Walsall North by-election, 1976
Encyclopedia
The Walsall North by-election
on 4 November 1976 was held after the resignation of sitting Member of Parliament
(MP) John Stonehouse
. Elected as a Labour
candidate, Stonehouse was a member of the English National Party
when he resigned, after an interlude in which he faked his own death. The English National Party did not contest the by-election, the first occasion on which the incumbent's party did not do so since the Bristol South East by-election, 1963
, and the last until the North Down by-election, 1995
.
Amidst the confusion, the Conservative Party
gained the seat in the by-election.
The by-election was also noted for the performance of independent candidate Sidney Wright, the debut of the Ecology Party and the split of the far right
vote due to the appearance of both the National Front
and their splinter group the National Party
on the ballots. The Liberal Party
could take only fifth place, their worst ever placing in a by-election in England. The party had previously come fifth in Wales in the Merthyr Tydfil by-election, 1972
, and next placed so low at the Glasgow Central by-election, 1989
.
The by-election also saw a record number of candidates, beating the long-standing record of seven who contested the Stockport by-election, 1920
, where two seats were available, a total first reached in a single-member by-election in the Dorset South by-election, 1962. This record was again beaten at the City of London and Westminster South by-election, 1977
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on 4 November 1976 was held after the resignation of sitting 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) John Stonehouse
John Stonehouse
John Thomson Stonehouse was a British politician and minister under Harold Wilson. Stonehouse is perhaps best remembered for his unsuccessful attempt at faking his own death in 1974...
. Elected as a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate, Stonehouse was a member of the English National Party
English National Party
English National Party has been the name of various political parties of England.-The original ENP:The English National Party was founded as the John Hampden New Freedom Party in the 1960s by Frank Hansford-Miller. In 1974, it renamed itself the "English Nationalist Party"...
when he resigned, after an interlude in which he faked his own death. The English National Party did not contest the by-election, the first occasion on which the incumbent's party did not do so since the Bristol South East by-election, 1963
Bristol South East by-election, 1963
The Bristol South East by-election, 1963 was a by-election held on 20 August 1963 for the British House of Commons constituency of Bristol South East in the city of Bristol....
, and the last until the North Down by-election, 1995
North Down by-election, 1995
The North Down by-election, in the North Down constituency, was held on 15 June 1995, following the death of James Kilfedder, who had represented the constituency since the 1970 general election...
.
Amidst the confusion, the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
gained the seat in the by-election.
The by-election was also noted for the performance of independent candidate Sidney Wright, the debut of the Ecology Party and the split of the far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
vote due to the appearance of both the National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
and their splinter group the National Party
National Party (UK, 1976)
The National Party was a short-lived British far right political party formed on 6 January 1976 and which dissolved before the 1979 general election...
on the ballots. 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...
could take only fifth place, their worst ever placing in a by-election in England. The party had previously come fifth in Wales in the Merthyr Tydfil by-election, 1972
Merthyr Tydfil by-election, 1972
The Merthyr Tydfil by-election of 13 April 1972 was held after the death of S. O. Davies on 25 February the same year. The Labour Party won the by-election in what had traditionally been a safe seat, although Davies had been elected in the 1970 general election as an Independent after he had been...
, and next placed so low at the Glasgow Central by-election, 1989
Glasgow Central by-election, 1989
The Glasgow Central by-election, in the Glasgow Central constituency, Scotland, was held on 15 June 1989. It was caused by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament for the constituency, Robert McTaggart....
.
The by-election also saw a record number of candidates, beating the long-standing record of seven who contested the Stockport by-election, 1920
Stockport by-election, 1920
The Stockport by-election, 1920 was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 March 1920 for the constituency of Stockport, in Cheshire.It followed the death of Spencer Leigh Hughes and resignation of George Wardle, the two Members of Parliament for Stockport. With the departure of both MPs, a...
, where two seats were available, a total first reached in a single-member by-election in the Dorset South by-election, 1962. This record was again beaten at the City of London and Westminster South by-election, 1977
City of London and Westminster South by-election, 1977
The City of London and Westminster South by-election on 24 February 1977 was held after Conservative Member of Parliament Christopher Tugendhat resigned the seat upon his appointment to the European Commission...
.