United Kingdom general election, 1983
Encyclopedia
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
. It was also the first instance of any Prime Minister or government being re-elected after a full term in office since Clement Attlee
's Labour government
in 1950
.
The opposition vote split almost evenly between the SDP/Liberal Alliance and Labour. With its worst performance since 1918, the Labour vote fell by over 3 million from 1979 and this accounted for both a national swing of almost 4% towards the Conservatives and their larger parliamentary majority of 144, even though the Conservatives' total vote fell by almost 700,000.
Thatcher's first four years as prime minister had not been an easy time. Unemployment had rocketed in the first three years of her term as she battled to control inflation that had ravaged Britain for most of the 1970s
. By the start of 1982, unemployment had passed the 3,000,000 mark - for the first time since before the Second World War - and the economy had been in recession for nearly two years. However, British victory in the Falklands War
later that year sparked a dramatic rise in Tory popularity, and as Mrs Thatcher's new found popularity continued in 1983 the Tories were most people's firm favourites to win the election.
The SDP-Liberal Alliance
polled only a few hundred thousand votes behind the Labour Party but received considerably fewer seats. The Alliance gained over 25% of the popular vote, the largest such percentage for any third party since the 1923 general election
. The Liberals argued that a proportional electoral system would have given them a more representative number of MPs. Changing the electoral system had been a long-running Liberal Party campaign plank and would later be adopted by the Liberal Democrats
.
Labour
leader Michael Foot
, who had been at the helm since the resignation of James Callaghan
(prime minister from 1976 to 1979) in late 1980, resigned soon after the election and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock
. Although the election was one of the party's worst, the new crop of MPs included two future Labour Prime Ministers, Tony Blair
and Gordon Brown
.
The election night was broadcast live on the BBC, and was presented by Peter Snow
, David Dimbleby
and Robin Day
.
was elected leader of the Labour party in 1980, replacing James Callaghan
. The election of Foot signalled that the core of the party was swinging to the left and the move exacerbated divisions within the party. In 1981 a group of senior figures including Roy Jenkins
, David Owen
, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams left Labour to found the Social Democratic Party
(SDP). The SDP agreed to a pact with the Liberals
for the 1983 elections and stood as The Alliance
.
The campaign displayed the huge divisions between the two major parties. Thatcher had been extremely unpopular during her first two years in office until the swift and decisive victory in the Falklands War, coupled with an improving economy, considerably raised her standings in the polls. The Conservatives' key issues included employment, economic growth, and defence. Labour's campaign manifesto involved leaving the European Economic Community
, abolishing the House of Lords
, abandoning the United Kingdom
's nuclear deterrent by cancelling Trident
and removing cruise missiles — a policy programme dubbed by Labour MP Gerald Kaufman
as "the longest suicide note in history"
. "Although, at barely 37 pages, it only seemed interminable", noted Roy Hattersley
. Pro-Labour political journalist Michael White
, writing in The Guardian
, commented, "There was something magnificently brave about Michael Foot's campaign — but it was like the Battle of the Somme."
(Independent Television News) co-produced a calculation of how the 1979 general election would have gone if fought on the new 1983 boundaries. The following table shows the effects of the boundary changes on the House of Commons:
|}
The Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
visited Buckingham Palace
on the afternoon of 9 May and asked the Queen
to dissolve Parliament on 13 May, announcing that the election would be held on 9 June. The key dates were as follows:
The most notable loss of the night was Tony Benn
, who lost his seat in Bristol East
. SDP President Shirley Williams, a prominent leader of the Social Democratic party, lost her Crosby
seat which she had won in a by-election
in 1981. Bill Rodgers
, another leader of the Alliance (One of the "Gang of Four"
) also failed to win his old seat that he held as a Labour MP.
|}
All parties with more than 500 votes shown.
N.B. The SDP-Liberal Alliance vote is compared with the Liberal Party
vote in the 1979 election.
The Independent Unionist elected in the 1979 election
defended and held his seat for the Ulster Popular Unionist Party
. The United Ulster Unionist Party
dissolved and its sole MP did not re-stand.
The Independent Republican
elected in the 1979 election
died in 1981. In the ensuring by-election the seat was won by Bobby Sands
, an Anti-H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner who then died and was succeeded by an Anti-H-Block Proxy Political Prisoner candidate Owen Carron
. He defended and lost his seat standing for Sinn Féin
who contested seats in Northern Ireland for the first time since 1959
.
This election was fought under revised boundaries. The changes reflect those comparing to the notional results on the new boundaries. One significant change was the increase in the number of seats allocated to Northern Ireland
from 12 to 17.
Social Democratic Party
Sinn Fein
Social Democratic and Labour Party
Liberal 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...
under Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945
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...
