The Thurrock by-election of 15 July 1976 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Hugh Delargy. Labour held on to the seat in the by-election [1]

Results

Thurrock by-Election, 1976[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Oonagh McDonald 22,191 45.27 -10.30
Conservative Percy Lomax 17,352 35.39 +10.95
Liberal Anthony Charlton 5,977 12.19 -7.80
National Front John Roberts 3,255 6.64 New
English National Frank Hansford-Miller 187 0.38 New
World Grid Sunshine Room Party Peter Bishop 72 0.15 New
Majority 4,839 9.88 -21.24
Turnout 49,034
Labour hold Swing 10.6 from Labour to Conservative

Outcome

Reporting the result of the election, The Glasgow Herald argued that the Labour government had taken "another severe battering from the electorate" with the Labour majority falling by over 14,000 votes since the last general election. It also argued that "Labour voters in London dockland stayed away in droves". However it noted that for Prime Minister James Callaghan the most important thing would be that Oonagh McDonald's victory would "swell the Government's effective majority to three."[3] Margaret Thatcher said the vote was "a massive vote of no confidence in the Government" and looked forward to the next by-election.[3] By contrast the result was argued by The Glasgow Herald to auger "problems" for the Liberal leader David Steel and the newspaper suggested that the Government would be concerned at the size of the National Front's vote in a seat it had not previously fought.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Result from previous election". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  2. ^ "1976 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Labour win poll - but majority tumbles". The Glasgow Herald. 16 July 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
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