Trivia

[The Bishop]

Labour MP for Sedgefield also lost out in 1974 that way IIRC? Of course, the identically named seat (and similar in other ways) was re-created just a decade later

[Davıd Boothroyd]

David Reed was considered the favourite for the last-minute selection in Blyth Valley before the February 1974 election, but lost out to Ivor Richard.

[neilm]

Anthony Steen moved due to Wavertree being abolished but got selected in the South Hams, which replaced Mawby's Totnes seat. Mawby spied for the Czechoslovaks during the 1960s but this didn't come out until years later.

[finsobruce]

Aug 11, 2016 15:54:08 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

David Reed was considered the favourite for the last-minute selection in Blyth Valley before the February 1974 election, but lost out to Ivor Richard.

Ah, poor old David Reed. Second most famous ex MP for Sedgefield.

[finsobruce]

Aug 11, 2016 15:31:32 GMT greenhert said:

MPs forced out by boundary changes (1983)

David Myles (Conservative, Banffshire; tried to win Orkney & Shetland from the Liberals but lost to their candidate, James Wallace)
John Tilley (Labour, Lambeth Central; fought against Liberal MP Simon Hughes in Bermondsey and lost)
Neil Carmichael (Labour, Glasgow Kelvingrove; fought against SDP MP Roy Jenkins in Glasgow Hillhead and lost)
George Morton (Labour, Manchester Moss Side)
Charles Morris (Labour, Manchester Openshaw)
Helen McElhone (Labour, Glasgow Queen's Park; she had won that seat in a by-election less than a year previously)
Keith Wickenden (Conservative, Dorking; he died later that year in a plane crash)
John Horam (SDP, Gateshead West; fought Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central and lost; he returned as Conservative MP for Orpington nine years later)
Jeffrey Thomas (SDP, Abertillery; fought Cardiff West and lost)
John Roper (SDP, Farnworth; fought Worsley and lost)
Richard Crawshaw (SDP, Liverpool Toxteth; fought Liverpool Broadgreen and lost)
James Dunn (SDP, Liverpool Kirkdale)
Ray Mawby (Conservative, Totnes)
Jock Bruce-Gardyne (Conservative, Knutsford)
Sheila Faith (Conservative, Belper)
Joel Barnett (Labour, Heywood & Royton)
Sheila Wright (Labour, Birmingham Handsworth)
Thomas Benyon (Conservative, Abingdon)
Michael Brotherton (Conservative, Louth)
Geraint Morgan (Conservative, Denbigh)
John Grant (SDP, Islington Central)
Michael O'Halloran (Independent Labour, Islington North; he initially joined the SDP but when the selection contest came for the new version of Islington North, he lost it to John Grant)
Marcus Kimball (Conservative, Gainsborough)
David Watkins (Labour, Consett)
Andrew McMahon (Labour, Glasgow Govan)
Dr Edmund Marshall (Labour, Goole)
Albert Stallard (Labour, St Pancras North).

Didn't Marshall join the SDP too?

[The Bishop]

Yes, but only after stepping down as an MP.

[AdminSTB]

Aug 11, 2016 17:01:02 GMT finsobruce said:

Aug 11, 2016 15:54:08 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

David Reed was considered the favourite for the last-minute selection in Blyth Valley before the February 1974 election, but lost out to Ivor Richard.

Ah, poor old David Reed. Second most famous ex MP for Sedgefield.

A big part of me wanted him to stand in the 2007 by-election, when he was still only 62; he could have made a record as the MP with the longest gap in service.

[finsobruce]

Aug 11, 2016 19:31:31 GMT AdminSTB said:

Aug 11, 2016 17:01:02 GMT finsobruce said:

Ah, poor old David Reed. Second most famous ex MP for Sedgefield.

A big part of me wanted him to stand in the 2007 by-election, when he was still only 62; he could have made a record as the MP with the longest gap in service.

