1990 Bradford North by-election

A 1990 by-election was held for the United Kingdom House of Commons for one Member of Parliament (MP) in the constituency of Bradford North, in West Yorkshire, England, on 8 November 1990 owing to the death of the sitting MP Pat Wall.

1990 Bradford North by-election

← 1987 8 November 1990 1992 →

Constituency of Bradford North
Turnout53.4% (Decrease19.3%)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
Con
Candidate Terry Rooney David Ward Timothy Jones
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative
Popular vote 18,619 9,105 6,048
Percentage 51.7% 25.3% 16.8%
Swing Increase8.8% Increase7.6% Decrease22.7%

MP before election

Pat Wall
Labour

Subsequent MP

Terry Rooney
Labour

Bradford is a city based on heavy engineering and textile industries. The Bradford North seat had been held for one Parliament by the Conservatives from 1983 to 1987, when the Labour candidate Pat Wall (a member of the Militant tendency) saw his vote split by a strong SDP challenge and by the sitting Labour MP Ben Ford standing as an Independent. (The successful Conservative, Geoffrey Lawler, had only 34.3% of the vote.)

The by-election took place when Margaret Thatcher was highly unpopular and in her last month as Prime Minister. Declining support for the Conservative government (which improved after John Major succeeded Thatcher near the end of November 1990) was reflected by the fact that the Conservative candidate in this by-election only attracted just over one in six of the total votes cast.

The successful Labour candidate Terry Rooney became the first Mormon to be elected to the House of Commons.[1]

Bradford North by-election 1990[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Terry Rooney 18,619 51.7 +8.9
Liberal Democrats David Ward 9,105 25.3 +7.6
Conservative Joy Atkin 6,048 16.8 −22.7
Islamic Party David Pidcock 800 2.2 New
Green Michael Knott 447 1.2 New
National Front Robert Tenney 305 0.8 New
Independent Joseph Floyd 219 0.6 New
Monster Raving Loony Wild Willi Beckett 210 0.6 New
Liberal Noel Nowosielski 187 0.5 N/A
Ind. Conservative Malcolm Wigglesworth 89 0.2 New
Majority 9,514 26.4 +23.1
Turnout 36,029 53.4 −19.3
Labour hold Swing

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Member of the Church elected to Parliament in England". Church News. 17 November 1990. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  2. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1987-92 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
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