Ripon by-election, 1973
Encyclopedia
The Ripon by-election, 1973 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 26 July 1973 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Ripon
.
The by-election took place during the 1970s Liberal revival. This seat and Isle of Ely
were gained on the same day, the third and fourth Liberal gains during the Parliament. This was the first time the Liberal Party had made two by-election gains on the same day, since winning both seats in a two member constituency at the Oldham by-election, 1899
. The Party had last gained two seats, in different constituencies on the same day, at the Frome by-election, 1896 and the Wick Burghs by-election, 1896 held on 2 June 1896.
(23 September 1901 – 15 June 1973), died. Stoddart-Scott, a Conservative, had been MP for Pudsey and Otley
from 1945 - 1950 and had represented Ripon from 1950.
1. The Liberal Party candidate was David Austick
. He was a bookseller and a West Yorkshire County Councillor. Austick was born on 8 March 1920 and died on 9 February 1997.
Austick won the by-election, in a seat in which his party had finished third in the 1970 general election. He lost the constituency to the Conservatives in the February 1974 general election
. Austick subsequently contested Ripon in October 1974 and Cheadle in 1979. He also contested the Leeds constituency for the European Parliament, in the election of 1979.
2. The Conservative candidate was Keith Hampson
, born on 14 August 1943. He was a former assistant to the Conservative Prime Minister, Edward Heath
and a university lecturer.
After losing the by-election, Hampson was the successful Conservative candidate who re-gained the seat in February 1974. The Ripon constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election
, and Hampson was then elected for Leeds North West
. At the 1997 general election
he was defeated by Labour
candidate Harold Best
.
3. Representing the Labour Party was D.M. English, who also contested the seat in February 1974.
4. R.E.G. Simmerson, the Chairman of a body called Democratic Conservatives Against the Common Market, contested the by-election. Craig classified him as an Independent Conservative 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 26 July 1973 for the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Ripon
Ripon (UK Parliament constituency)
Ripon was a constituency sending members to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1983, centred on the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire.-History:...
.
The by-election took place during the 1970s Liberal revival. This seat and Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely (UK Parliament constituency)
Isle of Ely was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, centred on the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire...
were gained on the same day, the third and fourth Liberal gains during the Parliament. This was the first time the Liberal Party had made two by-election gains on the same day, since winning both seats in a two member constituency at the Oldham by-election, 1899
Oldham by-election, 1899
The Oldham by-election of 1899 occurred in the summer of that year, and involved a by-election to fill both seats in the two-member Oldham Parliamentary borough. The block voting method allowed each elector to vote for two candidates...
. The Party had last gained two seats, in different constituencies on the same day, at the Frome by-election, 1896 and the Wick Burghs by-election, 1896 held on 2 June 1896.
Previous MP
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Member of Parliament (MP), Sir Malcolm Stoddart-ScottMalcolm Stoddart-Scott
Colonel Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott OBE MC TD was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.He attended Elmfield College and was then a master there...
(23 September 1901 – 15 June 1973), died. Stoddart-Scott, a Conservative, had been MP for Pudsey and Otley
Pudsey and Otley (UK Parliament constituency)
Pudsey and Otley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Pudsey and Otley in West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
from 1945 - 1950 and had represented Ripon from 1950.
Candidates
Four candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.1. The Liberal Party candidate was David Austick
David Austick
David Austick was a British Liberal Party politician and bookshop owner.At a by-election in July 1973 caused by the death of the sitting Conservative MP Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott, Austick was elected Member of Parliament for Ripon in North Yorkshire, gaining the seat from the Conservatives by a...
. He was a bookseller and a West Yorkshire County Councillor. Austick was born on 8 March 1920 and died on 9 February 1997.
Austick won the by-election, in a seat in which his party had finished third in the 1970 general election. He lost the constituency to the Conservatives in the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
. Austick subsequently contested Ripon in October 1974 and Cheadle in 1979. He also contested the Leeds constituency for the European Parliament, in the election of 1979.
2. The Conservative candidate was Keith Hampson
Keith Hampson
Keith Hampson is a former Conservative party politician in the United Kingdom.Hampson was educated at King James I Grammar School, Bishop Auckland, where he was head boy, the University of Bristol and Harvard and was a university lecturer by profession...
, born on 14 August 1943. He was a former assistant to the Conservative Prime Minister, Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
and a university lecturer.
After losing the by-election, Hampson was the successful Conservative candidate who re-gained the seat in February 1974. The Ripon constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, and Hampson was then elected for Leeds North West
Leeds North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds North West is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire which is 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....
. 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...
he was defeated by 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...
candidate Harold Best
Harold Best
Harold Best is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was educated at Meanwood County Secondary School and worked as an electrical technician. He was Member of Parliament for Leeds North West from the 1997 general election until he retired at the 2005 general election. He is a...
.
3. Representing the Labour Party was D.M. English, who also contested the seat in February 1974.
4. R.E.G. Simmerson, the Chairman of a body called Democratic Conservatives Against the Common Market, contested the by-election. Craig classified him as an Independent Conservative candidate.
Votes
See also
- Ripon constituencyRipon (UK Parliament constituency)Ripon was a constituency sending members to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1983, centred on the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire.-History:...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...