Falkirk West by-election, 2000
Encyclopedia
The Falkirk West by-election, 2000 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 21 December 2000 for the Scottish
constituency of Falkirk West
.
The vacancy was caused the resignation
from the House of Commons of Dennis Canavan
, the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Falkirk West. Canavan had first been elected in the October 1974 election
as a Labour Party
candidate, and had held that seat until its abolition in 1983
. He had then won the new Falkirk West seat, and held that seat as a Labour MP until he was expelled from Labour in 1999. He then sat as an Independent
until he resigned on 21 November 2000 by accepting the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.
A by-election to fill the seat was held on 21 December. The Scottish National Party
mounted a strong challenge, but fell 700 votes short of winning.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 21 December 2000 for the Scottish
Scottish Westminster constituencies
Scottish Westminster constituencies were Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain, normally at the Palace of Westminster, from 1708 to 1801, and have been constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, also at Westminster,...
constituency of Falkirk West
Falkirk West (UK Parliament constituency)
Falkirk West was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2005. Together with a portion of Falkirk East, it was replaced by Falkirk.-Members of Parliament:...
.
The vacancy was caused the resignation
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
from the House of Commons of Dennis Canavan
Dennis Canavan
Dennis Andrew Canavan is a Scottish politician, and was an Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk West.-Early life:He was born in Cowdenbeath....
, the 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 Falkirk West. Canavan had first been elected in the 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...
as a 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, and had held that seat until its abolition in 1983
United Kingdom general election, 1983
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...
. He had then won the new Falkirk West seat, and held that seat as a Labour MP until he was expelled from Labour in 1999. He then sat as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
until he resigned on 21 November 2000 by accepting the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.
A by-election to fill the seat was held on 21 December. The Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
mounted a strong challenge, but fell 700 votes short of winning.