkinson
votes = 10,368
percentage = 27.9
change = +11.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Robert Woodthorpe Browne
votes = 5,668
percentage = 15.3
change = +2.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Edward Bear
votes = 218
percentage = 0.6
change = Election box candidate
party = United Kingdom Pensioners Party
candidate = Paul Oliver
votes = 176
percentage = 0.5
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Natural Law Party
candidate = Susan Hamza
votes = 122
percentage = 0.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket
candidate = Paul Sullivan
votes = 65
percentage = 0.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Pete Parliament
votes = 44
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 9,519
percentage = 25.7
change =Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = 54.7Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

ee also

*List of United Kingdom by-elections