. It was also the first instance of any Prime Minister or government being re-elected after a full term in office since Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
's Labour government
Labour Government 1945-1951
The Labour Party came to power in the United Kingdom after their unexpected victory in the July 1945 general elections. Party leader Clement Attlee became Prime Minister and hastily replaced his predecessor Winston Churchill at the Potsdam Conference in late July. Ernest Bevin was Foreign Secretary...
in 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
The opposition vote split almost evenly between the SDP/Liberal Alliance and Labour. With its worst performance since 1918, the Labour vote fell by over 3 million from 1979 and this accounted for both a national swing of almost 4% towards the Conservatives and their larger parliamentary majority of 144, even though the Conservatives' total vote fell by almost 700,000.
Thatcher's first four years as prime minister had not been an easy time. Unemployment had rocketed in the first three years of her term as she battled to control inflation that had ravaged Britain for most of the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
. By the start of 1982, unemployment had passed the 3,000,000 mark - for the first time since before the Second World War - and the economy had been in recession for nearly two years. However, British victory in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
later that year sparked a dramatic rise in Tory popularity, and as Mrs Thatcher's new found popularity continued in 1983 the Tories were most people's firm favourites to win the election.
The SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
polled only a few hundred thousand votes behind the Labour Party but received considerably fewer seats. The Alliance gained over 25% of the popular vote, the largest such percentage for any third party since the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. The Liberals argued that a proportional electoral system would have given them a more representative number of MPs. Changing the electoral system had been a long-running Liberal Party campaign plank and would later be adopted by 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...
.
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...
leader Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
, who had been at the helm since the resignation of James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
(prime minister from 1976 to 1979) in late 1980, resigned soon after the election and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
. Although the election was one of the party's worst, the new crop of MPs included two future Labour Prime Ministers, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
.
The election night was broadcast live on the BBC, and was presented by Peter Snow
Peter Snow
Peter Snow, CBE is a British television and radio presenter. He is the grandson of First World War general Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow, and cousin of Jon Snow, the main presenter of Channel 4 News, nephew of schoolmaster and bishop George D'Oyly Snow, and the brother-in-law of historian-writer Margaret...
, David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby is a British BBC TV commentator and a presenter of current affairs and political programmes, most notably the BBC's flagship political show Question Time, and more recently, art, architectural history and history series...
and Robin Day
Robin Day
Sir Robin Day, OBE was a British political broadcaster and commentator. His obituary in the Guardian stated that "he was the most outstanding television journalist of his generation...
.
Background and campaign
Michael FootMichael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
was elected leader of the Labour party in 1980, replacing James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
. The election of Foot signalled that the core of the party was swinging to the left and the move exacerbated divisions within the party. In 1981 a group of senior figures including Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
, David Owen
David Owen
David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FRCP is a British politician.Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979, the youngest person in over forty years to hold the post; he co-authored the failed Vance-Owen and Owen-Stoltenberg peace plans offered during the Bosnian War...
, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams left Labour to found the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP). The SDP agreed to a pact with 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...
for the 1983 elections and stood as The Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
.
The campaign displayed the huge divisions between the two major parties. Thatcher had been extremely unpopular during her first two years in office until the swift and decisive victory in the Falklands War, coupled with an improving economy, considerably raised her standings in the polls. The Conservatives' key issues included employment, economic growth, and defence. Labour's campaign manifesto involved leaving the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, abolishing the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, abandoning the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's nuclear deterrent by cancelling Trident
UK Trident programme
The UK Trident programme is the United Kingdom's Trident missile-based nuclear weapons programme. Under the programme, the Royal Navy operates 58 nuclear-armed Trident II D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and around 200 nuclear warheads on 4 Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines from...
and removing cruise missiles — a policy programme dubbed by Labour MP Gerald Kaufman
Gerald Kaufman
Sir Gerald Bernard Kaufman is a British Labour Party politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 1970, first for Manchester Ardwick, and then subsequently for Manchester Gorton...
as "the longest suicide note in history"
The longest suicide note in history
"The longest suicide note in history" is an epithet originally used by United Kingdom Labour Party MP Gerald Kaufman to describe his party's left-wing 1983 election manifesto.-The document:...
. "Although, at barely 37 pages, it only seemed interminable", noted Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
. Pro-Labour political journalist Michael White
Michael White (journalist)
Michael White is an associate editor and former political editor of The Guardian.-Early life:White was raised in Wadebridge, Cornwall...
, writing in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, commented, "There was something magnificently brave about Michael Foot's campaign — but it was like the Battle of the Somme."
