Darlington by-election, 1983
Encyclopedia
The Darlington by-election, 1983 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 24 March 1983 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Darlington
in County Durham
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP), Edward Fletcher
had died on 13 February 1983, a few days before his 72nd birthday. He had held the seat since the 1964 general election
.
The result of the contest was a victory for the Labour candidate, Oswald O'Brien
, who won with a majority of 2,412 over the Conservative Party
candidate Michael Fallon
. O'Brien only held the seat for three months, however, as it fell to Fallon at the general election in June 1983.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 24 March 1983 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 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....
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member 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), Edward Fletcher
Edward Fletcher (politician)
Edward Joseph Fletcher was a British Labour Party politician.Fletcher was educated at Fircroft College, Birmingham and was a trade union official...
had died on 13 February 1983, a few days before his 72nd birthday. He had held the seat since the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
.
The result of the contest was a victory for the Labour candidate, Oswald O'Brien
Oswald O'Brien
Oswald O'Brien was a British Labour Co-operative politician.He was born Oswald O'Brien into a family of teachers in 1928, in Darlington...
, who won with a majority of 2,412 over 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...
candidate Michael Fallon
Michael Fallon
For the American Physician / Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives see Mike FallonMichael Cathel Fallon is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Sevenoaks, and as of September 2010 the deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.-Early life:Michael Fallon...
. O'Brien only held the seat for three months, however, as it fell to Fallon at the general election in June 1983.
Votes
See also
- Darlington (UK Parliament constituency)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....
- DarlingtonDarlingtonDarlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
- Darlington by-election, 1923Darlington by-election, 1923The Darlington by-election, 1923 was a by-election held on 28 February 1923 for the British House of Commons constituency of Darlington in County Durham.- Vacancy :...
- Darlington by-election, 1926Darlington by-election, 1926The Darlington by-election, 1926 was a by-election held on 17 February 1926 for the British House of Commons constituency of Darlington in County Durham.- Vacancy :...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections