Epping Forest by-election, 1988
Encyclopedia
A by-election
was held in the House of Commons
constituency
of Epping Forest
on 18 December 1988 following the death of Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) Sir John Biggs-Davison
. The result was a hold for the Conservative Party.
was the Conservative candidate. Norris had been elected to serve as MP for Oxford East at the 1983 general election
but had lost the seat in 1987
. His opponent from the Labour Party
was Stephen Murray. Andrew Thompson was chosen as the candidate for the recently formed Liberal Democrats. Thompson had been a founder member of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) and had served as a councillor in the local area since 1984. His main campaign issues were saving a local hospital from closure and defending the green belt status of Epping Forest
.
The rump SDP which had rejected the merger with the Liberal Party
also put forward a candidate, Michael Pettman. Pettman, a solicitor and local councillor, and Oxford University (Magdalen College) graduate, had been the candidate for the SDP in Epping Forest at the previous general eelction.Michael had a son born 1982 and a daughter born in 1986 and was married to Gillian. He was originally from Kent. Both the Green Party of England and Wales
, represented by Andrew Simms and the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
, represented by party leader and serial election candidate David Sutch
, contested the election as well. Sutch stood under the name "Monster Raving Loony - Liberal Birthday Party" in this election.
Tina Wingfield
stood under the designation of "Independent National Front" although at the time she was actually a member of the National Council of the Flag Group
, a breakaway party from the NF. Other candidates were Jackie Moore for the Rainbow Alliance (who added the name Change the World to her party designation) and Brian Goodier, who stood as the "Vote no Belsen for South Africans" candidate.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
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 . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Epping Forest
Epping Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
Epping Forest is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
on 18 December 1988 following the death of Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Sir John Biggs-Davison
John Biggs-Davison
Sir John Alec Biggs-Davison was a Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom for Chigwell from 1955 and then, after boundary changes in 1974, Epping Forest until his death. He was a leading figure in the Conservative Monday Club.-Early years:The son of Major John Norman Biggs-Davison,...
. The result was a hold for the Conservative Party.
Candidates
Steven NorrisSteven Norris
Steven John Norris is a British Conservative politician. He was the official Conservative candidate for Mayor of London in 2000 and 2004, losing in both races to Ken Livingstone....
was the Conservative candidate. Norris had been elected to serve as MP for Oxford East at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
but had lost the seat in 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. His opponent from the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
was Stephen Murray. Andrew Thompson was chosen as the candidate for the recently formed Liberal Democrats. Thompson had been a founder member of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP) and had served as a councillor in the local area since 1984. His main campaign issues were saving a local hospital from closure and defending the green belt status of Epping Forest
Epping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
.
The rump SDP which had rejected the merger with the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
also put forward a candidate, Michael Pettman. Pettman, a solicitor and local councillor, and Oxford University (Magdalen College) graduate, had been the candidate for the SDP in Epping Forest at the previous general eelction.Michael had a son born 1982 and a daughter born in 1986 and was married to Gillian. He was originally from Kent. Both the Green Party of England and Wales
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
, represented by Andrew Simms and the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
, represented by party leader and serial election candidate David Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
, contested the election as well. Sutch stood under the name "Monster Raving Loony - Liberal Birthday Party" in this election.
Tina Wingfield
Martin Wingfield
Martin Wingfield is a long-standing figure on the far right in British politics. He and his wife, Tina WIngfield, have contested several elections.-National Front:...
stood under the designation of "Independent National Front" although at the time she was actually a member of the National Council of the Flag Group
Flag Group
The Flag Group was a British political party, formed from one of the two wings of the National Front in the 1980s. Formed in opposition to the Political Soldier wing of the Official National Front it took its name from The Flag, a newspaper the followers of this faction formed after leaving and...
, a breakaway party from the NF. Other candidates were Jackie Moore for the Rainbow Alliance (who added the name Change the World to her party designation) and Brian Goodier, who stood as the "Vote no Belsen for South Africans" candidate.