Uxbridge by-election, 1997
Encyclopedia
The Uxbridge by-election, 1997 was a parliamentary by-election
held in July 1997 to elect a new Member of Parliament
(MP) for the constituency
of Uxbridge
in London
, England.
The vacancy was caused by the death of the Conservative
MP Sir Michael Shersby
, who died unexpectedly on 8 May 1997, just seven days after his being returned to the House of Commons at the 1997 general election
, although that election saw the end of 18 years of Conservative rule as Labour won by a landslide. It was the first by-election of the 1997-2001 parliament.
The by-election
was held on 31 July 1997. The seat previously had seen Shersby win a narrow victory over Labour Party
candidate David Williams in May, but Williams was not selected for the by-election candidate shortlist, as he was seen as too left-wing, and therefore unelectable, even though his supporters argued for the selection for this locally-based politician. The Conservative Party selected John Randall
, the Managing Director of the century-old Randall's Furniture Store in Uxbridge. The Labour Party eventually chose Andy Slaughter, the Leader of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Council, over the Barrister
Willie Bach
from Nottinghamshire
. Keith Kerr
, a senior executive with British Airways
, represented the Liberal Democrats
.
Labour's concentrated campaign included an unusual visit by Prime Minister
Tony Blair
. This was unusual in that a sitting Prime Minister does not normally campaign personally in by-elections for fear that a defeat may harm his own political standing. In the end, the Conservative candidate was elected by a large majority, gaining over 50% of all votes cast, while the Labour and Liberal Democrat vote fell sharply.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held in July 1997 to elect a new Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the 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 Uxbridge
Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Uxbridge was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system, from 1885 until it was abolished at the 2010 general election....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England.
The vacancy was caused by the death of the 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...
MP Sir Michael Shersby
Michael Shersby
Sir Michael Shersby was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Member of Parliament for Uxbridge.-Early life:...
, who died unexpectedly on 8 May 1997, just seven days after his being returned to the House of Commons 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...
, although that election saw the end of 18 years of Conservative rule as Labour won by a landslide. It was the first by-election of the 1997-2001 parliament.
The by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held on 31 July 1997. The seat previously had seen Shersby win a narrow victory over 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...
candidate David Williams in May, but Williams was not selected for the by-election candidate shortlist, as he was seen as too left-wing, and therefore unelectable, even though his supporters argued for the selection for this locally-based politician. The Conservative Party selected John Randall
John Randall (UK politician)
Alexander John Randall, known as John Randall, is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, and is the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.-Early life:...
, the Managing Director of the century-old Randall's Furniture Store in Uxbridge. The Labour Party eventually chose Andy Slaughter, the Leader of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
Council, over the Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
Willie Bach
William Bach, Baron Bach
William "Willy" Stephen Goulden Bach, Baron Bach is a British Labour member of the House of Lords and was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice from 2008 to 2010....
from Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. Keith Kerr
Keith Kerr
Keith Kerr, Colonel, USA-ret, and BG, CSMR-ret., is a retired United States Army Reserve Colonel, who later was given the rank of Brigadier General in the California State Military Reserve, part of the California State Defense Forces who in 2003 became one of the highest ranking military officers...
, a senior executive with British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, represented 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's concentrated campaign included an unusual visit by 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...
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...
. This was unusual in that a sitting Prime Minister does not normally campaign personally in by-elections for fear that a defeat may harm his own political standing. In the end, the Conservative candidate was elected by a large majority, gaining over 50% of all votes cast, while the Labour and Liberal Democrat vote fell sharply.