The Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1973 was a parliamentary by-election held on 8th November1973 for the British House of Commons constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed. A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. 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 In the United Kingdom (UK, each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly Berwick-upon-Tweed is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The by-election took place during the 1970s Liberal Party revival. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party This was the fifth Liberal gain during the 1970-1974 Parliament.
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Previous MP
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Antony Claud Frederick Lambton, resigned following a private scandal. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Antony Claud Frederick Lambton (10 July 1922 &ndash 30 December 2006 briefly 6th Earl of Durham, styled before 1970 as Viscount Lambton, and widely known as "Lord To resign from the House of Commons he asked to be appointed to the sinecure office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, which appointment was made on 1 June 1973. This is a list of the names and constituencies of Members of Parliament (MPs appointed as Bailiff and Steward of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The Stewardship is a notional office of profit under the Crown, appointment to which vacates an MPs seat in Parliament. Lambton, a Conservative, had been MP for the constituency since 1951.
Antony Lambton (10 July 1922 – 30 December 2006), was briefly the 6th Earl of Durham in 1970 but disclaimed that title to remain in the House of Commons. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Earl of Durham is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was known before 1970 by the courtesy title of Viscount Lambton, a style he continued to claim after renouncing his peerage. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of Nobility used by children former wives and other close relatives of a peer.
Candidates
Five candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.
1. The Liberal Party candidate was Alan James Beith, born on 20 April 1943. Sir Alan James Beith (born 20 April 1943 Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was a lecturer in politics and a local Councillor. Beith had contested the constituency in the 1970 general election,
Beith won the by-election, in a seat in which he had finished third in the 1970 general election. Opinion poll summary ORC (Opinion Research Council Conservative lead of 1%Harris (Express Newspapers Labour lead of 2%NOP He has retained the seat since the by-election and (in 2007) is the longest serving current Liberal Democrat MP.
Beith was the Liberal Party Chief Whip 1977-1985 and Deputy Leader 1985-1988. The Chief Whip is a political office in some Legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of Following the formation of the (Social and) Liberal Democrats in 1988, he contested the party leadership. Beith subsequently became Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Party, a post he left in 2003.
2. The Conservative candidate was J. D. M. Hardie. He had previously contested the Scottish seats of West Stirlingshire in 1966 and Berwickshire and East Lothian in 1970. Berwick and East Lothian was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, until it was replaced by East Lothian
After losing the by-election, Hardie again contested the seat in the February 1974 general election. Results |} Total votes 31321982 All parties are shown The seats won by the Ulster Unionists are compared with those won by Unionist MPs in the 1970 election
3. The Labour Party was represented by Dr Gordon Johnston Adam, a mining engineer (born 28 March 1934). The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Dr Gordon Johnston Adam (born 28 March 1934) is a British mining engineer and Labour Party politician Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. At the 1966 general election, Adam was the Labour Party candidate for the Tynemouth constituency. National opinion poll summary Research Services: 3% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 101National Opinion Polls: 3 Tynemouth is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
In August 1973, he was chosen to fight the byelection in Berwick-upon-Tweed, and decided to focus on the issues of housing and prices. [1] The Times Diary noted that Labour had drafted 13 professionals in to lead their campaign but described Adam as "a charm-free technocrat". [2] Adam saw Labour overtaken by the Liberal Party who narrowly won the seat; he took comfort that the Labour vote had held firm. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party [3]
Adam again contested the constituency in the February 1974 general election. Results |} Total votes 31321982 All parties are shown The seats won by the Ulster Unionists are compared with those won by Unionist MPs in the 1970 election He was a member of the European Parliament from 1979 until he retired in 2004 (apart from six months in 1999).
4. T. G. Symonds was an Independent candidate.
5. R. Goodall was an Independent candidate. He had previously contested the West Derbyshire by-election, 1967 and the Macclesfield by-election, 1971, finishing bottom of the poll each time. The West Derbyshire By-election for the British House of Commons took place on 23 November, 1967.
Votes
| 1973 by-election: Berwick-upon-Tweed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Liberal | Alan Beith | 12,489 | 39. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party Sir Alan James Beith (born 20 April 1943 9 | +18. 0 | |
| Conservative | J. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. D. M. Hardie | 12,432 | 39. 7 | -11. 0 | |
| Labour | Gordon Adam | 6,178 | 19. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Dr Gordon Johnston Adam (born 28 March 1934) is a British mining engineer and Labour Party politician 8 | -7. 6 | |
| Independent | T. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. G. Symonds | 126 | 0. 4 | N/A | |
| Independent | R. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. Goodall | 72 | 0. 2 | N/A | |
| Majority | 57 | 0. 2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 75. Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a Ballot in an Election. 0 | +1. 3 | |||
| Registered Electors | 41,721 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
See also
- Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1950–1979)
- United Kingdom by-election records
References
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, compiled and edited by F. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Swing in a British political context is a single figure used as an indication of the scale of voter change between two political parties Berwick-upon-Tweed is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This is a list of parliamentary By-elections in the United Kingdom, with the names of the incumbent and victor and their respective parties UK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from United Kingdom By-elections. W. S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1983)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
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