Orpington by-election, 1962
Encyclopedia
The Orpington by-election of 1962 is often described as the start of the Liberal Party
revival in the United Kingdom
.
The election was caused by the appointment of Donald Sumner
, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
for Orpington
as a County Court
Judge
. The appointment was generally thought to be making way for Peter Goldman, who had worked with Ian Macleod on the Conservative's previous election manifesto.
In the UK general election, 1959, the Conservatives had easily won the seat, one which they had held since its creation in 1945. Labour and the Liberals each picked up just over 20% of the vote. Commentators expected Goldman to achieve a comfortable victory.
The Liberal Party
had reached its lowest ebb in the UK general election, 1951, winning just 2.5% of the vote nationally, and gaining only six MPs. Signs of a revival were not seen until they won the 1958 Torrington by-election
, their first gain at a by-election since Holland with Boston in 1929
. However, they lost Torrington at the 1959 general election, and despite increasing their share of the vote to 5.9%, they could not progress beyond six MPs. After the general election, their revival continued, and they took second place in several by-elections.
The Liberals initially planned to put forward their candidate from the 1959 election, Jack Galloway, but after it was revealed that he had been technically guilty of bigamy
, local councillor
Eric Lubbock
was selected as their candidate.
During the campaign, Goldman attracted criticism for living outside the constituency, and admitting he had no plans to move into it. The Conservative government was forced to announce a pay freeze for public sector
workers, which was seen as particularly hitting nurses. It damaged their standing in the national polls, but particularly Goldman, who was closely associated with the Exchequer.
The by-election
was held on 15 March 1962. Despite the Conservatives' troubles, the near-22% swing from them to the Liberals surprised most analysts. Lubbock won a 7,855 vote majority, and went on to hold the seat until 1970. This surprise win boosted the Liberals in the polls. However, they did not secure any further seats during the parliament, and their resurgence proved gradual.
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...
revival in the United Kingdom
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...
.
The election was caused by the appointment of Donald Sumner
Donald Sumner
William Donald Massey Sumner , known as Donald Sumner, was a British Conservative Party politician who later became a judge...
, Conservative Party
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,...
for Orpington
Orpington (UK Parliament constituency)
Orpington 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.-History:...
as a County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. The appointment was generally thought to be making way for Peter Goldman, who had worked with Ian Macleod on the Conservative's previous election manifesto.
In the UK general election, 1959, the Conservatives had easily won the seat, one which they had held since its creation in 1945. Labour and the Liberals each picked up just over 20% of the vote. Commentators expected Goldman to achieve a comfortable victory.
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...
had reached its lowest ebb in the UK general election, 1951, winning just 2.5% of the vote nationally, and gaining only six MPs. Signs of a revival were not seen until they won the 1958 Torrington by-election
Torrington by-election, 1958
The Torrington by-election of 1958, in Devon, England, was the first gain by the British Liberal Party at a by-election since Holland with Boston in 1929....
, their first gain at a by-election since Holland with Boston in 1929
Holland with Boston by-election, 1929
The Holland with Boston by-election, 1929 was a by-election held on 21st March 1929 for the British House of Commons constituency of Holland with Boston in Lincolnshire....
. However, they lost Torrington at the 1959 general election, and despite increasing their share of the vote to 5.9%, they could not progress beyond six MPs. After the general election, their revival continued, and they took second place in several by-elections.
The Liberals initially planned to put forward their candidate from the 1959 election, Jack Galloway, but after it was revealed that he had been technically guilty of bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
, local councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Eric Lubbock
Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury
Eric Reginald Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury, PC is an English politician. A Liberal Member of Parliament from 1962 to 1970, he succeeded as Baron Avebury in 1971...
was selected as their candidate.
During the campaign, Goldman attracted criticism for living outside the constituency, and admitting he had no plans to move into it. The Conservative government was forced to announce a pay freeze for public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
workers, which was seen as particularly hitting nurses. It damaged their standing in the national polls, but particularly Goldman, who was closely associated with the Exchequer.
The by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held on 15 March 1962. Despite the Conservatives' troubles, the near-22% swing from them to the Liberals surprised most analysts. Lubbock won a 7,855 vote majority, and went on to hold the seat until 1970. This surprise win boosted the Liberals in the polls. However, they did not secure any further seats during the parliament, and their resurgence proved gradual.