Kensington by-election, 1988

The Kensington by-election, in Kensington, on July 14,1988 was held after the death of Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Brandon Rhys-Williams. A safe Tory seat, it was won by Dudley Fishburn, who would go on to retain the seat in 1992.

Candidates

*John Connell was a peace advocate who opposed what he saw as manipulation of the news by ITN. [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1987.html Results of By-elections in the 1987-1992 Parliament] ]
*John Crowley described himself as an 'Anti Yuppie Revolutionary Crowleyist, Vegetarian Visionary'.
*John Duignan was a supporter of the Class War organisation.
*Roy Edey called for equal redistribution of wealth and a policy of social housing construction.
*Dudley Fishburn was a former editor of "The Economist". [ [http://www.apcoworldwide.com/uk/content/keystaff/Dudley_Fishburn.cfm Dudley Fishburn] ]
*William Goodhart was a leading human rights lawyer who has since taken a seat in the House of Lords. [ [http://www.icj.org/article.php3?id_article=92&id_rubrique=13&lang=en Lord William Goodhart] ]
*Brian Goodier described himself as an 'Anti-Left Wing Fascist'.
*Phylip Hobson was the Green Party candidate.
*Ann Holmes was agin a candidate for this seat in the 1992 general election. [ [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,,-2484,00.html Ann Holmes] ]
*John Martin was a candidate for the dissident wing of the SDP that had rejected membership of the Social and Liberal Democrats.
*Thomas McDermott was the founder of the Free Trade Liberal Party and campaigned on a platform of the UK leaving the European Community.
*Cynthia Payne, who had been convicted for living off immoral earnings, ran under the 'Rainbow Alliance Payne and Pleasure Party' banner.
*William Scola represented his own 'Leveller Party'.
*Screaming Lord Sutch was the leader and founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.
*Kailash Trivedi ran as candidate for the 'Janata Party' ("Peoples Party" in Hindi and the name of a former governing party in India), his own creation.

Results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Dudley Fishburn
votes = 9,829 | percentage = 41.59 | change = -5.92Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Ann Holmes
votes = 9,014 | percentage = 38.14 | change = +4.89Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = William Goodhart
votes = 2,546 | percentage = 10.77 | change = -6.48Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic Party (UK, 1988)
candidate = John Martin
votes = 1,190 | percentage = 5.04 | change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Green Party (UK)
candidate = Phylip Hobson
votes = 572 | percentage = 2.42 | change = +0.73Election box candidate
party = Rainbow Alliance - Payne & Pleasure
candidate = Cynthia Payne
votes = 193 | percentage = 0.82 | change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Official Monster Raving Loony Party
candidate = Screaming Lord Sutch
votes = 61 | percentage = 0.26 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = London Class War Candidate
candidate = John Duignan
votes = 60 | percentage = 0.25 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Anti Left-Wing Fascist
candidate = Brian Goodier
votes = 31 | percentage = 0.13 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Free Trade Liberal - Europe Out!
candidate = Thomas McDermott
votes = 31 | percentage = 0.13 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Fair Wealth & Health
candidate = Roy Edey
votes = 30 | percentage = 0.13 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Leveller Party
candidate = William Scola
votes = 27 | percentage = 0.11 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Anti-Yuppie
candidate = John Crowley
votes = 24 | percentage = 0.10 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Peace - Stop ITN Manipulation
candidate = John Connell
votes = 20 | percentage = 0.08 | change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Independent Janata Party
candidate = Kailash Trivedi
votes = 5 | percentage = 0.02 | change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 23,633
percentage = 51.6
change = -13.1Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

The results for the previous election were:

Election box begin
title=1987 General Election:KensingtonElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Brandon Rhys-Williams
votes = 14,818
percentage = 47.51
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Ben Bousquet
votes = 10,371
percentage = 33.25
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = SDP-Liberal Alliance
candidate = William Goodhart
votes = 5,379
percentage = 17.25
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party (UK)
candidate = R. Shorter
votes = 528
percentage = 1.69
change = Election box candidate
party = Humanist Party
candidate = L. Carrick
votes = 65
percentage = 0.21
change = Election box candidate
party = Public Independent Plaintiff Party
candidate = M Hughes
votes = 30
percentage = 0.10
change = Election box majority
votes = 4,447
percentage = 14.26
change = Election box turnout
votes = 48,212
percentage = 64.70
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

References

External links

* [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1987.html Full results]