Newbury by-election, 1993
Encyclopedia
The Newbury
by-election
, in West Berkshire
, England
, was held on 6 May 1993 after Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) Judith Chaplin
died, after only being elected the previous year. It was won by David Rendel
of the Liberal Democrats with an impressive swing
of 28.4%. However, as with other by-elections, turnout was lower than at the general election at 71.3%.
The by-election in Newbury was the first by-election of the 1992–1997 parliament, and the first in a string of by-election losses for the Conservative Party
who were in their fourth consecutive term of office. Up until 1993 the Newbury seat had been held by a Conservative MP since 1924. In the 2005 general election
, however, the constituency returned to the Conservatives with the defeat of David Rendel and the election of Richard Benyon
.
Many independent candidates, or candidates from newly formed or minor parties stood in the by-election, with three candidates standing on an anti-Maastricht Treaty
platform. Andrew Bannon, a Labour
member from Slough
stood as a Conservative Candidate in protest at a Conservative
member standing as a Labour Candidate in the 1992 general election
in Slough
.
All candidates must win at least 5% of the total votes to retain their deposit
, which they must pay to stand for election. Therefore every candidate apart from David Rendel and Julian Davidson lost their deposit, including Labour's Steve Billcliffe.
The by-election achieved a record of 19 candidates, easily beating the previous high of seventeen at the Chesterfield by-election, 1984
. It remained the longest ballot
paper in any Parliamentary election until the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
.
in Newbury.
Newbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Newbury is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returns one Member of Parliament , elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, in West Berkshire
West Berkshire
West Berkshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, governed by a unitary authority . Its administrative capital is Newbury, located almost equidistantly between Bristol and London.-Geography:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was held on 6 May 1993 after Conservative
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...
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) Judith Chaplin
Judith Chaplin
Sybil Judith Chaplin OBE, known as Judith Chaplin, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom....
died, after only being elected the previous year. It was won by David Rendel
David Rendel
David Digby Rendel is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Newbury from 1993 to 2005. He won the seat at by-election in May 1993 caused by the death of Judith Chaplin, and held it his defeat at the 2005 general election to Conservative candidate Richard...
of the Liberal Democrats with an impressive swing
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...
of 28.4%. However, as with other by-elections, turnout was lower than at the general election at 71.3%.
The by-election in Newbury was the first by-election of the 1992–1997 parliament, and the first in a string of by-election losses for 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...
who were in their fourth consecutive term of office. Up until 1993 the Newbury seat had been held by a Conservative MP since 1924. In the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, however, the constituency returned to the Conservatives with the defeat of David Rendel and the election of Richard Benyon
Richard Benyon
Richard Henry Ronald Benyon MRICS is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Newbury since 2005 and a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since May 2010.-Early life:Benyon was born in...
.
Many independent candidates, or candidates from newly formed or minor parties stood in the by-election, with three candidates standing on an anti-Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
platform. Andrew Bannon, a Labour
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...
member from Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
stood as a Conservative Candidate in protest at a Conservative
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...
member standing as a Labour Candidate 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...
in Slough
Slough (UK Parliament constituency)
Slough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
.
All candidates must win at least 5% of the total votes to retain their deposit
Deposit (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:...
, which they must pay to stand for election. Therefore every candidate apart from David Rendel and Julian Davidson lost their deposit, including Labour's Steve Billcliffe.
The by-election achieved a record of 19 candidates, easily beating the previous high of seventeen at the Chesterfield by-election, 1984
Chesterfield by-election, 1984
The Chesterfield by-election, 1984 was held on 1 March 1984 for a seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom to represent Chesterfield in Derbyshire...
. It remained the longest ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
paper in any Parliamentary election until the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
The 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election was a by-election held in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2008 to elect a new Member of Parliament for constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
.
Results
General election result, 1992
This is the result of the 1992 general electionUnited 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...
in Newbury.