Monklands East by-election, 1994
Encyclopedia
The Monklands East by-election
was held on 30 June 1994, following the death of the Leader of the Labour Party
John Smith
, Member of Parliament
(MP) for Monklands East
in Scotland
, on 12 May.
Monklands East was considered a safe Labour seat; John Smith had held it since its creation in 1983, and had previously held the predecessor seat of North Lanarkshire
, which had been held by Labour since the 1945 general election
. In the 1992 general election
, Smith had won more than 60% of the vote in the constituency, with most of the remaining votes split fairly evenly between the Scottish National Party
and the Conservative Party
.
, Labour selected Helen Liddell
. She was a high-profile candidate, who had been the first female general secretary
of the Labour Party at only 26, and had been an aide to disgraced media tycoon Robert Maxwell
until his death.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) selected Kay Ullrich
, who had previously contested Cunninghame South
and Motherwell South
.
Despite achieving a reasonable third place in 1992, the Conservatives expected little from the election. The Conservative government was becoming increasingly unpopular. The party stood Susan Bell, whose husband Arthur Bell was the leader of the Tory Reform Group
.
The Liberal Democrats
were particularly weak in the area, narrowly losing their deposit in 1992 in their eighth-worst performance nationally. They ran a low-profile campaign and stood Stephen Gallagher, a former President of Glasgow University Union
.
Two other candidates stood; Abi Bremner on a platform opposing the Criminal Justice Bill, and Duncan Patterson of the Natural Law Party
.
). It was alleged that the council, controlled by Labour members, had favoured spending in Coatbridge
, a predominantly Roman Catholic area, over Airdrie
, a mostly Protestant area; and that councillors had unfairly influenced council employment policies. Proponents of the allegations of sectarianism noted that all seventeen Labour councillors were Catholics. Nicholas Wood of The Times said it was "one of the dirtiest by-election campaigns of recent times". On the night of the electoral count, Liddell was spat upon and called "scum" and a "Fenian bastard". In her victory speech Liddell claimed the SNP had "played the Orange
card", something which Alex Salmond
strenuously denied.
Both Liddell and Ullrich wished to avoid focusing on the allegations. Liddell initially supported the council, but towards the end of the campaign, she became critical of it. Her criticisms were strongly opposed by Tom Clarke, Labour MP for Monklands West
and former Provost
of Monklands Council.
, and the Conservatives also lost their deposit, as they saw a dramatic loss of support move them into fourth place, with only 799 votes. Despite a run of disappointing by-election results, this was the first time since the Liverpool Walton by-election, 1991
that the Conservatives had failed to take one of the top three places in a by-election.
At the 1997 general election
, the constituency was abolished, most of it being replaced by Airdrie and Shotts
. Liddell stood for the new seat and held it with a comfortable majority. Ullrich became a Member of the Scottish Parliament
for West of Scotland from 1999 to 2003, while Bell later left the Conservative Party for the Liberal Democrats.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held on 30 June 1994, following the death of the Leader of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
John Smith
John Smith (UK politician)
John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Monklands East
Monklands East (UK Parliament constituency)
Monklands East was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, on 12 May.
Monklands East was considered a safe Labour seat; John Smith had held it since its creation in 1983, and had previously held the predecessor seat of North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Lanarkshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 to 1885 and from 1918 to 1983...
, which had been held by Labour since the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. In the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, Smith had won more than 60% of the vote in the constituency, with most of the remaining votes split fairly evenly between the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
and the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Candidates
For the by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, Labour selected Helen Liddell
Helen Liddell
Helen Lawrie Liddell, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Monklands East from 1994 to 1997, and then for Airdrie and Shotts until 2005, whereafter she became the British High Commissioner to Australia until 2009...
. She was a high-profile candidate, who had been the first female general secretary
General secretary
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
of the Labour Party at only 26, and had been an aide to disgraced media tycoon Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
until his death.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) selected Kay Ullrich
Kay Ullrich
Kay Ullrich is a Scottish politician. She was a Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland region from 1999 to 2003....
, who had previously contested Cunninghame South
Cunninghame South (UK Parliament constituency)
Cunninghame South was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2005. It was represented by one Member of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system of election....
and Motherwell South
Motherwell South (UK Parliament constituency)
Motherwell South was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997. It was formed by the division of Motherwell and Wishaw and was later merged into a new creation of the constituency....
.
Despite achieving a reasonable third place in 1992, the Conservatives expected little from the election. The Conservative government was becoming increasingly unpopular. The party stood Susan Bell, whose husband Arthur Bell was the leader of the Tory Reform Group
Tory Reform Group
The Tory Reform Group is a group aligned to, but independent of, the British Conservative Party, that works to promote the values of the One Nation Tory vision...
.
The Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
were particularly weak in the area, narrowly losing their deposit in 1992 in their eighth-worst performance nationally. They ran a low-profile campaign and stood Stephen Gallagher, a former President of Glasgow University Union
Glasgow University Union
Glasgow University Union is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students and alumni of the University of Glasgow since 1885....
.
Two other candidates stood; Abi Bremner on a platform opposing the Criminal Justice Bill, and Duncan Patterson of the Natural Law Party
Natural Law Party
The Natural Law Party was a transnational party based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was active in up to 74 countries, and ran candidates in at least ten. Founded in 1992, it was mostly disbanded in 2004 but continues in India and in some U.S. states.The NLP viewed "natural law" as...
.
Campaign
The main issue of the campaign was allegations of sectarian bias on Monklands District Council, which included the constituency (see MonklandsgateMonklandsgate
Monklandsgate was the name of a political scandal in the former Scottish local government district of Monklands which dominated the Monklands East by-election in 1994....
). It was alleged that the council, controlled by Labour members, had favoured spending in Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
, a predominantly Roman Catholic area, over Airdrie
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
, a mostly Protestant area; and that councillors had unfairly influenced council employment policies. Proponents of the allegations of sectarianism noted that all seventeen Labour councillors were Catholics. Nicholas Wood of The Times said it was "one of the dirtiest by-election campaigns of recent times". On the night of the electoral count, Liddell was spat upon and called "scum" and a "Fenian bastard". In her victory speech Liddell claimed the SNP had "played the Orange
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
card", something which Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
strenuously denied.
Both Liddell and Ullrich wished to avoid focusing on the allegations. Liddell initially supported the council, but towards the end of the campaign, she became critical of it. Her criticisms were strongly opposed by Tom Clarke, Labour MP for Monklands West
Monklands West (UK Parliament constituency)
Monklands West was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
and former Provost
Provost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
of Monklands Council.
Result
The controversy boosted support for the SNP, and by the day of the election, Labour were not certain of holding the seat. Liddell held on to win, but with a much reduced majority of only 1,640. The SNP took a close second, while the Lib Dems fell back even from their weak position to again lose their depositDeposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
, and the Conservatives also lost their deposit, as they saw a dramatic loss of support move them into fourth place, with only 799 votes. Despite a run of disappointing by-election results, this was the first time since the Liverpool Walton by-election, 1991
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...
that the Conservatives had failed to take one of the top three places in a by-election.
At the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, the constituency was abolished, most of it being replaced by Airdrie and Shotts
Airdrie and Shotts (UK Parliament constituency)
Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in central Scotland within the North Lanarkshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament at least once every five years using the First-past-the-post system of voting....
. Liddell stood for the new seat and held it with a comfortable majority. Ullrich became a Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for West of Scotland from 1999 to 2003, while Bell later left the Conservative Party for the Liberal Democrats.