1968 Meriden by-election
The 1968 Meriden by-election was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Meriden in Warwickshire on 28 March 1968. It was won by the Conservative Party candidate Keith Speed.
Vacancy
The seat had become vacant when the 38-year-old Labour incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Christopher Rowland died on 5 November 1967 of pneumonia following a brief illness. He had held the seat since the 1964 general election.
Result
The result was a clear victory for Speed in what had been a Labour marginal seat. It was one of three Conservative by-election gains from Labour on the same day, the others being at Acton and Dudley.
Speed held the seat until the February 1974 general election, when he lost the seat back to Labour. He went on to be MP for Ashford.
Votes
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Keith Speed | 33,344 | 64.8 | +18.4 | |
Labour | Roderick MacFarquhar | 18,081 | 35.2 | −18.4 | |
Majority | 15,263 | 29.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 51,425 | 66.0 | −19.7 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +18.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Christopher Rowland | 33,831 | 53.6 | ||
Conservative | Jonathan Aitken | 29,250 | 46.4 | ||
Majority | 4,581 | 7.2 | |||
Turnout | 63,081 | 85.7 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
See also
- Meriden constituency
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
References
- v
- t
- e
- July: Carmarthen
- March: Glasgow Pollok
- Nuneaton
- Rhondda West
- Honiton
- April: Brierley Hill
- September: Cambridge
- Walthamstow West
- November: Hamilton
- Leicester South West
- Manchester Gorton
- West Derbyshire
- March: Kensington South
- Acton
- Dudley
- Meriden
- Warwick and Leamington
- June: Oldham West
- Sheffield Brightside
- Nelson and Colne
- July: Caerphilly
- October: Bassetlaw
- November: New Forest
- March: Brighton Pavilion
- Walthamstow East
- Weston-super-Mare
- April: Mid Ulster
- May: Chichester
- June: Birmingham Ladywood
- October: Glasgow Gorbals
- Islington North
- Newcastle-under-Lyme
- Paddington North
- Swindon
- December: Louth
- Wellingborough
- March: Bridgwater
- South Ayrshire
- Lists of UK by-elections
- 1801–1806
- 1806–1818
- 1818–1832
- 1832–1847
- 1847–1857
- 1857–1868
- 1868–1885
- 1885–1900
- 1900–1918
- 1918–1931
- 1931–1950
- 1950–1979
- 1979–2010
- 2010–present
- Northern Ireland
- Hereditary peers