Paisley by-election, 1961
Encyclopedia
The Paisley by-election, 1961 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 20 April 1961 for the British House of Commons constituency of Paisley
in Scotland.
The election was caused by the appointment of the sitting Labour
member Douglas Harold Johnston
as a Senator of the College of Justice
, a judicial post. The candidates were John Robertson
for the Labour Party
, John Bannerman
for the Liberals
and G R Rickman for the Conservatives
. Robertson held the seat for Labour with a reduced majority of 1,658 from the Liberal candidate.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 20 April 1961 for the British House of Commons constituency of Paisley
Paisley (UK Parliament constituency)
Paisley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1983, when it was divided into Paisley North and Paisley South...
in Scotland.
The election was caused by the appointment of the sitting 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 Douglas Harold Johnston
Douglas Johnston, Lord Johnston
Douglas Harold Johnston TD was a Scottish Advocate, politician and Judge. He served as a Minister in the government of Clement Attlee and ended his career as a Senator of the College of Justice...
as a Senator of the College of Justice
College of Justice
The College of Justice is a term used to describe the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies.The constituent bodies of the supreme courts of Scotland are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Accountant of Court's Office...
, a judicial post. The candidates were John Robertson
John Robertson (Scottish Labour Party founder)
John Robertson was a British politician, who sat as a Labour Member of Parliament before co-founding the Scottish Labour Party in 1976....
for 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 Bannerman
John Bannerman, Baron Bannerman of Kildonan
John MacDonald Bannerman, Baron Bannerman of Kildonan OBE was a Scottish farmer, rugby union internationalist and Liberal politician.-Family and education:...
for the Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and G R Rickman for the Conservatives
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...
. Robertson held the seat for Labour with a reduced majority of 1,658 from the Liberal candidate.