National election, 1979
Following boundary changes in 1983, the BBC and ITNIndependent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
(Independent Television News) co-produced a calculation of how the 1979 general election would have gone if fought on the new 1983 boundaries. The following table shows the effects of the boundary changes on the House of Commons:
|}
Timeline
| October 1974 election United Kingdom general election, October 1974 The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of... • MPs |
| 1979 election United Kingdom general election, 1979 The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats... • MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1979 This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 48th Parliament of the United Kingdom in the 1979 general election, held on 3 May 1979. This Parliament was dissolved in 1983.... |
| 1983 election • MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1983 This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 49th Parliament of the United Kingdom in the 1983 general election, held on 9 June 1983... |
| 1987 election United Kingdom general election, 1987 The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd... • MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1987 This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 50th Parliament of the United Kingdom in the 1987 general election, held on 11 June 1987... |
| 1992 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... • MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1992 This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 51st Parliament of the United Kingdom in the 1992 general election, held on 9 April 1992.... |
The Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
visited Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
on the afternoon of 9 May and asked the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
to dissolve Parliament on 13 May, announcing that the election would be held on 9 June. The key dates were as follows:
| Friday 13 May | Dissolution of the 48th parliament MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1979 This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 48th Parliament of the United Kingdom in the 1979 general election, held on 3 May 1979. This Parliament was dissolved in 1983.... and campaigning officially begins |
| Monday 23 May | Last day to file nomination papers; 2,579 candidates enter |
| Wednesday 8 June | Campaigning officially ends |
| Thursday 9 June | Polling day |
| Friday 10 June | The Conservative Party wins with a majority of 144 to retain power |
| Wednesday 15 June | 49th parliament MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1983 This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 49th Parliament of the United Kingdom in the 1983 general election, held on 9 June 1983... assembles |
| Wednesday 22 June | State Opening of Parliament State Opening of Parliament In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber, usually in November or December or, in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembles... |
Results
The election saw a landslide victory for the Conservatives, achieving their best results since 1959. Although there was a slight drop in their share of the vote, they made significant gains at the expense of Labour. The night was a disaster for the Labour party, their share of the vote fell by over 9%, which meant they were only 700,000 votes ahead of the newly formed 3rd party the SDP-Liberal Alliance. The massive increase of support for the Alliance at the expense of Labour meant that, in many seats, the collapse in the Labour vote allowed the Conservatives to win. Despite winning over 25% of the national vote, however, the Alliance got less than 4% of seats - 186 fewer than Labour.The most notable loss of the night was Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
, who lost his seat in Bristol East
Bristol East
Bristol East 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:...
. SDP President Shirley Williams, a prominent leader of the Social Democratic party, lost her Crosby
Crosby (UK Parliament constituency)
Crosby was a constituency in Merseyside, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
seat which she had won in a by-election
Crosby by-election, 1981
The Crosby by-election, 1981 was a by-election held in England on 26 November 1981 to elect a new Member of Parliament for the House of Commons constituency of Crosby on Merseyside...
in 1981. Bill Rodgers
William Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank
William Thomas Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank, PC , usually known as William Rodgers but also often known as Bill Rodgers, was one of the "Gang of Four" of senior British Labour Party politicians who defected to form the Social Democratic Party...
, another leader of the Alliance (One of the "Gang of Four"
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
) also failed to win his old seat that he held as a Labour MP.
|}
All parties with more than 500 votes shown.
| Government's new majority | 144 |
| Total votes cast | 30,661,309 |
| Turnout | 72.7% |
N.B. The SDP-Liberal Alliance vote is compared with the Liberal Party
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...
vote in the 1979 election.
The Independent Unionist elected in the 1979 election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
defended and held his seat for the Ulster Popular Unionist Party
Ulster Popular Unionist Party
The Ulster Popular Unionist Party was a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1980 by James Kilfedder, independent Unionist Member of Parliament for North Down, who led the party until his death in 1995....
. The United Ulster Unionist Party
United Ulster Unionist Party
The United Ulster Unionist Party was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1975 and 1984.It emerged from a division in the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party in the late 1970s...
dissolved and its sole MP did not re-stand.
The Independent Republican
Frank Maguire
Meredith Francis Maguire was an Independent Republican Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.- Early Life :...
elected in the 1979 election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
died in 1981. In the ensuring by-election the seat was won by Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands
Robert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
, an Anti-H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner who then died and was succeeded by an Anti-H-Block Proxy Political Prisoner candidate Owen Carron
Owen Carron
Owen Gerard Carron is an Irish republican activist and who was Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 1981 to 1983.Carron is the nephew of former Nationalist Party politician John Carron....
. He defended and lost his seat standing for Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
who contested seats in Northern Ireland for the first time since 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
.
This election was fought under revised boundaries. The changes reflect those comparing to the notional results on the new boundaries. One significant change was the increase in the number of seats allocated to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
from 12 to 17.
Votes summary
Seats summary
Labour
- Tony BennTony BennAnthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
(Bristol South EastBristol South East (UK Parliament constituency)Bristol South East was a borough constituency in the city of Bristol. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system of election....
