Romsey by-election, 2000

Conservative Member of Parliament Michael Colvin and his wife died tragically in a fire at their home on February 24, 2000. This created a by-election in his constituency of Romsey in Hampshire, England.

The Conservative Party decided to delay the polling day until May 4, so that it would come simultaneously with local elections. They selected Tim Palmer, a farmer and Dorset County Councillor, to defend the seat. The Liberal Democrats considered this byelection their best chance of gaining a seat since 1997 and selected a local Pharmacist Sandra Gidley (who had been Mayor of Romsey) as their candidate.

Labour carried out minimal campaigning in a constituency in which they had come third. This led many observers to assume that the party was expecting, or hoping, that its vote would largely go to the Liberal Democrats in order to help defeat the Conservatives. In the event, the Labour vote collapsed while the Liberal Democrats surged, and they made this the only mainland by-election to result in a change of party control in the entire Parliament.

Results

Election box begin
title=By-election 2000: RomseyElection box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Sandra Gidley
votes = 19,571
percentage = 50.6
change = +21.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Tim Palmer
votes = 16,260
percentage = 42.0
change = −4.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Andy Howard
votes = 1,451
percentage = 3.7
change = −14.9Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Garry Rankin-Moore
votes = 901
percentage = 2.3
change = −1.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Legalise Cannabis Alliance
candidate = Derrick Large
votes = 417
percentage = 1.1
change = +1.1Election box candidate
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Thomas Lamont
votes = 109
percentage = 0.3
change = +0.3Election box majority
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 55.4
change =Election box gain with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
loser = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

General Election result, 1997

Election box begin
title=General Election 1997: RomseyElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Michael Colvin
votes = 23,834
percentage = 46.0
change =Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Mark Cooper
votes = 15,249
percentage = 29.4
change =Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Joanne Ford
votes = 9,623
percentage = 18.6
change =Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Alan Sked
votes = 1,824
percentage = 3.5
change =Election box candidate with party link
party = Referendum Party
candidate = Michael Wigley
votes = 1,291
percentage = 2.5
change =Election box majority
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change =