Walsall North by-election, 1976

The Walsall North by-election on 4 November 1976 was held after the resignation of sitting Member of Parliament (MP) John Stonehouse. Elected as a Labour candidate, Stonehouse was a member of the English National Party when he resigned, after an interlude in which he faked his own death.^[1] The English National Party did not contest the by-election, the first occasion on which the incumbent's party did not do so since the Bristol South East by-election, 1963, and the last until the North Down by-election, 1995.

Amidst the confusion, the Conservative Party gained the seat in the by-election.

The by-election was also noted for the performance of independent candidate Sidney Wright, the debut of the Ecology Party^[2] and the split of the far right vote due to the appearance of both the National Front and their splinter group the National Party on the ballots.^[3] The Liberal Party could take only fifth place, their worst ever placing in a by-election in England. The party had previously come fifth in Wales in the Merthyr Tydfil by-election, 1972, and next placed so low at the Glasgow Central by-election, 1989.

The by-election also saw a record number of candidates, beating the long-standing record of seven who contested the Stockport by-election, 1920, where two seats were available, a total first reached in a single-member by-election in the Dorset South by-election, 1962. This record was again beaten at the City of London and Westminster South by-election, 1977.

Results

Walsall North, 1976^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Robin Hodgson	16,212	43.35	+17.2
	Labour	David Winnick	11,833	31.64	-27.85
	Independent	Sidney Wright	4,374	11.70	N/A
	National Front	Joseph Parker	2,724	7.28	N/A
	Liberal	Frances Oborski	1,212	3.24	-13.1
	Socialist Workers	James McCallum	574	1.53	N/A
	National Party	Marian Powell	258	0.69	N/A
	Ecology	Jonathan Tyler	181	0.48	N/A
	Air, Road, Public Safety, White Resident	Bill Boaks	30	0.08	N/A
Majority			4,379	11.71
Turnout			37,398
	Conservative gain from English National		Swing

« 46th Parliament « By-elections to the 47th Parliament of the United Kingdom » 48th Parliament »

1975	June: Woolwich West

1976	March: Coventry North West Carshalton Wirral June: Rotherham July: Thurrock November: Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Walsall North Workington December: Cambridge

1977	February: City of London and Westminster South March: Birmingham Stechford April: Ashfield Great Grimsby July: Saffron Walden August: Birmingham Ladywood November: Bournemouth East

1978	March: Ilford North April: Glasgow Garscadden Lambeth Central Epsom and Ewell Wycombe May: Hamilton July: Manchester Moss Side Penistone October: Berwick and East Lothian Pontefract and Castleford

1979	March: Clitheroe Knutsford Liverpool Edge Hill

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