Dudley by-election, 1968
Encyclopedia
The Dudley by-election, 1968 was a by-election
held for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Dudley
in Worcestershire
on 28 March 1968. It was won by the Conservative Party
candidate Donald Williams
.
Member of Parliament
(MP), George Wigg
had been appointed Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board on 16 November 1967. He had held the seat since the 1945 general election
and had served as Paymaster General in the Government of Harold Wilson
. He was also elevated to the House of Lords
as Baron Wigg, of the Borough of Dudley.
. It was one of the three Conservative gains from Labour on the same day, the others being at Acton
and Meriden
.
Williams held the seat until the 1970 general election
, when he lost the seat back to the Labour candidate, John Gilbert
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held 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 Dudley
Dudley (UK Parliament constituency)
Dudley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dudley, which was historically in Worcestershire, before being transferred into Staffordshire in 1966 and since 1974 has been in the West Midlands....
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
on 28 March 1968. It was won by 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 Donald Williams
Donald Williams (politician)
Donald Williams was a British chartered accountant and Conservative Party politician.Williams went to the Royal Grammar School in Worcester. Before he could go out to work, the outbreak of the Second World War led him to join the Worcester Regiment...
.
Vacancy
The seat had become vacant when the LabourLabour 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), George Wigg
George Wigg
George Edward Cecil Wigg, Baron Wigg PC was a British politician who only served in relatively junior offices but had a great deal of influence behind the scenes, especially with Harold Wilson. Wigg served in the British Army for almost all his career up to his election as Member of Parliament...
had been appointed Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board on 16 November 1967. He had held the seat since the 1945 general election
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...
and had served as Paymaster General in the Government of Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
. He was also elevated to 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....
as Baron Wigg, of the Borough of Dudley.
Result
The result was a clear victory for Williams in what had been a Labour safe seatSafe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
. It was one of the three Conservative gains from Labour on the same day, the others being at Acton
Acton by-election, 1968
The Acton by-election of 28 March 1968 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament Bernard Floud on 10 October 1967. The seat was gained by the Conservatives in a defeat for Harold Wilson's government. It was one of the three Conservative gains from Labour on the same day, the others...
and Meriden
Meriden by-election, 1968
The Meriden by-election, 1968 was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Meriden in Warwickshire on 28 March 1968. It was won by the Conservative Party candidate Keith Speed.- Vacancy :...
.
Williams held the seat until the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, when he lost the seat back to the Labour candidate, John Gilbert
John Gilbert, Baron Gilbert
John William Gilbert, Baron Gilbert PC is a British Labour politician.Gilbert was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, St John's College, Oxford and New York University....
.
Votes
See also
- Dudley constituencyDudley (UK Parliament constituency)Dudley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dudley, which was historically in Worcestershire, before being transferred into Staffordshire in 1966 and since 1974 has been in the West Midlands....
- List of United Kingdom by-elections