) - Former Secretary of State for EnergyDepartment of Energy (United Kingdom)The Department of Energy was a department of the United Kingdom Government. The Department was established in January 1974, when the responsibility for energy production was transferred away from the Department of Trade and Industry in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis and with the importance of...
(1975-1979) - Albert BoothAlbert BoothAlbert Edward Booth was a British Labour Party politician.Booth was educated at Marine School, South Shields and Rutherford College of Technology . He was a design draughtsman. He served as a councillor on Tynemouth Council 1962-65.Booth contested Tynemouth in 1964...
(Barrow and FurnessBarrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency)Barrow and Furness is a parliamentary constituency in Cumbria, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
) - Former Secretary of State for EmploymentSecretary of State for EmploymentThe Secretary of State for Employment was a position in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. In 1995 it was merged with Secretary of State for Education to make the Secretary of State for Education and Employment...
(1976-1979) - Arthur Davidson (AccringtonAccrington (UK Parliament constituency)Accrington was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-History:...
) - Shadow Attorney General for England and WalesAttorney General for England and WalesHer Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in... - Neil Carmichael (Glasgow KelvingroveGlasgow Kelvingrove (UK Parliament constituency)Glasgow Kelvingrove was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.- Boundaries :...
) - Joseph Dean (Leeds WestLeeds West (UK Parliament constituency)Leeds West is a borough constituency in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
) - Former Government Whip (1978-1979) - David EnnalsDavid Ennals, Baron EnnalsDavid Hedley Ennals, Baron Ennals PC was a British Labour Party politician and campaigner for human rights...
(Norwich North) - Former Secretary of State for Social ServicesSecretary of State for Social ServicesThe Secretary of State for Social Services was a position in the UK cabinet, created on 1 November 1968 with responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Security...
(1976-1979) - John Garrett (Norwich South)
- Edward Graham (EdmontonEdmonton (UK Parliament constituency)Edmonton 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.-History:...
) - Former Lord Commissioner of the Treasury (1976-1979) - William HomewoodWilliam HomewoodWilliam Dennis Homewood was a British Labour Party politician.Homewood was Member of Parliament for Kettering from 1979 to 1983. After the boundary changes of that year, he stood in Corby, but lost to the Conservative candidate William Powell. He died in Market Harborough aged 68.- External links :...
(KetteringKettering (UK Parliament constituency)Kettering is a county constituency in Northamptonshire which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
) - Frank HooleyFrank HooleyFrank Oswald Hooley is a former English Labour Party politician.With the campaign slogan "Hooley for Heeley", he won the Sheffield Heeley seat at the 1966 general election, the first Labour Party candidate to win this seat since its creation in 1950. However, at the 1970 general election he lost...
(Sheffield Heeley) - Russell KerrRussell KerrRussell Whiston Kerr was a British Labour Party politician.Kerr was educated at the Shore School, Sydney, Sydney Church of England Grammar School and Sydney University. He served with the Pathfinder Force of the Royal Air Force during World War II. He became a director of the Town and Country...
(Feltham and Heston) - Joan Lester (Eton and SloughEton and Slough (UK Parliament constituency)Eton and Slough was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
) - Alex LyonAlex LyonAlexander Ward Lyon was a British Labour politician.- Early life :Lyon was educated at West Leeds High School and University College, London. He became a barrister, called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1954. He was a member of the Bar Council and of the Fabian Society...
(YorkCity of York (UK Parliament constituency)The City of York was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
) - Jim MarshallJim Marshall (UK politician)James Marshall was a British Labour Party politician.-Education:Marshall was born into a working class family in the Attercliffe district of Sheffield...
(Leicester SouthLeicester South (UK Parliament constituency)Leicester South 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 voting system...
) - Roland MoyleRoland MoyleRoland Dunstan Moyle is a British Labour politician.Moyle's father, Arthur Moyle, became a Labour Member of Parliament and served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Clement Attlee...
(Lewisham East) - Former Minister of StateMinister of StateMinister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for HealthHealthHealth is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain... - Stan Newens (HarlowHarlow (UK Parliament constituency)Harlow is a parliamentary 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 :...
) - Ossie O'Brien (DarlingtonDarlington (UK Parliament constituency)Darlington 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....
) - Christopher PriceChristopher Price (UK politician)Christopher Price is a former Labour politician in the United Kingdom.Price was educated at Leeds Grammar School and The Queen's College, Oxford where he was secretary of the Labour Club in 1953...
(Lewisham West) - Gwilym RobertsGwilym RobertsGwilym Edffrwd Roberts is a British Labour Party politician.Roberts was educated at Brynrefail Grammar School and the University of Wales. He was a lecturer in scientific management techniques and served as a councillor on Luton Borough Council from 1965.Roberts contested Ormskirk in 1959 and...
