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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 15:57:54 GMT
Pretty self-explanatory.
For me it’s Mitcham & Morden 1982 or Copeland 2017.
Crosby 1981 must’ve been pretty exciting to live through. It must’ve seemed like the SDP-Liberal Alliance could actually “break the mould” to wheel out a hackneyed platitude from 1981-82.
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Post by johnloony on Mar 9, 2018 18:09:08 GMT
1983 Bermondsey: the first by-election i was properly aware of. I was fascinated by the long list of candidates with their strange party descriptions. Obviously it turned into the epic battle between Tatchell and Hughes.
May 1984: 3 by-elections on the same day. The first time I was allowed to stay up late to watch the results. The clearest memory of that night was Ann Clwyd saying that her result was "another nail in Mrs Thatcher's cofffin" because it was an increased Labour majority "despite the lower turnout".
1985: Brecon & Radnor: Labour looked as if it was heading for a big win, then the Lib Dems surged ahead and it became a three-way marginal with Conservative dropping to 3rd place. It was one of the by-elections which the media called "sensational".
1988: Glasgow Govan. After discovering parliamentary by-elections in 1983, I had waited a whole parliament without there being any in Scotland. Then one came along. When the Labour MP resigned, the news report said in a low-key way that "the main challenge to Labour is likely to come from the Scottish National Party" (which I understood, even though the SNP was starting in 4th place with 10% of the votes). Not much excitement during the campaign, but then the result when they said that the SNP was going to win.
1989: Richmond Yorkshire. During the Liberal / SDP merger process, I had always been strongly in favour of merger of the two parties (although I was never a member of either of them) and at that time I was very profoundly angry at what I considered to be the breathtakingly undemocratic impertinence of the minority of the SDP in wanting to continue with a separate party, instead of accepting the democratic will of the majority of the SDP in wanting to merge. At that time, I rather liked it when the Lib Dems won by-elections with big swings, but on this occasion I ws glad that the SDP had brought about its own defeat by splitting the vote and "letting in" the Conservative (William Hague). It created a great deal of resentment and it was an important factor in killing off the continuing-SDP a year later.
1990: Upper Bann and Bootle, where the SDP got 154 and 155 votes respectively.
1990: Eastbourne, where the voters punished the Conservative campaign for sort-of implying that a vote for the Lib Dems was a vote for the IRA.
1990: Bootle again. Hahaha when the Returning Officer accidentally gave the Labour vote as 2,052 instead of 22,052.
1993: Newbury. A huge majority for the Lib Dems.
1994: five by-elections on the same day, with big swings to Labour in seats which were already safe. One bit of excitement (in a bad way) was 7% for John Tyndall in Dagenham.
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Post by No Offence Alan on Mar 9, 2018 18:16:41 GMT
2006. Dunfermline and West Fife.
We had just had Charles Kennedy resign as leader, and there were sub-optimal revelations about two of the main contenders to replace him (Mark Oaten and Simon Hughes).
I understand we were still 8-1 against at the bookies as the returning officer climbed on to the stage to give the result.
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Post by johnloony on Mar 9, 2018 18:17:38 GMT
2007: Ealing Southall was the most enjoyable of all the by-elections I stood in.
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Post by johnloony on Mar 9, 2018 18:20:33 GMT
I want to say also Copeland 2017, because of the obvious historical importance of a gain by a government party from the main opposition. But it is overshadowed by the subsequent overwhelming annoyance of the unnecessary general election which followed it.
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Post by finsobruce on Mar 9, 2018 18:36:41 GMT
2006. Dunfermline and West Fife. We had just had Charles Kennedy resign as leader, and there were sub-optimal revelations about two of the main contenders to replace him (Mark Oaten and Simon Hughes). I understand we were still 8-1 against at the bookies as the returning officer climbed on to the stage to give the result. "Those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end we'd sing and dance forever and a day" |
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Post by casualobserver on Mar 9, 2018 18:52:35 GMT
Ashfield 1977.
