Pontefract and Castleford by-election, 1978
Encyclopedia
A by-election
was held for the British House of Commons
parliamentary constituency
of Pontefract and Castleford
on 26 October 1978 following the death of Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP) Joseph Harper
on 24 June. It was one of two UK parliamentary by-elections held on that day.
The result was a Labour hold. The party's majority was reduced from the 54.2% at the October 1974 general election
to a still comfortable 38.6%. Both Labour and Liberal Party
candidates saw their votes fall, the latter's share of the vote being nearly halved.
The winner, Geoffrey Lofthouse, served as the constituency's MP until his retirement at the 1997 general election
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was 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...
parliamentary 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 Pontefract and Castleford
Pontefract and Castleford (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract and Castleford was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 2010 general election. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
on 26 October 1978 following the death of 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) Joseph Harper
Joseph Harper (English politician)
Joseph Harper was a Labour Party politician in Great Britain.He was elected as the Member of Parliament MP for Pontefract at a by-election in 1962. He was MP for the constituency and then Pontefract and Castleford until he died in office aged 64...
on 24 June. It was one of two UK parliamentary by-elections held on that day.
The result was a Labour hold. The party's majority was reduced from the 54.2% at the October 1974 general 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...
to a still comfortable 38.6%. Both Labour and 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...
candidates saw their votes fall, the latter's share of the vote being nearly halved.
The winner, Geoffrey Lofthouse, served as the constituency's MP until his retirement at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
Votes
See also
- Pontefract and Castleford (UK Parliament constituency)Pontefract and Castleford (UK Parliament constituency)Pontefract and Castleford was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 2010 general election. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1950-1979)
- Berwick and East Lothian by-election, 1978Berwick and East Lothian by-election, 1978The Berwick and East Lothian by-election, 1978 was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Berwick and East Lothian in Scotland on 26 October 1978...