(CannockCannock (UK Parliament constituency)Cannock was a parliamentary constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.- Members of Parliament :...
) - John SeverJohn SeverEric John Sever is a former Labour Party politician in England.Sever was elected Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood in a by-election in 1977. He served until 1983, when he was deselected as Labour candidate and replaced by Clare Short. Sever stood in Meriden, but lost by 15,018...
(Birmingham Ladywood) - John SpellarJohn SpellarJohn Francis Spellar is a British Labour Party politician, and the Member of Parliament for Warley. He served as a Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, before returning to the backbenches in 2005...
(Birmingham Northfield) - David StoddartDavid Stoddart, Baron Stoddart of SwindonDavid Leonard Stoddart, Baron Stoddart of Swindon is a British independent Labour politician .-Political career:...
( SwindonSwindon (UK Parliament constituency)Swindon was a parliamentary constituency in the town of Swindon in Wiltshire, England.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from the 1918 general election until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.It was then replaced by the...
) - Ann TaylorAnn Taylor, Baroness Taylor of BoltonWinifred Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was Minister for International Defence and Security, based at both the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from October 2008 until 11 May 2010.-Member of Parliament:Taylor was the...
(Bolton WestBolton West (UK Parliament constituency)Bolton West is a county 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...
) - Former Assistant Government Whip (1977-1979) - John TilleyJohn TilleyJohn Vincent Tilley was a British Labour Party politician.Tilley was born and raised in Derby. He was educated at a grammar school and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he read history...
(Lambeth CentralLambeth Central (UK Parliament constituency)Lambeth Central was a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Lambeth, in South London. 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 voting system....
) - Frank WhiteFrank White (UK politician)Frank Richard White is a British Labour Party politician. On his second attempt, he was elected at the October 1974 general election as Member of Parliament for the marginal Bury and Radcliffe constituency. He was an assistant government whip from 1976 to 1978.White's seat was abolished by...
(Bury and RadcliffeBury and Radcliffe (UK Parliament constituency)Bury and Radcliffe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Bury and Radcliffe in North West England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
) - Phillip WhiteheadPhillip WhiteheadPhillip Whitehead, was a British Labour politician, television producer and writer.Born in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School in Bakewell and Exeter College at Oxford University, where he obtained his BA .Whitehead apparently went to...
(Derby North) - William WhitlockWilliam Whitlock (politician)William Charles "Bill" Whitlock was a British Labour Party politician.Whitlock was educated at Itchen Grammar School and the University of Southampton. He volunteered for the British Army upon graduation, and soon joined the Hampshires...
(Nottingham NorthNottingham North (UK Parliament constituency)Nottingham North 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...
) - Kenneth WoolmerKenneth Woolmer, Baron Woolmer of LeedsKenneth John Woolmer, Baron Woolmer of Leeds is a British university lecturer and politician. Coming into politics through local government in West Yorkshire, Woolmer was elected to Parliament for the Labour Party in 1979...
(Batley and MorleyBatley and Morley (UK Parliament constituency)Batley and Morley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Batley and Morley in West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
)
Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party (UK)The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
- Tom BradleyTom Bradley (UK politician)Thomas George Bradley was a British politician.Kettering-born, Bradley was educated at Kettering Central School and worked in the mines during World War II...
(Leicester EastLeicester East (UK Parliament constituency)- Elections in the 2000s :In 2005 this seat bucked the national trend as there was a swing to Labour whereas the national swing was 2.5% to the Conservatives.- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1970s :...
) - Christopher Brocklebank-FowlerChristopher Brocklebank-FowlerChristopher Brocklebank-Fowler was a British politician, most notable for being the sole Conservative Member of Parliament to defect to the Social Democratic Party ....
(North West Norfolk) - Only Conservative MP to join SDP - Ronald BrownRonald Brown (English politician)Ronald William Brown was a British Labour Party politician. He was the younger brother of George Brown, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1960 to 1970....
(Hackney South and Shoreditch) - George CunninghamGeorge CunninghamGeorge Cunningham is a British politician.Cunningham was educated at Dunfermline High School, Blackpool Grammar School and the University of Manchester. He worked for the Labour Party as Commonwealth officer....
(Islington South and Finsbury) - Tom EllisTom Ellis (politician)Robert Thomas Ellis, , commonly known as Tom Ellis, was a British politician who was elected several times as a Labour Member of Parliament, and later defected to the Social Democratic Party ....
(WrexhamWrexham (UK Parliament constituency)Wrexham is a parliamentary constituency in North Wales which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
) - David GinsburgDavid GinsburgDavid Ginsburg was a British politician.Ginsburg was educated at University College School, Hampstead, and Balliol College, Oxford. During his time at Oxford University, he was Chair of the Oxford University Democratic Socialist Club...
(DewsburyDewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)Dewsbury is a 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...
