1991 Ribble Valley by-election
7 March 1991
Constituency of Ribble Valley
Turnout71.1% (Decrease 8.0%)
  First party Second party Third party
 
LD
Con
Lab
Candidate Michael Carr Nigel Evans Josie Farrington
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative Labour
Popular vote 22,377 17,776 4,356
Percentage 48.5% 38.5% 9.5%
Swing Increase 27.1% Decrease 22.3% Decrease 8.3%
MP before election

David Waddington
Conservative

 Subsequent MP

Michael Carr
Liberal Democrats

The Ribble Valley by-election, in Lancashire, England, took place on 7 March 1991 following the elevation of MP David Waddington to the House of Lords. Michael Carr of the Liberal Democrats won election at his third attempt.

The seat, based largely on the market town of Clitheroe, had previously been safely Conservative but at the time Margaret Thatcher's controversial "Poll Tax" policy was used by opposition parties against the Conservative candidate. The tax was abolished soon afterwards by Thatcher's successor John Major, who had succeeded Thatcher on her resignation in November 1990.

The then-young Liberal Democrats maintained the record of their parent parties at often scoring by-election "scalps" by winning apparently-safe seats, although rarely holding them at subsequent general elections. Indeed, despite their victory at Ribble Valley, the Lib Dems lost the seat a little over a year later at the 1992 general election to the Conservative Nigel Evans who has held the seat ever since.

Result

Ribble Valley by-election, 1991[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Carr 22,377 48.5 +27.1
Conservative Nigel Evans 17,776 38.5 -22.3
Labour Josephine Farrington 4,356 9.5 -8.3
Ind. Conservative David Brass 611 1.3 N/A
Green Halldora Ingham 466 1.0 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 278 0.6 N/A
Liberal Simon Taylor 133 0.3 N/A
Corrective Party Lindi St Claire 72 0.2 N/A
Raving Loony Green Giant Clitheroe Kid Stuart Hughes 60 0.1 N/A
Majority 4,601 10.0 N/A
Turnout 46,129 71.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing 24.7

Previous results

General election 1987: Ribble Valley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Waddington 30,136 60.9 ―2.5
SDP Michael Carr 10,608 21.4 ―1.7
Labour Greg Pope 8,781 17.7 +4.2
Majority 19,528 39.5 ―0.8
Turnout 49,525 79.1 +2.3
Conservative hold Swing ―0.4

See also

References

  1. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1987-92 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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