Trivia

[Phil Rodgers]

I'm hoping this is a suitable place for some electoral trivia questions. I have three, two of which relate to my home ward of Arbury in Cambridge.

1) What is the largest number of times someone has stood unsuccessfully for election in the UK? The Green candidate in Arbury, Stephen Lawrence, is making his 28th attempt at getting elected in Cambridge this year. This is a record for the city, but I expect the UK-wide record must be higher. And a bit of googling turns up the case of Dr. K. Padmarajan of Salem, Tamil Nadu, who has lost 214 elections since 1988.

2) What is the shortest average term length for someone who has been repeatedly elected to a UK first or second tier authority? Arbury's Labour candidate, Patrick Sheil, is standing this year for the fifth time since 2017, despite being elected at all four previous attempts. Cambridge elects by thirds and Arbury has three city councillors, with overlapping four-year terms. In 2017 Patrick won a by-election and inherited the final year of his predecessor's term; in 2018 he was re-elected; in 2021 there were (delayed) all-ups following boundary changes and he came third, getting only a one-year term; then in 2022 there were two vacancies due to one of his colleagues resigning, and he came second, getting a two-year term. He's up again this year and if he wins, as seems likely, he should finally get the full four years. Apart from Charles Bradlaugh has anyone had to face the voters this often?

3) What is the shortest interval between being elected and having to defend the seat in a subsequent election? The other side of Cambridge in Queen Edith's ward, Immy Blackburn-Horgan won a by-election on 23 November 2023, after her predecessor resigned just before the six-month rule kicked in. Her second polling day will be five months nine days after her first - but what's the shortest such interval?

[johnloony]

Apr 15, 2024 18:22:41 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

3) What is the shortest interval between being elected and having to defend the seat in a subsequent election? The other side of Cambridge in Queen Edith's ward, Immy Blackburn-Horgan won a by-election on 23 November 2023, after her predecessor resigned just before the six-month rule kicked in. Her second polling day will be five months nine days after her first - but what's the shortest such interval?

If you mean parliamentary elections, perhaps David Alton in the Liverpool Edge Hill by-election on 29th March 1979 and then in the general election on 3rd May 1979.

[matureleft]

Apr 15, 2024 18:22:41 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

I'm hoping this is a suitable place for some electoral trivia questions. I have three, two of which relate to my home ward of Arbury in Cambridge.

1) What is the largest number of times someone has stood unsuccessfully for election in the UK? The Green candidate in Arbury, Stephen Lawrence, is making his 28th attempt at getting elected in Cambridge this year. This is a record for the city, but I expect the UK-wide record must be higher. And a bit of googling turns up the case of Dr. K. Padmarajan of Salem, Tamil Nadu, who has lost 214 elections since 1988.

2) What is the shortest average term length for someone who has been repeatedly elected to a UK first or second tier authority? Arbury's Labour candidate, Patrick Sheil, is standing this year for the fifth time since 2017, despite being elected at all four previous attempts. Cambridge elects by thirds and Arbury has three city councillors, with overlapping four-year terms. In 2017 Patrick won a by-election and inherited the final year of his predecessor's term; in 2018 he was re-elected; in 2021 there were (delayed) all-ups following boundary changes and he came third, getting only a one-year term; then in 2022 there were two vacancies due to one of his colleagues resigning, and he came second, getting a two-year term. He's up again this year and if he wins, as seems likely, he should finally get the full four years. Apart from Charles Bradlaugh has anyone had to face the voters this often?

3) What is the shortest interval between being elected and having to defend the seat in a subsequent election? The other side of Cambridge in Queen Edith's ward, Immy Blackburn-Horgan won a by-election on 23 November 2023, after her predecessor resigned just before the six-month rule kicked in. Her second polling day will be five months nine days after her first - but what's the shortest such interval?

Eric Barrett-Payton must have chalked up a pretty large tally of unsuccessful attempts in Cambridge for city or county. He’s been standing since my time in the 1980s I think. 

[greenchristian]

Apr 15, 2024 18:22:41 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

I'm hoping this is a suitable place for some electoral trivia questions. I have three, two of which relate to my home ward of Arbury in Cambridge.

