What was the most memorable by-election in UK history....

[Phony Moderate]

....or which one had the most effect? I suppose the some of the ones during the Callaghan government have to be up there, for several reasons.

[homelycooking]

Crosby by-election 1981, solely for having the candidate "Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel", who won 223 votes (0.4%)

[doktorb]

Orpington, for kick-starting the Liberal Party.

Bermondsey, for pushing the Liberal Party up another hill

Haltemprice and Howden, for being the largest ballot paper in British by-election history (and/or showing David Icke can be beaten.....)

[afleitch]

Hamilton 1967.

It had a 'slow burner' affect.

[minionofmidas]

Bermondsey is certainly up there.

[Harry Hayfield]

Biggest Impact on UK politics: Bermondsey (1983)
Biggest defeat for sitting government: Christchurch (1993)
Most ignored by-election (in terms of reporting): Strathkelvin and Bearsden (2001) and Swansea East (2000)

[JoeBrayson]

The byelections in Crewe/Nantwich & in Norwich North were significant as it was proved the beginning of the end for the Labour Government and showed that the Tories were now electable again.

[Хahar 🤔]

Mid Ulster, 1969

[DL]

Fermanagh and South Tyrone, April 1981

I'm glad you mentioned that one. In some ways, that by-election would have had the biggest "global" impact since it put the hunger strike by Bobby Sands on the map and led to mass riots and a dramatic escalation of violence in Northern Ireland and indirectly to more IRA attacks in the UK. It may not have meant anything in the Tory vs. Labour vs. Liberal arena, but it captured world attention in a way that byelections like Crewe and Nantwich or Orpington never did.

[YL]

I think I agree with Fermanagh and South Tyrone (April 1981).

In my memory, probably Newbury (1993).  Christchurch had an even bigger swing, but it was less surprising after Newbury.

From a personal point of view, probably Littleborough and Saddleworth (1995), which was one of the things that made me think that I might be more naturally inclined to the Lib Dems than Labour.  (Though I wavered for some years, and have been wavering again at times since 11 May...)

Winchester (1997) was amusing.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Newport in either 1921 or 1922 (I forget the exact date) as it led directly to the fall of Lloyd George. I suppose someone also ought to mention Carmarthen 1966 even though I don't think it was that significant.

[Silent Hunter]

What about Orpington in 1962?

Or Brent East in 2003?

[Kevinstat]

You can't have a thread about memorable UK by-elections without someone mentioning Bootle (May 1990).

[minionofmidas]

You can't have a thread about memorable UK by-elections without someone mentioning Bootle (May 1990).

Not sure what's memorable about it. Other than that they needed a second by-election within six months.

[Kevinstat]

You can't have a thread about memorable UK by-elections without someone mentioning Bootle (May 1990).

Not sure what's memorable about it. Other than that they needed a second by-election within six months.

The nominee (Jack Holmes) of David Owen's continuing SDP, which it seems was taken somewhat seriously until then, finished behind Screaming Lord Sutch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, allegedly (according to Owen) prompting the party's National Executive to vote to dissolve the party.

Some in the party felt like the disastorous result in Bootle had been arranged by the National Executive as an excuse to disband the party and resurect their careers within the Conservatives or Labour (perhaps some felt that that had been in mind when many of those who became leaders of the continuing SDP rejected the merger with the Liberals and refused to join what eventually became the Liberal Democrats in the first place) and formed their own party (led by none other than Jack Holmes whose embarassing finish behind the Raving Loonies in that by-election had been used in their minds as a pretext for a convenient dissolution of the 1988 incarnation of the SDP) which kept the Social Democratic Party name.

[doktorb]

The SDP (continuing) still has councillors in some Yorkshire councils.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The SDP (continuing) still has councillors in some Yorkshire councils.

I thought it was just the one (East Yorks) now? Unless you're including towns and parishes. They also have a few left in Port Talbot.

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

The SDP councillor in Catterick (Richmondshire) fought as an independent at the last election 2007 and lost his seat.