Glasgow Central by-election, 1980
Encyclopedia
The Glasgow Central by-election, 1980 was a by-election
held on 26 June 1980 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Glasgow Central
, following the death of its sitting MP, Thomas McMillan
.
On a turnout of 48%, the Labour
Party held the seat.
, the SDP
, or their successor party the Liberal Democrats; until the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
. The Social Democrat candidate had no connection to the SDP (which wasn't created until 1981) and achieved the lowest vote for any candidate in a Parliamentary election under universal suffrage, a record later surpassed by the five votes obtained by independent campaigner Bill Boaks
in the Glasgow Hillhead by-election
of March 1982 .
Because there was no official candidate, Liberal Party member Graham Watson
offered himself as a candidate sponsored by the Scottish Young Liberals. He later became a Member of the European Parliament
and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
group in the European Parliament.
As a seat considered safe for Labour, there was little surprise when its candidate Robert McTaggart
was declared victor, with 60.8% of the votes cast. Both of his closest rivals were later elected to sit in British parliaments: Gil Paterson
, representing the Scottish National Party
, was elected as a delegate for Central Scotland
in the first sitting
of the Scottish Parliament
in 1999, while Conservative Anna McCurley
won the Renfrew West and Inverclyde seat in the General Election of 1983
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 26 June 1980 for the British 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 Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Central is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . In its current form, the constituency was first used in the general election of 2005, but there was also a Glasgow Central constituency from 1885 to 1997.- Boundaries :The Redistribution of Seats Act...
, following the death of its sitting MP, Thomas McMillan
Thomas McMillan (British MP)
Thomas McLellan McMillan was a Scottish Labour politician.McMillan was a wood machinist at Cowlairs railway workshops. He was a councillor on Glasgow City Council from 1962 and of the city's Housing and Health Licensing Court.McMillan was Member of Parliament for Glasgow Central from 1966 until he...
.
On a turnout of 48%, the Labour
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...
Party held the seat.
Candidates
This was the last parliamentary by-election in England, Scotland or Wales not contested by an official candidate of either the Liberal PartyLiberal 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...
, the SDP
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...
, or their successor party the Liberal Democrats; until the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
The 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election was a by-election held in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2008 to elect a new Member of Parliament for constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
. The Social Democrat candidate had no connection to the SDP (which wasn't created until 1981) and achieved the lowest vote for any candidate in a Parliamentary election under universal suffrage, a record later surpassed by the five votes obtained by independent campaigner Bill Boaks
Bill Boaks
Lieutenant Commander William George Boaks DSC was a British Royal Navy officer who became an eccentric political campaigner for road safety. He died at the age of 81 as a result of a road traffic accident...
in the Glasgow Hillhead by-election
Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982
A Glasgow Hillhead by-election was held on 25 March 1982. The by-election was caused by the death of the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead Tam Galbraith on 2 January 1982....
of March 1982 .
Because there was no official candidate, Liberal Party member Graham Watson
Graham Watson
Sir Graham Robert Watson is a European politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was leader of the liberal group in Parliament for seven years between 2002 and 2009.-Early life:Graham Watson was born in Rothesay...
offered himself as a candidate sponsored by the Scottish Young Liberals. He later became a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
group in the European Parliament.
As a seat considered safe for Labour, there was little surprise when its candidate Robert McTaggart
Robert McTaggart
Robert McTaggart, known as Bob McTaggart was a Scottish shipbuilder and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Glasgow Central, representing the Labour Party. McTaggart was on the left of his party, and took up issues of unemployment and poor housing which affected his constituency...
was declared victor, with 60.8% of the votes cast. Both of his closest rivals were later elected to sit in British parliaments: Gil Paterson
Gil Paterson
Gil Paterson, born in Glasgow, 1942 is the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency, which he gained from Labour on 5 May 2011....
, representing the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, was elected as a delegate for Central Scotland
Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Central Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in the first sitting
Scottish Parliament election, 1999
The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members...
of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in 1999, while Conservative Anna McCurley
Anna McCurley
Anna Anderson McCurley née Gemmell, is a Scottish politician.McCurley, a teacher by vocation, served as a councillor on Strathclyde Regional Council 1978-82. McCurley contested West Stirlingshire in 1979 and Glasgow Central in a 1980 by-election.She was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament...
won the Renfrew West and Inverclyde seat in the General Election of 1983
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...
.
Votes
1979 general election result
See also
- Glasgow CentralGlasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)Glasgow Central is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . In its current form, the constituency was first used in the general election of 2005, but there was also a Glasgow Central constituency from 1885 to 1997.- Boundaries :The Redistribution of Seats Act...
- the 2005 re-creation of the historic constituency - List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...
- Elections in ScotlandElections in ScotlandScotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils.-Scottish Parliament:...