Newham South by-election, 1974
Encyclopedia
The Newham South by-election was a by-election
held on 23 May 1974 for the British House of Commons
constituency of Newham South
. It was triggered when Elwyn Jones, the constituency's Labour Party
Member of Parliament
(MP), was appointed as Lord Chancellor
and subsequently awarded a life peerage.
The by-election occurred soon after the February 1974 general election
, and indeed proved to be the only by-election of the Parliament, the next general election being held in October
. Given that there was a hung parliament
, and at the time of the by-election a general election was thought likely, any changes in the share of the vote between the main parties could have given a guide as to the likely future government.
Created for the February general election, the constituency was regarded as a safe Labour seat. Jones had won a majority of more than 50%, and had held the predecessor seat of West Ham South
since its creation at the 1950 general election
. In February, the Liberal Party
and Conservative Party
had each shared around one eighth of the vote, while the far right
National Front had achieved one of their best results in the country, taking 6.9%.
Labour chose Nigel Spearing
as its candidate; previously the MP for Acton
, he had lost his seat at the February election. The Liberals, Conservatives and National Front all fielded the same candidates who had stood in February, hoping to build on their performance. An "independent Labour" candidate also stood.
The election campaign was dominated by the impending election, and by the threat posed by the National Front.
and did not do so again until Bermondsey in 1983
.
At the October general election, Spearing held the seat with an increased majority. The Conservatives and Liberals failed to gain ground, while the National Front began to fall back. Spearing held the seat until it was abolished in 1997.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 23 May 1974 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 of Newham South
Newham South (UK Parliament constituency)
Newham South was a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Newham, in east London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
. It was triggered when Elwyn Jones, the constituency's 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...
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), was appointed as Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
and subsequently awarded a life peerage.
The by-election occurred soon after the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
, and indeed proved to be the only by-election of the Parliament, the next general election being held in October
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...
. Given that there was a hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
, and at the time of the by-election a general election was thought likely, any changes in the share of the vote between the main parties could have given a guide as to the likely future government.
Created for the February general election, the constituency was regarded as a safe Labour seat. Jones had won a majority of more than 50%, and had held the predecessor seat of West Ham South
West Ham South (UK Parliament constituency)
West Ham South was a parliamentary constituency in the County Borough of West Ham, in what was then Essex but is now Greater London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.- History...
since its creation at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
. In February, 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...
and 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...
had each shared around one eighth of the vote, while 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...
National Front had achieved one of their best results in the country, taking 6.9%.
Labour chose Nigel Spearing
Nigel Spearing
Nigel John Spearing is a British Labour Party politician.Nigel Spearing was born in London, and educated at Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge. After graduating in 1956, he worked as a tutor and teacher, firstly at Wandsworth School and then at Elliot School,...
as its candidate; previously the MP for Acton
Acton (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 1940s :- Elections in the 1960s :-References:...
, he had lost his seat at the February election. The Liberals, Conservatives and National Front all fielded the same candidates who had stood in February, hoping to build on their performance. An "independent Labour" candidate also stood.
The election campaign was dominated by the impending election, and by the threat posed by the National Front.
Results
Spearing achieved an easy victory, although his vote dropped slightly from the February election. The Liberal and Conservative votes both dropped slightly, while despite a strong anti-fascist campaign, the National Front picked up votes to finish third, ahead of the Conservatives. The Conservatives had not finished fourth in an English by-election since World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and did not do so again until Bermondsey in 1983
Bermondsey by-election, 1983
A by-election was held in the Bermondsey constituency in South London, on 24 February 1983, following the resignation of Labour MP Robert Mellish, who had represented the constituency and its predecessors in the House of Commons since 1946...
.
At the October general election, Spearing held the seat with an increased majority. The Conservatives and Liberals failed to gain ground, while the National Front began to fall back. Spearing held the seat until it was abolished in 1997.