Henley by-election, 2008
Encyclopedia
The Henley by-election, 2008 to elect a member of the British House of Commons
for the constituency of Henley
in Oxfordshire
was held on 26 June 2008. It followed the election
of Boris Johnson
as Mayor of London
in May 2008. In order to resign from being an MP, Johnson accepted the post of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead
on 4 June 2008.
The election was won comfortably by the Conservative candidate John Howell
with an increased percentage of the popular vote. The governing Labour Party
's vote fell by 11% and they finished fifth, losing their deposit
.
at the previous election
, though recent local elections
have seen the Liberal Democrats' vote rise. Despite this, an easy win for the Conservative Party candidate was predicted, with the Labour Party
being given little to no chance of victory. It had been expected that the by-election
would be held after the parliamentary summer recess. However, following their victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election
, the Conservatives took the opportunity to bring the by-election forward to 26 June, in order to capitalise on their strong support.
and Liberal Democrat
parties, but internal party rules may have required re-selection before any by-election was called.
Boris Johnson
's father Stanley Johnson was widely expected to seek the Conservative Party's nomination. However, John Howell
, an Oxfordshire county councillor, was selected as the Conservative candidate, in preference to Ann Ducker, leader of South Oxfordshire district council
, and John Cotton, a South Oxfordshire district councillor.
The Liberal Democrats' candidate was Stephen Kearney, head of a development charity and previously owned and ran a small business. The Liberal Democrats had previously selected Oxfordshire councillor Susan Cooper for the general election, but under Liberal Democrat policies, such selections are not valid for by-elections. When it became apparent a by-election was to be held, a new selection process was run and she was replaced by Kearney.
The Labour candidate was Richard McKenzie, who was previously a local councillor in Reading
, having lost his seat in the local council elections of May 2008.
The Green Party
continued with its 2005 General Election candidate Mark Stevenson.
The British National Party
candidate, Tim Rait, previously stood for European Parliament election in 2004, for Maidenhead in the 2005 General election and the Lothians Region in the 2007 Scottish election.
The United Kingdom Independence Party
selected Chris Adams, Buckinghamshire County Organiser for the UKIP and also PPC for Aylesbury. He previously stood in Aylesbury
at the 2005 General Election
.
Following the candidature of the current Miss Great Britain
at the Crewe and Nantwich by-election in 2008, the "Beauties for Britain" group stood two candidates - one blonde, the other brunette - in Henley: Amanda Harrington and Louise Cole respectively. However, the party is not registered with the Electoral Commission
so they were considered Independent
candidates.
The Monster Raving Loony Party fielded candidate Bananaman Owen, whose name was taken from a British television programme
. The Harry Bear candidate is the fictional creation of Mail on Sunday columnist Richard Heller.
council.
backed their candidate and incorrectly asserting a local school's budget was under threat. The Conservatives in return threatened to sue, claiming the allegations of non-involvement were untrue and played on the fact that the Liberal Democrat candidate was not local, but from Plymouth
. The Lib Dems responded by saying that their candidate had moved into the constituency and would remain there, the same way the former Conservative MP Boris Johnson had done when he ran.
Reaction from voters to the hard campaigning indicated that some constituents were turned off and some commentators raised questions on the effectiveness of the Liberal Democrat campaign after the results which saw an increased swing to the Conservatives.
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...
for the constituency of Henley
Henley (UK Parliament constituency)
Henley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It covers south Oxfordshire, including Henley-on-Thames. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has long been a safe Conservative...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
was held on 26 June 2008. It followed the election
London mayoral election, 2008
The London mayoral election, 2008 for the office of Mayor of London was held on 1 May 2008 and was won by Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson....
of Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
as Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
in May 2008. In order to resign from being an MP, Johnson accepted the post of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead
Manor of Northstead
The Manor of Northstead was once a collection of fields and farms in the parish of Scalby in the North Riding of Yorkshire in England. By 1600, the manor house had fallen into disrepair and was occupied only by a shepherd. At present the Manor is part of the Barrowcliff area of the town of...
on 4 June 2008.
The election was won comfortably by the Conservative candidate John Howell
John Howell (politician)
John Michael Howell OBE is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Henley, having won the seat with an increased share of the vote in the Henley by-election, 2008....
with an increased percentage of the popular vote. The governing 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...
's vote fell by 11% and they finished fifth, losing their deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
.