Some people just have no consideration for psephologists do they?

[greenhert]

MPs forced out by boundary changes (1997)

John Wheeler (Conservative, Westminster North; his seat was changed to Regent's Park and Kensington North which would be notionally Labour by a substantial margin)
Nigel Spearing (Labour, Newham South; lost selection in Poplar & Canning Town to Jim Fitzpatrick)
Mildred Gordon (Labour, Bow & Poplar; see above)

John Fraser (Labour, Norwood; ousted by Tessa Jowell in selection for Dulwich & West Norwood)
Norman Lamont (Conservative, Kingston-upon-Thames; fought Harrogate and lost to the Liberal Democrats' Phil Willis. Ironically, the Conservative MP who defeated him in the selection for Kingston and Surbiton, Richard Tracey, also lost to the Liberal Democrats)
Hartley Booth (Conservative, Finchley; lost selection contest to John Marshall, then MP for Hendon South)
Cyril Townsend (Conservative, Bexleyheath; presumably lost selection to Erith & Crayford's Conservative MP, David Evennett)
Mike Watson (Labour, Glasgow Central; lost selection contest in Glasgow Govan to Mohammed Sarwar)

Jimmy Dunnachie (Labour, Glasgow Pollok; see above)
Winston Churchill II (Conservative, Davyhulme)

Michael Stephen (Conservative, Shoreham)
John Butcher (Conservative, Coventry South West)
Bryan Davies (Labour, Oldham Central & Royton; lost selection to Oldham West's MP, Michael Meacher)

David Alton (Liberal Democrat, Liverpool Mossley Hill) is a special case in this regard. His constituency was abolished in 1997 but he would have likely been selected for Liverpool Riverside or Liverpool Wavertree had he chosen to contest either; both had parts of his old constituency and neither had a rival Liberal Democrat MP. But because of the nature of his personal vote, he could not have realistically won either seat from Labour in 1997. Thus he stood down and accepted a life peerage.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Aug 11, 2016 21:02:20 GMT greenhert said:

MPs forced out by boundary changes (1997)

John Wheeler (Conservative, Westminster North; his seat was changed to Regent's Park and Kensington North which would be notionally Labour by a substantial margin)

Not such a substantial margin; it was close enough to still be a Labour key seat in the 1997 election.

[Pete Whitehead]

John Marshall in Hendon South (and who became candidate for Finchley & GG in 1997) John Gorst was Hendon North/Hendon

[greenhert]

MPs forced out by boundary changes (2010)

Eddie O'Hara (Labour, Knowsley South; lost selection contest in Knowsley to George Howarth, Labour MP for Knowsley North & Sefton East)
Ian Stewart (Labour, Eccles; lost selection contest in Salford & Eccles to Hazel Blears, Labour MP for Salford)
John Greenway (Conservative, Ryedale; lost selection contest for Thirsk & Malton to Anne McIntosh)
Dawn Butler (Labour, Brent South; fought Brent Central against Sarah Teather, then Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East; Sarah won but Dawn recaptured Brent Central in 2015 after Sarah stood down)

Worthy of mention also is James Brokenshire, whose Hornchurch constituency was abolished and had to go through seven different selections before Derek Conway ended up having to stand down as MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup; James won that selection and could have considered himself very lucky indeed. Also, the voluntary retirements of Lynne Jones and Michael Clapham were indirectly connected with boundary changes.

and also in 2005 in Scotland:

Malcolm Savidge (Labour, Aberdeen North; lost selection to Aberdeen Central's MP, Frank Doran)
Peter Duncan (Conservative, Galloway & Upper Nithsdale; fought Dumfries & Galloway against Labour MP Russell Brown and lost)
John Lyons (Labour, Strathkelvin & Bearsden; fought Dunbartonshire East but lost to Liberal Democrat candidate Jo Swinson)
Bill Tynan (Labour, Hamilton South)
Annabelle Ewing (SNP, Perth; fought Ochil & South Perthshire but lost to Labour candidate Gordon Banks)

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Fraser Kemp stood down, unconnected with boundary changes. He might well have won a selection had he stood. See www.sunderlandecho.com/news/wearside-mp-to-stand-down-1-1154279

Ian Stewart got the Salford Mayoralty largely as a compensation for losing his seat, I thought. The selection was done before Hazel Blears's expenses problems and her resignation from the cabinet; it might have had a different result if it had been after.

