1987 Truro by-election

Last updated
1987 Truro by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  1983 12 March 1987 1987  

Constituency of Truro
Turnout70.2% (Decrease2.svg 9.4%)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Official portrait of Lord Taylor of Goss Moor crop 2.jpg
Con
Lab
Candidate Matthew Taylor Nick St Aubyn John King
Party Liberal Conservative Labour
Popular vote30,59915,9823,603
Percentage60.4%31.5%7.1%
SwingIncrease2.svg3.1%Decrease2.svg6.6%Increase2.svg2.6%

MP before election

David Penhaligon
Liberal

Subsequent MP

Matthew Taylor
Liberal

The 1987 Truro by-election, was caused by the death of David Penhaligon, the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Truro on 22 December 1986 in a car crash near the city. The election was held on 12 March 1987. The constituency was renamed Truro and St Austell in 1997.

Contents

The Liberal Party, standing with the backing of the Social Democratic Party as part of the SDP–Liberal Alliance, formed a shortlist of five candidates: Matthew Taylor (Penhaligon's economic policy assistant), Paul Tyler (outgoing chair of the Liberal Party and former MP for Bodmin), Doris Ansari (chair of Cornwall County Council's planning and employment committee), Malcolm Brown (Penhaligon's part-time constituency agent), and Philip Beckerlegge (solicitor and Liberal candidate for Cirencester and Tewkesbury in 1983 and 1987). [1] Taylor was the favourite and was chosen to be the Liberal candidate.

The Conservative candidate was Nick St Aubyn who would go on to become member for Guildford. The Labour Party and Green Party put forward candidates. The only other candidate was Helen Anscomb, who represented Death off Road: Freight on Rail. Anscomb had previously taken part in four other by-elections of the 49th Parliament and on this occasion focused her campaign on the issue of road safety as Penhaligon had been killed in a car accident.

After the election, Anscomb lodged an election petition against the return of Taylor on the grounds that he had appeared on Channel Four News and BBC Newsnight without the other candidates, in breach of election law. The petition was stayed and eventually withdrawn due to her ill-health.

This election is notable for being the last by-election during that term of parliament, as a general election (which saw the Tories achieve a third successive win) was called three months later.

Results

Truro by-election, 1987 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance (Liberal) Matthew Taylor 30,599 60.4 +3.1
Conservative Nick St Aubyn 15,98231.5−6.6
Labour John King3,6037.1+2.5
Green Howard Hoptrough4030.8New
Death off Road: Freight on RailHelen Anscomb750.1New
Majority14,61728.9+9.7
Turnout 50,66270.2−9.4
Alliance hold Swing +4.8

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mebyon Kernow</span> Political party in Cornwall

Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall is a Cornish nationalist, centre-left political party in Cornwall, in southwestern Britain. It currently has five elected councillors on Cornwall Council, and several town and parish councillors across Cornwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Taylor, Baron Taylor of Goss Moor</span> British politician (born 1963)

Matthew Owen John Taylor, Baron Taylor of Goss Moor is a British politician who has been a life peer in the House of Lords since 2010. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he previously served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Truro and St Austell in Cornwall from 1987 until he stood down at the 2010 general election. He was granted a life peerage and so became a member of the House of Lords on 16 July 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Tyler</span> British politician

Paul Archer Tyler, Baron Tyler, is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from February to October 1974 and from 1992 to 2005, and sat in the House of Lords as a life peer until October 2021.

Nicholas Francis St Aubyn is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918 onwards

North Cornwall is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Ben Maguire, a Liberal Democrat since the 2024 general election. Like all British constituencies, the seat elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years. The seat was created in 1918. Since 1950, the constituency has been held by MPs from either the Conservative Party or the Liberal Democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ives (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

St Ives is a parliamentary constituency covering the western end of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The constituency has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Andrew George, a Liberal Democrat; George previously represented the constituency from 1997 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truro (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Former parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Truro was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of England and later of Great Britain from 1295 until 1800, then in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918 and finally from 1950 to 1997. Until 1885 it was a parliamentary borough, electing two members of parliament (MPs) by the plurality-at-large system of election; the name was then transferred to the surrounding county constituency, which elected a single Member by the first past the post system. In 1997, although there had been no changes to its boundaries, it was renamed as Truro and St Austell, reflecting the fact that St Austell by then had a larger population than Truro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Goldsworthy</span> British politician (born 1978)

Julia Anne Goldsworthy is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Falmouth and Camborne from 2005 until 2010. A member of the Liberal Democrats, she was narrowly defeated by 66 votes by the Conservatives in the new Camborne and Redruth constituency following boundary changes. In the House of Commons, she served as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Communities and Local Government. Afterwards, she worked as a special adviser.

The ceremonial county of Cornwall, which includes the Isles of Scilly, is divided into six parliamentary constituencies. They are all county constituencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Penhaligon</span> British politician (1944–1986)

David Charles Penhaligon was a British politician from Cornwall who was Liberal Member of Parliament for Truro from October 1974 until his death in 1986. He was a popular figure in all parties, and was seen by many as a potential future front-runner for the party leadership until his sudden death in a traffic collision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Austell and Newquay (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2010 onwards

St Austell and Newquay is a constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Noah Law, a Labour MP. It is on the South West Peninsula of England, bordered by both the Celtic Sea to the northwest and English Channel to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truro and Falmouth (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2010 onwards

Truro and Falmouth is a constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Jayne Kirkham of the Labour Party. The seat had previously been held by Conservative MPs since its creation in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Cornwall</span> South West England county

Cornwall is administered as a county of South West England whose politics are influenced by a number of issues that make it distinct from the general political scene in the wider United Kingdom, and the political trends of neighbouring counties. Its position on the geographical periphery of the island of Great Britain is also a factor.

Dame Annette Penhaligon Egerton, DBE is a British politician.

The 1984 Enfield Southgate by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 13 December 1984 for the House of Commons constituency of Enfield Southgate.

The region of South West England is divided into 58 parliamentary constituencies, which are made up of 16 borough constituencies and 42 county constituencies. Since the general election of July 2024, 24 are represented by Labour MPs, 22 by Liberal Democrat MPs, 11 by Conservative MPs, and 1 by a Green MP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truro and St Austell (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliament constituency, 1997 to 2010

Truro and St Austell was a county constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from its 1997 creation to its 2010 abolition by Matthew Taylor of the Liberal Democrats, who was appointed a life peer in the House of Lords following his service as a Member of Parliament (MP). The constituency elected one MP by the first past the post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Cornwall</span> Overview of and topical guide to Cornwall

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cornwall: Cornwall – ceremonial county and unitary authority area of England within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall is also a royal duchy of the United Kingdom. It has an estimated population of half a million and it has its own distinctive history and culture.

A by-election was held on 1 May 1866 to return an MP for the constituency of Helston, England. The by-election was caused by the declaration that Adolphus Young's election in the 1865 United Kingdom general election was null and void due to bribery. Two candidates contested the election: Robert Campbell for the Liberal Party and William Baliol Brett for the Conservatives. On the original count, both candidates received 153 votes but Campbell was declared the winner after Thomas Rogers—the mayor of Helston, who was serving as the returning officer—made a casting vote in his favour.

Doris Martyna Ansari is a former Liberal Democrat politician from Cornwall and Chairman of Cornwall County Council from 2005 to 2009. She was then opposition leader on Cornwall Council from 2009 until she stood down in 2011.

References

  1. Dennis Johnson (7 February 1987). "Liberals' Truro list" . The Guardian . p. 3. ProQuest   186724579 . Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  2. Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1983–87 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2015.