1) What is the largest number of times someone has stood unsuccessfully for election in the UK? The Green candidate in Arbury, Stephen Lawrence, is making his 28th attempt at getting elected in Cambridge this year. This is a record for the city, but I expect the UK-wide record must be higher. And a bit of googling turns up the case of Dr. K. Padmarajan of Salem, Tamil Nadu, who has lost 214 elections since 1988.

2) What is the shortest average term length for someone who has been repeatedly elected to a UK first or second tier authority? Arbury's Labour candidate, Patrick Sheil, is standing this year for the fifth time since 2017, despite being elected at all four previous attempts. Cambridge elects by thirds and Arbury has three city councillors, with overlapping four-year terms. In 2017 Patrick won a by-election and inherited the final year of his predecessor's term; in 2018 he was re-elected; in 2021 there were (delayed) all-ups following boundary changes and he came third, getting only a one-year term; then in 2022 there were two vacancies due to one of his colleagues resigning, and he came second, getting a two-year term. He's up again this year and if he wins, as seems likely, he should finally get the full four years. Apart from Charles Bradlaugh has anyone had to face the voters this often?

3) What is the shortest interval between being elected and having to defend the seat in a subsequent election? The other side of Cambridge in Queen Edith's ward, Immy Blackburn-Horgan won a by-election on 23 November 2023, after her predecessor resigned just before the six-month rule kicked in. Her second polling day will be five months nine days after her first - but what's the shortest such interval?

For 1 it's going to be hard to beat Screaming Lord Sutch (39 losses at Parliamentary level and presumably more at council level).

For 2, the shortest is likely to be somebody who won a by-election shortly before boundary changes on a by-thirds council, was the third candidate elected, and then was not re-elected a third time. The more elections you win, the nearer your average will get to four years.

[Phil Rodgers]

Apr 15, 2024 18:54:09 GMT matureleft said:

Apr 15, 2024 18:22:41 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

I'm hoping this is a suitable place for some electoral trivia questions. I have three, two of which relate to my home ward of Arbury in Cambridge.

1) What is the largest number of times someone has stood unsuccessfully for election in the UK? The Green candidate in Arbury, Stephen Lawrence, is making his 28th attempt at getting elected in Cambridge this year. This is a record for the city, but I expect the UK-wide record must be higher. And a bit of googling turns up the case of Dr. K. Padmarajan of Salem, Tamil Nadu, who has lost 214 elections since 1988.

2) What is the shortest average term length for someone who has been repeatedly elected to a UK first or second tier authority? Arbury's Labour candidate, Patrick Sheil, is standing this year for the fifth time since 2017, despite being elected at all four previous attempts. Cambridge elects by thirds and Arbury has three city councillors, with overlapping four-year terms. In 2017 Patrick won a by-election and inherited the final year of his predecessor's term; in 2018 he was re-elected; in 2021 there were (delayed) all-ups following boundary changes and he came third, getting only a one-year term; then in 2022 there were two vacancies due to one of his colleagues resigning, and he came second, getting a two-year term. He's up again this year and if he wins, as seems likely, he should finally get the full four years. Apart from Charles Bradlaugh has anyone had to face the voters this often?

3) What is the shortest interval between being elected and having to defend the seat in a subsequent election? The other side of Cambridge in Queen Edith's ward, Immy Blackburn-Horgan won a by-election on 23 November 2023, after her predecessor resigned just before the six-month rule kicked in. Her second polling day will be five months nine days after her first - but what's the shortest such interval?

Eric Barrett-Payton must have chalked up a pretty large tally of unsuccessful attempts in Cambridge for city or county. He’s been standing since my time in the 1980s I think. 

I made a graph for this year's Cambridge candidates here - 

- Eric is in fourth spot, though a bit further back in the all-time leaderboard (see www.cambridgeelections.org.uk/misc.htm#cand8)

[matureleft]

Apr 15, 2024 19:18:50 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

Apr 15, 2024 18:54:09 GMT matureleft said:

Eric Barrett-Payton must have chalked up a pretty large tally of unsuccessful attempts in Cambridge for city or county. He’s been standing since my time in the 1980s I think. 

