2005 Livingston by-election

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2005 Livingston by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  May 2005 29 September 2005 2010  
Turnout38.6%
 First partySecond party
 
Lab
Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities, Angela Constance.png
Candidate Jim Devine Angela Constance
Party Labour SNP
Popular vote12,3199,639
Percentage41.8%32.7%
SwingDecrease2.svg9.3%Increase2.svg11.1%

 Third partyFourth party
 
LD
Gordon Lindhurst MSP.jpg
CandidateCharles Dundas Gordon Lindhurst
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Popular vote4,3621,993
Percentage14.8%6.8%
SwingDecrease2.svg0.6%Decrease2.svg3.4%

MP before election

Robin Cook
Labour

Elected MP

Jim Devine
Labour

The 2005 Livingston by-election was triggered when Robin Cook, the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Livingston, in Scotland, died on 6 August 2005.

Contents

Notice of the vacancy in the constituency was published in the London Gazette on 2 September 2005, which allowed the Speaker of the House of Commons to issue the writ for the election on 8 September under the Recess Elections Act 1975. The poll was held on 29 September, in the week of the Labour Party Conference, when the Labour candidate Jim Devine held the seat for his party.

A by-election for the Glasgow Cathcart seat in the Scottish Parliament was also held on the same day.

Result

Livingston by-election, 2005 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Devine 12,319 41.8 Decrease2.svg9.3
SNP Angela Constance 9,63932.7Increase2.svg11.1
Liberal Democrats Charles Dundas4,36214.8Decrease2.svg0.6
Conservative Gordon Lindhurst 1,9936.8Decrease2.svg3.4
Scottish Green David Robertson5291.8New
Scottish Socialist Steven Nimmo4071.4Decrease2.svg0.4
UKIP Peter Adams1080.4New
IndependentMelville Brown550.2New
Alliance for Change (UK)John William Allman330.1New
Socialist (GB) Brian Gardner320.1New
Majority 2,6809.1Decrease2.svg20.4
Turnout 29,47738.6Decrease2.svg19.5
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg10.2

Previous election

General Election 2005: Livingston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Robin Cook 22,657 51.1 Decrease2.svg1.9
SNP Angela Constance 9,56021.6Decrease2.svg2.0
Liberal Democrats Charles Dundas6,83215.4Increase2.svg5.5
Conservative Alison Ross4,49910.1Increase2.svg2.5
Scottish Socialist Steven Nimmo7891.8Decrease2.svg1.2
Majority 13,09729.5Increase2.svg0.1
Turnout 44,33758.1Increase2.svg2.0
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg1.2

Reaction to result

Labour's retention of the seat, albeit with a reduced majority, was regarded by the party with satisfaction. The Scottish National Party was the only party to increase their vote from the general election, and although they did not win, they achieved a swing of 10% from Labour. The Liberal Democrats' share of the vote fell by 0.6%.

There was a swing from Labour to Conservatives of 3%, but given the fourth-place position of the Conservative Party in this seat, and their third-place position in Scotland, the significance of this is debatable.

In 2007 Angela Constance gained the Livingston seat in the Scottish Parliament (which has slightly different boundaries) from Labour.

See also

References

  1. Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 2005-2010 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.