The Labour government was surviving increasingly precariously. Every by-election loss was another nail in the Government's survival. The Great Grimsby by election on the same day gave a great chance for another by-election gain for the opposition, Labour was far from popular and the necessary 7.6% swing appeared very achievable. The two main parties both threw the kitchen sink at the seat and the BBC had one of its Election Night Specials to cover this potentially important by-election, including covering the declaration of the count. In the event Austin Mitchell was a good enough local candidate (and well-known local TV presenter) to hold the swing against Labour to 7%.
As the studio guests debated the Government's success in avoiding the seat loss, Robin Day announced with great surprise that Labour's 22,000 majority in Ashfield had been overturned with a 20%+ swing, although the BBC hadn't felt it worthwhile to televise the declaration there. It changed the whole tone of the post-declaration discussion in the studio!
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Post by gwynthegriff on Mar 9, 2018 19:02:06 GMT
Ashfield 1977. The Labour government was surviving increasingly precariously. Every by-election loss was another nail in the Government's survival. The Great Grimsby by election on the same day gave a great chance for another by-election gain for the opposition, Labour was far from popular and the necessary 7.6% swing appeared very achievable. The two main parties both threw the kitchen sink at the seat and the BBC had one of its Election Night Specials to cover this potentially important by-election, including covering the declaration of the count. In the event Austin Mitchell was a good enough local candidate (and well-known local TV presenter) to hold the swing against Labour to 7%. As the studio guests debated the Government's success in avoiding the seat loss, Robin Day announced with great surprise that Labour's 22,000 majority in Ashfield had been overturned with a 20%+ swing, although the BBC hadn't felt it worthwhile to televise the declaration there. It changed the whole tone of the post-declaration discussion in the studio!
"I thought you were taking him with you?"People punish those who precipitate unnecessary elections. Take note May. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 19:02:50 GMT
I'm going to indulge in memory.
Preston 2000 happened only five months after I had joined the Liberal Democrats. Suddenly I was plunged into the world I had only previously known through the TV or internet. From leaflet dropping to being at the count, I was inside the tough and tumble of campaigning and I really enjoyed it.
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Post by gwynthegriff on Mar 9, 2018 19:04:25 GMT
2006. Dunfermline and West Fife. We had just had Charles Kennedy resign as leader, and there were sub-optimal revelations about two of the main contenders to replace him (Mark Oaten and Simon Hughes). I understand we were still 8-1 against at the bookies as the returning officer climbed on to the stage to give the result. And you have to love any byelection where the coal carrying skill of the candidate is aired. |
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Post by casualobserver on Mar 9, 2018 19:13:14 GMT
Leyton 1965.
Labour returned to power in 1964 with a small majority. But they unexpectedly lost in Smethwick in one of the most shameful election campaigns ever by a Conservative candidate. Labour's defeated candidate there, Shadow Foreign Secretary Patrick Gordon Walker, had been certain to be the new Foreign Secretary in a new Labour government. Harold Wilson took what still seems the remarkable step of appointing Gordon Walker as Foreign Secreary despite his being neither an MP nor a member of the Lords. This created real difficulties, so Labour sought to regularise the Foreign Secretary's position by elevating a long-term Labour loyalist to the Lords, creating a vacancy for Gordon Smith in the safe Leyton constituency which had a Labour majority of 8,000 and which had returned a Labour MP since it was created in 1950.
This was portayed by Conservatives as being cynically opportunistic, and this feeling was shared by the Leyton electorate: The Foreign Secretary lost the byelection by 205 votes and was forced to resign as Foreign Secretary.
In the General Election the following year Patrick Gordon Walker easily regained the seat for Labour, but he never got back to the highest offices of State and in fact was to serve in the cabinet for only two years.