Background
Henley was considered a safe seat for the Conservative Party—having been held by the party continuously since 1910 up to this election. Johnson had gained a 12,793 majority from the Liberal DemocratsLiberal 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...
at the previous election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, though recent local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2007
The 2007 UK local government elections were held on 3 May 2007. These elections took place in most of England and all of Scotland. There were no local government elections in Wales though the Welsh Assembly had a general election on the same day. There were no local government elections in Northern...
have seen the Liberal Democrats' vote rise. Despite this, an easy win for the Conservative Party candidate was predicted, with the 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...
being given little to no chance of victory. It had been expected that 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....
would be held after the parliamentary summer recess. However, following their victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election
Crewe and Nantwich by-election, 2008
The Crewe and Nantwich by-election, 2008 was a parliamentary by-election held on 22 May 2008, for the British House of Commons constituency of Crewe and Nantwich, in Cheshire, England...
, the Conservatives took the opportunity to bring the by-election forward to 26 June, in order to capitalise on their strong support.
Candidates
For the 2010 general election, candidates had been chosen for 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...
and Liberal Democrat
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...
parties, but internal party rules may have required re-selection before any by-election was called.
Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
's father Stanley Johnson was widely expected to seek the Conservative Party's nomination. However, John Howell
John Howell (politician)
John Michael Howell OBE is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Henley, having won the seat with an increased share of the vote in the Henley by-election, 2008....
, an Oxfordshire county councillor, was selected as the Conservative candidate, in preference to Ann Ducker, leader of South Oxfordshire district council
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
, and John Cotton, a South Oxfordshire district councillor.
The Liberal Democrats' candidate was Stephen Kearney, head of a development charity and previously owned and ran a small business. The Liberal Democrats had previously selected Oxfordshire councillor Susan Cooper for the general election, but under Liberal Democrat policies, such selections are not valid for by-elections. When it became apparent a by-election was to be held, a new selection process was run and she was replaced by Kearney.
The Labour candidate was Richard McKenzie, who was previously a local councillor in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, having lost his seat in the local council elections of May 2008.
The Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
continued with its 2005 General Election candidate Mark Stevenson.
The British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
candidate, Tim Rait, previously stood for European Parliament election in 2004, for Maidenhead in the 2005 General election and the Lothians Region in the 2007 Scottish election.
The United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
selected Chris Adams, Buckinghamshire County Organiser for the UKIP and also PPC for Aylesbury. He previously stood in Aylesbury
Aylesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Aylesbury is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party has held the seat since 1924, and held it at the 2010 general election with a 52.2% share of the vote.-Boundaries:...
at the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
Following the candidature of the current Miss Great Britain
Miss Great Britain
Miss Great Britain is a female beauty contest currently held in London. Between 1956 and 1989, it was held in the seaside resort of Morecambe. It is one of the oldest of its kind in the country, with the first edition held in 1945...
at the Crewe and Nantwich by-election in 2008, the "Beauties for Britain" group stood two candidates - one blonde, the other brunette - in Henley: Amanda Harrington and Louise Cole respectively. However, the party is not registered with the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
so they were considered 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...
candidates.
The Monster Raving Loony Party fielded candidate Bananaman Owen, whose name was taken from a British television programme
Bananaman
Bananaman is a British comic book fictional character. He originally appeared in Nutty as the backpage strip in Issue 1, dated 16 February 1980 drawn by John Geering.-Original strip:...
. The Harry Bear candidate is the fictional creation of Mail on Sunday columnist Richard Heller.
Election result
Polling day was Thursday 26 June. The results were declared shortly after 0130 BST on Friday 27 June by the returning officer for South OxfordshireSouth Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
council.
General Election 2005 result
Campaign
The nature of campaign was seen as quite aggressive from both sides. The Liberal Democrat Party attacked both the green-belt credentials of the Conservative candidate and his participation in the campaign to save the local hospital, as well as producing leaflets which were alleged to imply that the previous MP, Boris JohnsonBoris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
backed their candidate and incorrectly asserting a local school's budget was under threat. The Conservatives in return threatened to sue, claiming the allegations of non-involvement were untrue and played on the fact that the Liberal Democrat candidate was not local, but from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. The Lib Dems responded by saying that their candidate had moved into the constituency and would remain there, the same way the former Conservative MP Boris Johnson had done when he ran.
Reaction from voters to the hard campaigning indicated that some constituents were turned off and some commentators raised questions on the effectiveness of the Liberal Democrat campaign after the results which saw an increased swing to the Conservatives.
See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- Henley by-election, 1932Henley by-election, 1932The Henley by-election, 1932 was a parliamentary by-election held on 25 February 1932 for the British House of Commons constituency of Henley. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament Robert Henderson had died on 16 January 1932. He had held the seat since the 1924...
- Henley by-election, 1917Henley by-election, 1917The Henley by-election of 1917 was a by-election in Henley caused by the death of Major Valentine Fleming during World War I. The Conservative Party candidate Robert Hermon-Hodge won the subsequent by-election....