) - John GrantJohn Grant (British politician)John Douglas Grant was a British Member of Parliament from 1970 to 1983. He was as a member of the Labour until he left in 1981 to join the new Social Democratic Party . He represented Islington East from 1970 to 1974 and Islington Central from 1974-1983.Grant was born in Finsbury Park, North London...
(Islington CentralIslington Central (UK Parliament constituency)Islington Central was a parliamentary constituency in the Islington district of Inner London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
) - Ednyfed Hudson Davies (CaerphillyCaerphilly (UK Parliament constituency)Caerphilly is a county constituency centred on the town of Caerphilly in South Wales. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.The constituency has always elected Labour MPs.- Boundaries...
) - Edward LyonsEdward LyonsEdward Lyons, QC was a British politician.Lyons was educated at Roundhay High School and Leeds University. Following World War II, he worked as a Russian interpreter in Germany attached to the Control commission...
(Bradford WestBradford West (UK Parliament constituency)Bradford West is a borough constituency in England 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....
) - Dickson MabonDickson MabonDr. Jesse Dickson "Dick" Mabon PC FRSA was a Scottish politician, physician and company director. He was the founder of The Manifesto Group of Labour MPs, an alliance of moderate MPs against the perceived leftward drift of the Labour Party in the 1970s. He was a Labour Co-operative MP until...
(Greenock and Port GlasgowGreenock and Port Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)Greenock and Port Glasgow was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1974 until 1997, electing one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
) - Former MinisterMinister of StateMinister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for EnergyDepartment of Energy (United Kingdom)The Department of Energy was a department of the United Kingdom Government. The Department was established in January 1974, when the responsibility for energy production was transferred away from the Department of Trade and Industry in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis and with the importance of...
(1976-1979) - Tom McNally (Stockport SouthStockport South (UK Parliament constituency)Stockport South was a borough constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 1983.-Members of Parliament:...
) - Bryan MageeBryan MageeBryan Edgar Magee is a noted British broadcasting personality, politician, poet, and author, best known as a popularizer of philosophy.-Early life:...
(LeytonLeyton (UK Parliament constituency)Leyton was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Leyton in North-East London. 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.-History:...
) - Eric OgdenEric OgdenEric Ogden was a British politician.Eric Ogden was a miner and studied at the Wigan and District Mining and Technical College....
(Liverpool West Derby) - William RodgersWilliam Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry BankWilliam Thomas Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank, PC , usually known as William Rodgers but also often known as Bill Rodgers, was one of the "Gang of Four" of senior British Labour Party politicians who defected to form the Social Democratic Party...
(Stockton-on-TeesStockton-on-Tees (UK Parliament constituency)Stockton-on-Tees is a former borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
) - Former Secretary of State for TransportSecretary of State for TransportThe Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
(1976-1979) - John RoperJohn Roper, Baron RoperJohn Francis Hodgess Roper, Baron Roper is a British politician.John Roper was educated at William Hulme's Grammar School , Reading School, Magdalen College, Oxford and the University of Chicago....
(FarnworthFarnworth (UK Parliament constituency)Farnworth was a county constituency in Lancashire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.- Boundaries :...
) - Neville SandelsonNeville SandelsonNeville Devonshire Sandelson was a British politician.Sandelson was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in 1946, and director of a publishing company...
(Hayes and HarlingtonHayes and Harlington (UK Parliament constituency)Hayes and Harlington 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:...
) - Jeffrey ThomasJeffrey Thomas (politician)Jeffrey Thomas, QC was a British politician.Thomas was educated at Abertillery Grammar School and King's College London, where he was president of the Students Union 1955-56. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1957, and was appointed Queen's Counsel.Thomas was elected as a...
(AbertilleryAbertillery (UK Parliament constituency)Abertillery was a county constituency centred on the town of Abertillery in Monmouthshire. 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 of election...
) - Michael ThomasMichael Thomas (politician)Michael Stuart Thomas, known as Mike Thomas, is a former British politician, identified with the Labour Party until 1981 and thereafter with the Social Democratic Party. He became well known for his role in both the establishment of the SDP and then in the SDP's subsequent demise...
(Newcastle-upon-Tyne East) - James WellbelovedJames WellbelovedAlfred James Wellbeloved is a former British politician.Wellbeloved was educated at South London Technical College and was a commercial and industrial correspondent...
(Erith and CrayfordErith and Crayford (UK Parliament constituency)Erith and Crayford was a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Bexley, south-east London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
) - Shirley Williams (CrosbyCrosby (UK Parliament constituency)Crosby was a constituency in Merseyside, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
) - Former Secretary of State for Education and Science (1976-1979)
Independent Labour
- Ben Ford (Bradford NorthBradford North (UK Parliament constituency)Bradford North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until it was abolished for the 2010 general election, it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
) - Formerly Labour, stood as independent after being de-selected. - Arthur LewisArthur Lewis (politician)Arthur William John Lewis was a British Labour politician.-Biography:Lewis was educated at Borough Polytechnic and began work as a fitter with the City of London Corporation. He was an official of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers 1938-48...