I made a graph for this year's Cambridge candidates here - 

- Eric is in fourth spot, though a bit further back in the all-time leaderboard (see www.cambridgeelections.org.uk/misc.htm#cand8)

Some great work there!! I’d forgotten that he’d won a couple of times. 

I used to claim that I’d won the highest vote in a city council election that didn’t coincide with a General Election, but I suspect I was wrong. 

[J.G.Harston]

Apr 15, 2024 18:46:56 GMT johnloony said:

Apr 15, 2024 18:22:41 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

3) What is the shortest interval between being elected and having to defend the seat in a subsequent election? The other side of Cambridge in Queen Edith's ward, Immy Blackburn-Horgan won a by-election on 23 November 2023, after her predecessor resigned just before the six-month rule kicked in. Her second polling day will be five months nine days after her first - but what's the shortest such interval?

If you mean parliamentary elections, perhaps David Alton in the Liverpool Edge Hill by-election on 29th March 1979 and then in the general election on 3rd May 1979.

I had thought the David Penhaligan by-election in March 1987, but that one beats it, particularly as the 1987 GE was in June.

[J.G.Harston]

Apr 15, 2024 18:59:44 GMT greenchristian said:

For 2, the shortest is likely to be somebody who won a by-election shortly before boundary changes on a by-thirds council, was the third candidate elected, and then was not re-elected a third time. The more elections you win, the nearer your average will get to four years.

I was sure there was a Sheffield example, but can't find it. I remember discussing it with somebody that went:

Year 1: elected, one year to boundary changes

Year 2: all-ups, won in third place, two year term

Year 3: gap

Year 4: 3-year member from all-ups resigned, double-vacancy, came second, one year term

Year 5: lost

So, won 3 times in a 4-year term.

I stood for election four times in a four-year period:

2003: defended council seat, won

2004: all-ups, came 3rd with two-year term

2005: stood for Parliament

2006: defended council seat, won

[johnloony]

Apr 15, 2024 19:18:50 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

[I made a graph for this year's Cambridge candidates here - 

- Eric is in fourth spot, though a bit further back in the all-time leaderboard (see www.cambridgeelections.org.uk/misc.htm#cand8)

There must be big differences between the places which elections-by-thirds and all-out. In local elections in Croydon I stood as aa candidate in 5 main local elections and 10 by-elections. I sometimes wonder if that’s more than anyone else in Croydon, but I haven’t gone through the records to check.

[Phil Rodgers]

And another thing! I've just realised that three of the four candidates in Queen Edith's ward, Cambridge have hyphenated surnames. Has this ever been exceeded?

Eric Barrett-Payton (Conservative)
Immy Blackburn-Horgan (Lib Dem)
Oliver Fisher (Green)
Bethany Gardiner-Smith (Labour)

[greatkingrat]

Brighton (Rottingdean Coastal) had 4 in 2019 - Jane Chetwynd-Appleton (Lab), Ruby Jackson-Hall (Grn), Matthew Traini-Cobb (Grn), Florence Traini-Cobb (Grn)

That was 4/12 though (and 2 of them were presumably related) so perhaps not quite so impressive.

[edgbaston]

Apr 15, 2024 21:06:13 GMT J.G.Harston said:

Apr 15, 2024 18:59:44 GMT greenchristian said:

For 2, the shortest is likely to be somebody who won a by-election shortly before boundary changes on a by-thirds council, was the third candidate elected, and then was not re-elected a third time. The more elections you win, the nearer your average will get to four years.

I was sure there was a Sheffield example, but can't find it. I remember discussing it with somebody that went:

Year 1: elected, one year to boundary changes

Year 2: all-ups, won in third place, two year term

Year 3: gap

Year 4: 3-year member from all-ups resigned, double-vacancy, came second, one year term

Year 5: lost

So, won 3 times in a 4-year term.

I stood for election four times in a four-year period:

2003: defended council seat, won

2004: all-ups, came 3rd with two-year term

2005: stood for Parliament

2006: defended council seat, won

That is seriously rough for that candidate. I can understand the logic in all ups on new boundaries of having everyone on the one ballot paper. It is after all a general ‘reset’. But when there’s a casual vacancy there should probably be two separate elections for each class of seat to prevent this switching.