[Deleted]

Aug 11, 2016 21:02:20 GMT greenhert said:

MPs forced out by boundary changes (1997)

John Wheeler (Conservative, Westminster North; his seat was changed to Regent's Park and Kensington North which would be notionally Labour by a substantial margin)
Nigel Spearing (Labour, Newham South; lost selection in Poplar & Canning Town to Jim Fitzpatrick)
Mildred Gordon (Labour, Bow & Poplar)
Norman Lamont (Conservative, Kingston-upon-Thames; fought Harrogate and lost to the Liberal Democrats' Phil Willis)
Hartley Booth (Conservative, Finchley; lost selection contest to John Marshall, then MP for Hendon South)
Cyril Townsend (Conservative, Bexleyheath; presumably lost selection to Erith & Crayford's Conservative MP, David Evennett)
Mike Watson (Labour, Glasgow Central; lost selection contest in Glasgow Govan to Mohammed Sarwar)
Winston Churchill II (Conservative, Davyhulme)
John Butcher (Conservative, Coventry South West)
Bryan Davies (Labour, Oldham Central & Royton; lost selection to Oldham West's MP, Michael Meacher)

I honestly can't remember, but did Michael Stephen (Shoreham, Con) announce he wouldn't stand again or get deselected for the East Worthing & Shoreham seat? If it was the former, it would only have been to avoid the latter

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Aug 11, 2016 23:35:12 GMT jamesdoyle said:

I honestly can't remember, but did Michael Stephen (Shoreham, Con) announce he wouldn't stand again or get deselected for the East Worthing & Shoreham seat? If it was the former, it would only have been to avoid the latter

It was partly cock-up and partly conspiracy. The old Shoreham seat was wrenched apart, and Michael Stephen decided that he would try for Worthing West (which took a smaller part but had most of his supporters, and was vacant because Sir Terence Higgins was retiring). But the executive of Worthing West Conservative Association kept him off the shortlist, and it proceeded to select Peter Bottomley who was abandoning Eltham. Michael Stephen then turned back to Worthing East and Shoreham, which was the larger part of his old seat, only to find that they had selected Tim Loughton and weren't going to change. He then offered himself around the country for several vacant seats before reluctantly abandoning the search.

[neilm]

I thought Mildred Gordon stood down, or was that connected with boundary changes?

[LDCaerdydd]

Can someone help me out?

There used to be a seat (I want to say City of London) who's MP was traditionally allowed to sit on the front bench during the budget for some bizarre historical reason.

Anyone know where and why?

I'm sure I haven't made this up!

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Aug 12, 2016 12:05:53 GMT LDCaerdydd said:

Can someone help me out?

There used to be a seat (I want to say City of London) who's MP was traditionally allowed to sit on the front bench during the budget for some bizarre historical reason.

Anyone know where and why?

I'm sure I haven't made this up!

It was a tradition that the MPs for the City of London used to be able to sit on the Treasury Bench, regardless of their party allegiance or whether they were in government.

Here's a reference from the Gentleman's Magazine for January 1819.

[LDCaerdydd]

Muchas gracias, impressive knowledge as ever.

A metaphorical beer is winging it's way in your direction as I type.

[hullenedge]

Another proposal for London 'Super Boroughs' from 1947, Cole's Local & Regional Government

www.dropbox.com/sh/boy75s8315k58gb/AAB3NrLH5if15GCvlXBoTvHsa?dl=0