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spqr
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Post by spqr on Mar 9, 2018 20:06:09 GMT
2006. Dunfermline and West Fife. We had just had Charles Kennedy resign as leader, and there were sub-optimal revelations about two of the main contenders to replace him (Mark Oaten and Simon Hughes). I understand we were still 8-1 against at the bookies as the returning officer climbed on to the stage to give the result. "Those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end we'd sing and dance forever and a day" A song that was a personal favourite of the Equatoguinean dictator Macias Nguema - he was said to have had it played over football stadium loudspeakers while executing 150 of his opponents by firing squad. Still, I would rather have that than be serenaded to my death by Lionel Richie.... who was Gaddafi's top choice. |
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Post by Andrew_S on Mar 9, 2018 20:08:40 GMT
Ashfield 1977. The Labour government was surviving increasingly precariously. Every by-election loss was another nail in the Government's survival. The Great Grimsby by election on the same day gave a great chance for another by-election gain for the opposition, Labour was far from popular and the necessary 7.6% swing appeared very achievable. The two main parties both threw the kitchen sink at the seat and the BBC had one of its Election Night Specials to cover this potentially important by-election, including covering the declaration of the count. In the event Austin Mitchell was a good enough local candidate (and well-known local TV presenter) to hold the swing against Labour to 7%. As the studio guests debated the Government's success in avoiding the seat loss, Robin Day announced with great surprise that Labour's 22,000 majority in Ashfield had been overturned with a 20%+ swing, although the BBC hadn't felt it worthwhile to televise the declaration there. It changed the whole tone of the post-declaration discussion in the studio! |
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k9
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Post by k9 on Mar 9, 2018 20:14:33 GMT
Newbury 1993 - my school was in the constituency and visited by Don Foster and David Rendel. Also Julian Davidson two days before poll. I was told to go to bed instead of staying up to see the result. It was the first time I had been aware of politics and why the teachers were so keen for the Conservative to lose.
Christchurch was the first time I took active part in any by-election. Romsey and Winchester for delivering around some really nice villages. Big contrast with one with lots of tower blocks which I can’t remember where but may have been Leeds Central.
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 9, 2018 20:22:58 GMT
Newbury 1993 - my school was in the constituency and visited by Don Foster and David Rendel. Also Julian Davidson two days before poll. I was told to go to bed instead of staying up to see the result. You were wise to. It wasn't declared until 4:20 AM and the BBC TV coverage had already ended (there was no BBC News channel). The result was carried live on BBC Radio 2. |
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Post by cherrycoffin on Mar 9, 2018 20:23:08 GMT
Richmond Park 2016 - first by-election I really followed/was aware of. Was great to see a gain (obviously) and Goldsmith’s loss (obviously) but will be primarily remembered for the somewhat inebriated celebrations with a few friends on campus. We’re students, what else are we to do?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 20:24:23 GMT
I’m 24 so I can’t remember many spectacular ones. In fact the only spectacular one I remember is Bradford West in 2012. That said, although I was never a supporter of UKIP and I was a lukewarm EU supporter at the time, I found the UKIP ones very exciting because this party that had been written off as fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists by D.C. were humiliating the PM. I have to admit even though I was a supporter of D.C. to the end I was more than a little satisfied that his sneering cosmopolitanism had come back to bite him😂. So to recap my favourites are Bradford West 2012, Clacton 2014 and Rochester and Strood 2014.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 20:29:05 GMT
Richmond Park 2016 - first by-election I really followed/was aware of. Was great to see a gain (obviously) and Goldsmith’s loss (obviously) but will be primarily remembered for the somewhat inebriated celebrations with a few friends on campus. We’re students, what else are we to do? The first time I was forced to eat humble pie by the bowlful - and not the last! |
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Post by finsobruce on Mar 9, 2018 20:30:19 GMT
"Those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end we'd sing and dance forever and a day" Still, I would rather have that than be serenaded to my death by Lionel Richie.... who was Gaddafi's top choice. What a depressing thought. Still at least it wasn't "Knock,knock - who's there?" |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 20:34:56 GMT
Got to be Copeland for me for obvious reasons, I found Richmond Park oddly satisfying as well. The first by election I remember being aware of was the Glenrothes by election, can't recall the details, I just remember having a good laugh at the SNP failing to gain the seat after being hyped up.
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