Leyton by-election, 1965

The Leyton by-election, 1965 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21st January 1965 for the British House of Commons constituency of Leyton in East London.

The seat had become vacant when the constituency's long-serving Labour Member of Parliament (MP), Reginald Sorensen, was made a life peer 15 December 1964. An MP for over thirty years, his elevation to the peerage was intended to create a vacancy in a safe seat for the Foreign Secretary, Patrick Gordon Walker, who had been defeated in the 1964 general election in his Smethwick constituency.

The result of the contest was not as planned: the Conservative Party candidate, Ronald Buxton, won with a majority of 205 votes, a swing from Labour of 8.7%. Gordon-Walker regained the seat for Labour at 1966 general election.

Votes

Election box begin
title=Leyton by-election, 1965Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Ronald Buxton
votes = 16,544
percentage = 42.9
change = +9.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Patrick Gordon-Walker
votes = 16,339
percentage = 42.4
change = −8.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = Alistair H Mackay
votes = 5,382
percentage = 14.0
change = −2.2Election box candidate
party = UK & Commonwealth Party
candidate = Jeremiah Lynch
votes = 157
percentage = 0.4
change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Disarmament
candidate = George Delf
votes = 156
percentage = 0.4
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 205
percentage = 0.53
change = Election box turnout
votes = 38,578
percentage = 57.7
change = −12.5Election box gain with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing = +8.7

See also

*Leyton (UK Parliament constituency)
*Leyton
*List of United Kingdom by-elections

References

* [http://www.geocities.com/by_elections/65.html#leyton British Parliamentary by-elections: Leyton]
* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk UK General Elections since 1832]
*Rayment