(Newham North WestNewham North West (UK Parliament constituency)Newham North West was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in the London Borough of Newham. It returned one Member of Parliament, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
) - Formerly Labour, stood as independent after being de-selected. - Michael O'HalloranMichael O'Halloran (UK politician)Michael Joseph O'Halloran was a British politician. He was brought up in County Clare, and, finding no employment, he "drifted to London" in 1948, aged 15, and worked as a railwayman until he entered politics....
(Islington NorthIslington North (UK Parliament constituency)Islington North is a parliamentary 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...
) - Formerly Labour and SDP but stood as an independent when not selected for seat.
Sinn FeinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
- Owen CarronOwen CarronOwen Gerard Carron is an Irish republican activist and who was Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 1981 to 1983.Carron is the nephew of former Nationalist Party politician John Carron....
(Fermanagh and South TyroneFermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary constituency in the British House of Commons. The current MP for the constituency is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin....
)
Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
- Gerry FittGerry FittGerard Fitt, Baron Fitt was a politician in Northern Ireland. He was a founder and the first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party , a social democratic and Irish nationalist party.-Early years:...
(Belfast WestBelfast West (UK Parliament constituency)Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was restored in 1922 when as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut...
)
Liberal PartyLiberal 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...
- Bill Pitt (Croydon North WestCroydon North West (UK Parliament constituency)Croydon North West was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Politics and history of the constituency :...
)
Conservative
- David Myles (BanffshireBanffshire (UK Parliament constituency)Banffshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1983...
) - Iain SproatIain SproatIain MacDonald Sproat was a British Conservative Member of Parliament . He was educated at Winchester College and Magdalen College, Oxford. He worked as a publisher and journalist....
(Aberdeen SouthAberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency)Aberdeen South is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
) - Moved to contest Roxburgh and BerwickshireRoxburgh and Berwickshire (UK Parliament constituency)Roxburgh and Berwickshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2005...
believing that this was a "safer" seat. However, Aberdeen South was held by the Conservatives, while Roxburgh and Berwickshire fell to the LiberalLiberal 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...
candidate Archy Kirkwood. - Delwyn WilliamsDelwyn WilliamsDavid John Delwyn Williams, known as Delwyn Williams, is a British Conservative Party politician and solicitor.He was educated at Welshpool High School and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he obtained a LLB degree. He subsequently qualified as a solicitor...
(MontgomeryshireMontgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency)Montgomeryshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1542, it elects one Member of Parliament , traditionally known as the knight of the shire, by the first-past-the-post system of election.The Montgomeryshire Welsh Assembly...
)
Conservative targets
| Rank | Constituency | 1983 winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isle of Wight Isle of Wight (UK Parliament constituency) Isle of Wight is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, it covers the whole of the Isle of Wight and elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.-... |
SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 2 | Oxford East | Con |
| 3 | Cunninghame North Cunninghame North (UK Parliament constituency) Cunninghame North was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2005, when it was largely replaced by North Ayrshire and Arran... |
Con |
| 4 | Corby Corby (UK Parliament constituency) Corby is a county 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 voting system, and is currently a marginal seat between Labour and the Conservatives.... |
Con |
| 5 | Nottingham East Nottingham East (UK Parliament constituency) Nottingham East 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:... |
Con |
| 6 | Hertfordshire West | Con |
| 7 | Mitcham and Morden | Con |
| 8 | Derbyshire South | Con |
| 9 | Leicestershire North West | Con |
| 10 | Southampton Itchen | Con |
| 11 | Halifax Halifax (UK Parliament constituency) Halifax 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 :... |
Con |
| 12 | Stockton South | SDP Liberal Alliance |
| 13 | Lewisham West | Con |
| 14 | Edmonton Edmonton (UK Parliament constituency) Edmonton 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.-History:... |
Con |
| 15 | Stevenage Stevenage (UK Parliament constituency) Stevenage is a county 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:... |
Con |
| 16 | York | Con |
| 17 | Darlington Darlington (UK Parliament constituency) Darlington 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.... |
Con |
| 18 | Ceredigion and Pembroke North | SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 19 | Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency) Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-History:... |
SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 20 | Bridgend Bridgend (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-See also:* Bridgend * List of Parliamentary constituencies in Mid Glamorgan-Notes and references:... |
Con |
Labour targets
In order to regain an overall majority, Labour needed to make at least 65 gains.| Rank | Constituency | 1983 winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham Northfield | Con |
| 2 | Bury South Bury South (UK Parliament constituency) Bury South 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... |
Con |
| 3 | Dulwich Dulwich (UK Parliament constituency) Dulwich was a borough constituency in the Dulwich area of South London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... |
