1976 Walsall North by-election

The Walsall North by-election on 4 November 1976 was held after the resignation of sitting Member of Parliament (MP) John Stonehouse. Elected as a Labour candidate, Stonehouse was a member of the English National Party when he resigned, after an interlude in which he faked his own death.^[1] The English National Party did not contest the by-election, the first occasion on which the incumbent's party did not do so since the 1963 Bristol South East by-election, and the last until the 1995 North Down by-election.

Amidst the confusion, the Conservative Party gained the seat in the by-election.

The by-election was also noted for the performance of independent candidate Sidney Wright, the debut of the Ecology Party^[2] and the split of the far right vote due to the appearance of both the National Front and their splinter group the National Party on the ballots.^[3] The Liberal Party could take only fifth place, their worst ever placing in a by-election in England. The party had previously come fifth in Wales in the 1972 Merthyr Tydfil by-election, and next placed so low at the 1989 Glasgow Central by-election.

The by-election also saw a record number of candidates, beating the long-standing record of seven who contested the 1920 Stockport by-election, where two seats were available, a total first reached in a single-member by-election in the 1962 Dorset South by-election. This record was again beaten at the 1977 City of London and Westminster South by-election.

Joseph Parker, the National Front candidate, would go on to be father-in-law to John Tyndall (politician), the leader of the National Front, after Tyndall married Parker's daughter Valerie in 1977.

Results

Walsall North, 1976^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robin Hodgson	16,212	43.35	+17.2
	Labour	David Winnick	11,833	31.64	-27.85
	Independent	Sidney Wright	4,374	11.70	N/A
	National Front	Joseph Parker	2,724	7.28	N/A
	Liberal	Frances Oborski	1,212	3.24	-13.1
	Socialist Workers	James McCallum	574	1.53	N/A
	National Party	Marian Powell	258	0.69	N/A
	Ecology	Jonathan Tyler	181	0.48	N/A
	Air, Road, Public Safety, White Resident	Bill Boaks	30	0.08	N/A
Majority			4,379	11.71
Turnout			37,398
	Conservative gain from English National		Swing

References

^ 1976: Government crisis as Stonehouse quits
^ Green Party history, Derek Wall
^ M. Walker, The National Front, Glasgow: Fontana Collins, 1977
^ "1976 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2015.

[1] 1976: Government crisis as Stonehouse quits

[2] Green Party history, Derek Wall

[3] M. Walker, The National Front, Glasgow: Fontana Collins, 1977

[4] "1976 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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1975	June: Woolwich West
1976	March: Coventry North West Carshalton Wirral June: Rotherham July: Thurrock November: Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Walsall North Workington December: Cambridge
1977	February: City of London and Westminster South March: Birmingham Stechford April: Ashfield Great Grimsby July: Saffron Walden August: Birmingham Ladywood November: Bournemouth East
1978	March: Ilford North April: Glasgow Garscadden Lambeth Central Epsom and Ewell Wycombe May: Hamilton July: Manchester Moss Side Penistone October: Berwick and East Lothian Pontefract and Castleford
1979	March: Clitheroe Knutsford Liverpool Edge Hill
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References