2012 Corby by-election

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2012 Corby by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  2010 15 November 2012 2015  

The Corby seat in the House of Commons.
Elected by simple majority using first past the post. Triggered by resignation of incumbent
Turnout44.8%
 First partySecond partyThird party
  No image wide.svg No image wide.svg No image wide.svg
Candidate Andy Sawford Christine Emmett Margot Parker
Party Labour Conservative UKIP
Popular vote17,2679,4765,108
Percentage48.4%26.6%14.3%
SwingIncrease2.svg9.8%Decrease2.svg15.6%New party

MP before election

Louise Mensch
Conservative

Subsequent MP

Andy Sawford
Labour

On 15 November 2012, a by-election was held for the UK House of Commons constituency of Corby. [1] The election was held on the same day as by-elections in Cardiff South and Penarth and Manchester Central, the first direct election for the post of Mayor of Bristol, and the first Police and Crime Commissioner elections. [2] Andy Sawford, the Labour Party candidate, won with 48% of the vote. The Conservatives' and Liberal Democrats' vote dropped significantly and UKIP came third with their highest-ever vote in a parliamentary by-election to that date.

Contents

Background

Formed in 1983, the Corby constituency had been held by the Labour Party since 1997, but was captured by the Conservative candidate, author Louise Mensch (elected under her maiden name, Louise Bagshawe), at the 2010 general election. In an email to the Prime Minister David Cameron on 6 August 2012, Mrs Mensch confirmed her intention to move to New York City to spend time with her new husband, Peter Mensch, whose work is there, and their family. Louise Mensch was appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, thereby resigning her seat in the House of Commons, on 29 August 2012.

All registered Parliamentary electors (i.e. British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens living in the UK and British citizens living overseas) who were aged 18 or over on 15 November 2012 and were on the electoral register for the constituency, were entitled to vote in the by-election. The deadline for voters to register to vote in the by-election was midnight on Wednesday 31 October 2012. [lower-alpha 1] However, those who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on Thursday 8 November 2012 to register to vote. [lower-alpha 2]

Election campaign

Ed Miliband launched the Labour campaign in the East Northamptonshire town of Thrapston rather than the traditional Labour stronghold of Corby. [3]

In an interview with the Northamptonshire Telegraph at the campaign launch in Corby, UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said: "We intend to put together a serious campaign here." [4]

A poll conducted 12–18 October by Lord Ashcroft in the constituency found 54% for Labour, 32% for the Conservatives, 10% for the Liberal Democrats and 8% for other candidates. [5]

James Delingpole, a Daily Telegraph journalist who denies anthropogenic global warming, stated his intention to run as an independent, on a platform opposing wind farms. Delingpole stated this ambition on 17 September 2012 and met with prospective local voters. However, he never formally applied, pulling out after support from the Conservative energy minister, John Hayes, opposing onshore wind farms, which caused a minor rift between Conservative and Liberal Democrat ministers. Chris Heaton-Harris, (Con, Daventry) and campaign manager for the party at the by-election, was secretly filmed saying he had encouraged Delingpole to run as a "plan" whereby Delingpole would say he would stand, though he would never actually do so, in order to "cause some hassle" and thus promote opposition to wind farms. Lewes councillor, Donna Edmonds (Con) set up Delingpole's wind-farm campaign website. Both Heaton-Harris and Edmonds argued they had not broken any party rules on supporting an opposition candidate on the grounds that Delingpole never formally became a candidate. The news of the secret footage broke before the election in the national press. [6] [7]

Result

The total ballots issued were 35,775, and there were 110 spoilt ballots. The result was the second largest numerical majority ever in the Corby constituency (for any party) since its creation in 1983 (only 1997 was higher). In percentage terms, the Labour majority is only slightly lower than that in 1997 (21.8% compared to 22.0%). The result also represented the highest ever vote and share for UKIP at a parliamentary by-election at the time (the highest share record was broken at Rotherham two weeks later, and the record for largest number of UKIP votes polled in a by-election was broken at Eastleigh in February 2013). Corby was also the fourth by-election (out of nine in Great Britain up to that time) of the 2010 parliament at which the Liberal Democrats lost their deposit.

This was the first seat gained by Labour in a by-election since the 1997 Wirral South by-election, and was the last by-election which resulted in a Labour gain until the 2022 Wakefield by-election. [8]

A recount delayed the declaration of the result, called by the agent of the Liberal Democrat candidate, Jill Hope, who came 13 votes short of holding her deposit.

ElectionPolitical resultCandidatePartyVotes%±%
Corby by-election, 2012
Resignation of Louise Mensch
Turnout: 35,665 (44.8%) 24.4
Labour gain from Conservative
Majority: 7,791 (21.8%)
Swing: 12.7% from Con to Lab
Andy Sawford Labour 17,26748.4+9.8
Christine Emmett Conservative 9,47626.615.6
Margot Parker UKIP 5,10814.3N/A
Jill Hope Liberal Democrats 1,7705.09.5
Gordon Riddell BNP 6141.73.0
David Wickham English Democrat 4321.2N/A
Jonathan Hornett Green 3781.1N/A
Ian Gillman Independent 2120.6N/A
Peter Reynolds Cannabis Law Reform 1370.4N/A
David Bishop Church of the Militant Elvis 990.3N/A
Mr Mozzarella Independent730.2N/A
Rohen Kapur Young People's 390.1N/A
Adam Lotun Democracy 2015 350.1N/A
Christopher Scotton United People's Party250.1N/A

Past result

ElectionPolitical resultCandidatePartyVotes%±%
General election 2010
New boundaries
Turnout: 54,180 (69.2%)
Conservative win (new boundaries)
Majority: 1,951 (3.6%)
Louise Bagshawe Conservative 22,88642.2N/A
Phil Hope Labour 20,93538.6N/A
Portia Wilson Liberal Democrats 7,83414.5N/A
Roy Davies BNP 2,5254.7N/A

See also

Notes

  1. The deadline for the receipt of electoral registration applications is the eleventh working day before election day.
  2. The deadline for the receipt and determination of anonymous electoral registration applications is the same as the publication date of the notice of alteration to the Electoral Register, i.e. the fifth working day before election day.

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References

  1. Louise Mensch to quit as an MP triggering Corby by-election BBC News
  2. Louise Mensch MP quits to care for young family Daily Telegraph
  3. 1 2 Juliette Jowit (9 August 2012). "Labour off to a flyer in Corby byelection campaign". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  4. Margot and Jim make a bid to impress voters Northamptonshire Telegraph
  5. Corby By-Election: Tories Face Major Defeat, Sky News, 23 October 2012
  6. Tory MP running Corby campaign 'backed rival in anti-windfarm plot', by Paul Lewis and Rob Evans, The Guardian, Tuesday 13 November 2012
  7. "Tory MP denies plot to back anti-wind farm candidate in Corby by-election". 14 November 2012.
  8. Airey, Tom (24 June 2022). "Wakefield by-election result: Labour defeat Tories to retake seat". BBC News . Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  9. "LGiU staff".
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  13. Ketton ward councillors Archived 8 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine Rutland County Council
  14. Conservatives pick Christine Emmett as Corby candidate BBC News
  15. Why small businesses need the Conservatives - and what we must be offering them ConservativeHome
  16. About Christine Emmett Personal website
  17. Margot Parker Archived 20 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine UKIP
  18. Margot Parker, Libertas East Midlands
  19. English Democrats select David Whickham for the Corby By-Election [ permanent dead link ] English Passport
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