1979 Liverpool Edge Hill by-election

1979 Liverpool Edge Hill by-election

29 March 1979
Constituency ofLiverpool Edge Hill
First party Second party Third party Lab Con Candidate David Alton Bob Wareing Nicholas Ward Party Liberal Labour Conservative Popular vote 12,945 4,812 1,906 Percentage 64.1% 23.8% 9.4% Swing 36.8% 28.1% 11.3%
MPbefore election Arthur Irvine Labour ElectedMP David Alton Liberal

The1979 Liverpool Edge Hill by-electionwas a parliamentaryby-electionheld inEnglandon 29 March 1979 to elect a newMember of Parliament(MP) for the UKHouse of CommonsconstituencyofLiverpool Edge Hill.

Polling in the by-election took place one day after the government ofJames Callaghanhadlost a vote of no confidence in parliamentand slightly over a month before the1979 general election.The seat had become vacant on the death the previous December of the constituency'sLabour PartyMPSir Arthur Irvine,who had held the seat since aby-election in 1947.

The result was a gain for theLiberal Party,represented byDavid Alton.Having made his maiden speech on 3 April, just before the house rose for the election, he was re-elected a few weeks later and from 1983 held theMossley Hillseat until he stood down from the commons in 1997, 18 years after the by-election.

Result

Liverpool Edge Hill by-election, 1979

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Alton	12,945	64.1	+36.8
	Labour	Bob Wareing	4,812	23.8	−28.1
	Conservative	Nicholas Ward	1,906	9.4	−11.3
	Law and Order	Joan Jonker	337	1.7	New
	Socialist Unity	Ann Walker	127	0.6	New
	Gay Liberal	Michael Taylor	40	0.2	New
	Democratic Monarchist, Public Safety, White Resident	Bill Boaks	32	0.2	New
Majority			8,133	40.3	N/A
Turnout			20,199	20.2	−41.0
	LiberalgainfromLabour		Swing	+30.2

See also

• Liverpool Edge Hill (UK Parliament constituency)
• 1947 Liverpool Edge Hill by-election
• List of United Kingdom by-elections
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Merseyside

External links

• David Alton's account of the by-election