List of deaths of candidates during general elections of the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
There have been eight instances of a death of a candidate during a British general election since 1918. The 1918 election was the first date at which all constituencies in the United Kingdom
voted on the same day. The rules governing the procedure for dealing with the death of a candidate occur in the Representation of the People Act 1983
.
A candidate's death results in the election being postponed whether it is a general election or a by-election. According to the Electoral Commission
, the election continues as normal if the deceased candidate was standing as an independent. The Returning Officer must be shown proof of the death and a new election is held 28 days from this date. The poll is stopped immediately even if votes are being counted. There is no requirement for candidates to re-register, a new candidate may be nominated by the party of the deceased and the other candidates may at this point withdraw from the election. Under all circumstances the deposit of the deceased candidate will be returned. The time at which the Returning Officer hears of the death is the relevant factor not the date of the death itself. If the deceased candidate is the Speaker of the United Kingdom seeking re-election the election must be stopped immediately. In law, the delayed elections are not considered to be by-elections but a delayed general election. The most recent candidate to die during a general election is John Boakes, the United Kingdom Independence Party candidate for Thirsk and Malton who died before the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
voted on the same day. The rules governing the procedure for dealing with the death of a candidate occur in the Representation of the People Act 1983
Representation of the People Act 1983
The Representation of the People Act 1983 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It changed the British electoral process in the following ways:* Amended the Representation of the People Act 1969....
.
A candidate's death results in the election being postponed whether it is a general election or a by-election. According to the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
, the election continues as normal if the deceased candidate was standing as an independent. The Returning Officer must be shown proof of the death and a new election is held 28 days from this date. The poll is stopped immediately even if votes are being counted. There is no requirement for candidates to re-register, a new candidate may be nominated by the party of the deceased and the other candidates may at this point withdraw from the election. Under all circumstances the deposit of the deceased candidate will be returned. The time at which the Returning Officer hears of the death is the relevant factor not the date of the death itself. If the deceased candidate is the Speaker of the United Kingdom seeking re-election the election must be stopped immediately. In law, the delayed elections are not considered to be by-elections but a delayed general election. The most recent candidate to die during a general election is John Boakes, the United Kingdom Independence Party candidate for Thirsk and Malton who died before the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
Deaths during elections since 1900
| Name | Election | Party | Date of death | Days before election | Age | Constituency | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 United Kingdom general election, 1918 The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did... |
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... |
3 | Lambeth, Kennington Kennington (UK Parliament constituency) Kennington was a borough constituency centred on the Kennington district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... |
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| 1923 United Kingdom general election, 1923 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
Liberal 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... |
2 | 60 | Derbyshire, West West Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency) West Derbyshire was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 until it was replaced by the Derbyshire Dales constituency in the 2010 General Election, it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.It... |
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| 1929 United Kingdom general election, 1929 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
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... |
3 | Rugby Rugby (UK Parliament constituency) Rugby is a parliamentary constituency in Warwickshire, England. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom using the first past the post system.... |
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| * | 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
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... |
6 | Kingston upon Hull Central Kingston upon Hull Central (UK Parliament constituency) Kingston upon Hull Central was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Kingston upon Hull in East Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... |
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| * | 1950 United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... |
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... |
6 | c. 59 | Manchester Moss Side Manchester Moss Side (UK Parliament constituency) Manchester Moss Side was a parliamentary constituency in the Moss Side area of the city of Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.... |
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| * | 1951 United Kingdom general election, 1951 The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats... |
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... |
9 | 60 | Barnsley Barnsley (UK Parliament constituency) Barnsley was a Parliamentary constituency covering the town of Barnsley in England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:... |
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| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Liberal Democrat Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
5 | 53 | South Staffordshire | |||
| 2010 | UKIP | 14 | 63 | Thirsk and Malton |
- notes: *= likely winner, had they lived. Replacement won in their place.