Ronald Buxton (UK politician)
Encyclopedia
Ronald Carlile Buxton is a former Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
. He was a Member of Parliament
for a little over a year, after winning an unexpected victory in by-election
in 1965.
Buxton was the Conservative candidate in the safe Labour
constituency of Leyton
at the 1955 general election
, losing by over 8,000 votes to the long-serving Labour MP Reginald Sorensen
. He was unsuccessful again at the 1959 election
and at the 1964 general election
, when Sorensen's majority was nearly 8,000 votes.
Shortly after the election in October, Sorensen was persuaded to accept a life peer
age to make way in a safe seat for the Foreign Secretary Patrick Gordon Walker
, who had lost his seat in Smethwick
. However, the plan failed and on 25 January Buxton won the 1965 Leyton by-election
by a narrow margin of only 205 votes, on a reduced turnout. David Dimbleby
, who would later become famous as the anchor for the BBC Election results programmes from 1997 onwards, reported the result live from a snowy Leyton town hall for the BBC
.
Gordon Walker regained the seat for Labour at the 1966 general election
, with a comfortable majority. Buxton stood again at the 1970 election
, but lost again, by over 5,000 votes.
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...
politician in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He was a 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,...
for a little over a year, after winning an unexpected victory in by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1965.
Buxton was the Conservative candidate in the safe 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...
constituency of Leyton
Leyton (UK Parliament constituency)
Leyton was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Leyton in North-East 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 system.-History:...
at the 1955 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
, losing by over 8,000 votes to the long-serving Labour MP Reginald Sorensen
Reginald Sorensen, Baron Sorensen
Reginald William Sorensen, Baron Sorensen was a Unitarian minister and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament for over thirty years between 1929 and 1964....
. He was unsuccessful again at the 1959 election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
and at the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, when Sorensen's majority was nearly 8,000 votes.
Shortly after the election in October, Sorensen was persuaded to accept a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
age to make way in a safe seat for the Foreign Secretary Patrick Gordon Walker
Patrick Gordon Walker
Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker, Baron Gordon-Walker CH, PC was a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament for nearly thirty years, and served twice as a Cabinet minister...
, who had lost his seat in Smethwick
Smethwick (UK Parliament constituency)
Smethwick was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Smethwick in Staffordshire. 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....
. However, the plan failed and on 25 January Buxton won the 1965 Leyton by-election
Leyton by-election, 1965
The Leyton by-election, 1965 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21 January 1965 for the British House of Commons constituency of Leyton in east London....
by a narrow margin of only 205 votes, on a reduced turnout. David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby is a British BBC TV commentator and a presenter of current affairs and political programmes, most notably the BBC's flagship political show Question Time, and more recently, art, architectural history and history series...
, who would later become famous as the anchor for the BBC Election results programmes from 1997 onwards, reported the result live from a snowy Leyton town hall for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Gordon Walker regained the seat for Labour at the 1966 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, with a comfortable majority. Buxton stood again at the 1970 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...
, but lost again, by over 5,000 votes.