Con |
| 4 | Liverpool Broadgreen Liverpool Broadgreen (UK Parliament constituency) Liverpool Broadgreen was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Broadgreen suburb of Liverpool. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... |
Labour |
| 5 | Nottingham South Nottingham South (UK Parliament constituency) Nottingham South 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.... |
Con |
| 6 | Aberdeen South Aberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency) Aberdeen South is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
Con |
| 7 | Stirling Stirling (UK Parliament constituency) Stirling is a county constituency of 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:... |
Con |
| 8 | Hornchurch Hornchurch (UK Parliament constituency) Hornchurch was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
Con |
| 9 | Luton South Luton South (UK Parliament constituency) Luton South 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... |
Con |
| 10 | Calder Valley Calder Valley (UK Parliament constituency) - Elections in the 2000s :- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1980s :-Sources:*... |
Con |
| 11 | Pendle Pendle (UK Parliament constituency) Pendle 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:... |
Con |
| 12 | Bolton North East | Con |
| 13 | Cardiff Central Cardiff Central (UK Parliament constituency) Cardiff Central is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.... |
Con |
| 14 | Croydon North West Croydon North West (UK Parliament constituency) Croydon North West was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Politics and history of the constituency :... |
Con |
| 15 | Fulham Fulham (UK Parliament constituency) Fulham was a borough constituency based around the London district of Fulham. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1918 and from 1955 to 1997.... |
Con |
| 16 | Cambridge Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency) Cambridge is a parliamentary 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 voting system.... |
Con |
| 17 | Birmingham Erdington | Labour |
| 18 | Dudley West Dudley West (UK Parliament constituency) Dudley West was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Dudley in the West Midlands. It existed from 1974 to 1997, returning one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system.-History:The constituency was created... |
Con |
| 19 | Welwyn Hatfield Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency) Welwyn Hatfield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1974 as 'Welwyn and Hatfield'.- Boundaries :... |
Con |
| 20 | Glasgow Cathcart Glasgow Cathcart (UK Parliament constituency) Glasgow Cathcart was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005, when it was replaced by the larger Glasgow South constituency.... |
Labour |
SDP-Liberal Alliance targets
| Rank | Constituency | 1983 winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roxburgh and Berwickshire Roxburgh and Berwickshire (UK Parliament constituency) Roxburgh and Berwickshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2005... |
SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 2 | Richmond and Barnes Richmond and Barnes (UK Parliament constituency) Richmond and Barnes was a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, a south-western suburb of the capital. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... |
Con |
| 3 | Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency) Montgomeryshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1542, it elects one Member of Parliament , traditionally known as the knight of the shire, by the first-past-the-post system of election.The Montgomeryshire Welsh Assembly... |
SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 4 | Chelmsford Chelmsford (UK Parliament constituency) Chelmsford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From the 2010 general election it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
Con |
| 5 | Wiltshire North | Con |
| 6 | Cornwall North | Con |
| 7 | Hereford Hereford (UK Parliament constituency) Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.... |
Con |
| 8 | Colne Valley Colne Valley (UK Parliament constituency) Colne Valley is a county 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. In the post-war period the seat had the distinction of being one of the few Labour/Liberal marginals,... |
SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 9 | Gordon Gordon (UK Parliament constituency) Gordon is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , which elects one member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 10 | Southport Southport (UK Parliament constituency) Southport 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:... |
Con |
| 11 | Salisbury Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency) Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system.... |
Con |
| 12 | Devon North | Con |
| 13 | Gainsborough and Horncastle Gainsborough and Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency) Gainsborough and Horncastle is a former county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The constituency was called Gainsborough and Horncastle between 1983 and 1997... |
Con |
| 14 | Cornwall South East | Con |
| 15 | Clwyd South West Clwyd South West (UK Parliament constituency) Clwyd South West was a county constituency in Clwyd, North Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system of election.... |
Con |
| 16 | Liverpool Broadgreen Liverpool Broadgreen (UK Parliament constituency) Liverpool Broadgreen was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Broadgreen suburb of Liverpool. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... |
Labour |
| 17 | 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.... |
Con |
| 18 | Yeovil | SDP-Liberal Alliance |
| 19 | Pudsey Pudsey (UK Parliament constituency) Pudsey is a 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 :... |
Con |
| 20 | Ross, Cromarty and Skye Ross, Cromarty and Skye (UK Parliament constituency) Ross, Cromarty and Skye was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.... |
SDP-Liberal Alliance |
Manifestos
- The Challenge of Our Times - 1983 Conservative manifesto.
- The New Hope for Britain - 1983 Labour Party manifesto.
- Working Together for Britain - SDP-Liberal Alliance manifesto.