1988 Epping Forest by-election

1988 Epping Forest by-election

15 December 1988
Constituency of Epping Forest
Turnout	49.1% ( 27.2%)
First party Second party   SLD Candidate Steven Norris Andrew Thompson Party Conservative SLD Popular vote 13,183 8,679 Percentage 39.5% 26.0% Swing 21.5% 6.6%   Third party Fourth party   Lab SDP Candidate Stephen Murray Michael Pettman Party Labour SDP Popular vote 6,261 4,077 Percentage 18.7% 12.2% Swing 0.4% N/A
MP before election John Biggs-Davison Conservative Subsequent MP Steven Norris Conservative

A by-election was held in the British House of Commons constituency of Epping Forest on 15 December 1988, following the death of Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Sir John Biggs-Davison. The result was a hold for the Conservative Party.[1]

Candidates

Steven Norris 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 Social and 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.[2]

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, had been the candidate for the SDP in Epping Forest at the 1983 general election.[3] Both the Green Party, 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.[1]

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.[4] 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.

Result

1988 Epping Forest by-election[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Steven Norris	13,183	39.5	−21.5
	SLD	Andrew Thompson	8,679	26.0	+6.6
	Labour	Stephen Murray	6,261	18.7	+0.4
	SDP	Michael Pettman	4,077	12.2	N/A
	Green	Andrew Simms	672	2.0	N/A
	Independent National Front	Tina Wingfield	286	0.6	N/A
	Monster Raving Loony	David Sutch	208	0.6	N/A
	Rainbow Alliance - Change the World	Jackie Moore	33	0.1	N/A
	Vote no Belsen for South Africans	Brian Goodier	16	0.0	N/A
Majority			4,504	13.5	N/A
Turnout			33,415	49.1	−27.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

Candidate Brian Goodier misspelt Belson on his nomination paper.[6]

See also

• Lists of United Kingdom by-elections

References

1. "Result". Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
2. "Election literature". Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
3. The David Owen papers Archived 27 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, available as a [sca.lib.liv.ac.uk/collections/Owen/book/PART6.DOC Word Document]
4. N. Copsey, Contemporary British Fascism: The British National Party and the Quest for Legitimacy, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004, p. 46
5. Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1987-92 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
6. "Epping Forest 1988". Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.