[hullenedge]

Calderdale didn't have an all out election in 1980 unlike Bradford and Leeds. The sitting councillors were reallocated to the new wards with a full election for the new 18th ward. This was said to be a cost saving exercise but possible my side hoped to retain more seats.
Further back Halifax CB had a reallocation rather than all outs in 1952. Some councillors were assigned to wards not adjoining their old patches. Said to have followed their electors after slum clearances.

[Rutlander]

Apr 15, 2024 18:22:41 GMT Phil Rodgers said:

I'm hoping this is a suitable place for some electoral trivia questions. I have three, two of which relate to my home ward of Arbury in Cambridge.

1) What is the largest number of times someone has stood unsuccessfully for election in the UK? The Green candidate in Arbury, Stephen Lawrence, is making his 28th attempt at getting elected in Cambridge this year. This is a record for the city, but I expect the UK-wide record must be higher. And a bit of googling turns up the case of Dr. K. Padmarajan of Salem, Tamil Nadu, who has lost 214 elections since 1988.

2) What is the shortest average term length for someone who has been repeatedly elected to a UK first or second tier authority? Arbury's Labour candidate, Patrick Sheil, is standing this year for the fifth time since 2017, despite being elected at all four previous attempts. Cambridge elects by thirds and Arbury has three city councillors, with overlapping four-year terms. In 2017 Patrick won a by-election and inherited the final year of his predecessor's term; in 2018 he was re-elected; in 2021 there were (delayed) all-ups following boundary changes and he came third, getting only a one-year term; then in 2022 there were two vacancies due to one of his colleagues resigning, and he came second, getting a two-year term. He's up again this year and if he wins, as seems likely, he should finally get the full four years. Apart from Charles Bradlaugh has anyone had to face the voters this often?

3) What is the shortest interval between being elected and having to defend the seat in a subsequent election? The other side of Cambridge in Queen Edith's ward, Immy Blackburn-Horgan won a by-election on 23 November 2023, after her predecessor resigned just before the six-month rule kicked in. Her second polling day will be five months nine days after her first - but what's the shortest such interval?

How about John Peck in Nottingham. In 1955 he began regularly contesting the Bulwell ward and, in 1987, Peck finally won the seat of Bulwell East for CPGB, at his 36th attempt. From 1988 to 1990, with the council consisting of an equal number of Labour and Conservatives, Peck effectively held the casting vote

In 1990, Peck defected to the Green Party and he held his seat at three elections, until he retired in 1997. He contested 49 elections at various levels, a record acknowledged by the Guinness Book of Records.


Edited to add link en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Peck_(politician)

[The Bishop]

Your link redirects to this page.....

[Rutlander]

Apr 30, 2024 12:13:51 GMT The Bishop said:

Your link redirects to this page.....

Edited now to link to Wikipedia page

[swingometer]

This has to be the most damaging minor party candidate if it’s the same person…

Michael Phillips
Milton Keynes North East 1997
Referendum Party - 1,492 votes
Labour majority - 240 votes

Michael Phillips
Hastings and Rye 2017
UK Independence Party - 1,479 votes
Conservative majority 346 votes
Close but not quite this time…


Ironically if Peter Butler and Barry Legg switched seats the Tories would’ve held on.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

They were both named Michael Sheridan Phillips, so I'd think it's fairly likely they were the same candidate.

[David Ashforth]

Apr 13, 2024 11:37:19 GMT David Ashforth said:

Barnsley Archives and Local Studies: "We're celebrating 50 years of Barnsley Council with a small display in our reception area.

The council was formally established on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The act brought major changes to the local government system and reduced the number of councils from 1245 to 412."

[Pete Whitehead]

May 13, 2024 10:37:47 GMT David Ashforth said:

Apr 13, 2024 11:37:19 GMT David Ashforth said:

Barnsley Archives and Local Studies: "We're celebrating 50 years of Barnsley Council with a small display in our reception area.

The council was formally established on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The act brought major changes to the local government system and reduced the number of councils from 1245 to 412."

There can't be many other boroughs that have as many (or more) previous councils in their area as this. (Certainly not of those created in 1974 anyway. Obviously some of the newer Unitaries like Cornwall and Shropshire will have)