1971 Stirling and Falkirk by-election

UK parliamentary by-election April 2025 November 2013 The 1971 Stirling and Falkirk by-election of 16 September 1971 was held following the death of Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Malcolm MacPherson. The seat was retained by Labour. On the day of polling it was reported that Labour were confident of holding the seat and believed that they would have a swing of 10% or more towards them with the Conservatives in second place. The SNP reportedly thought they would win 38% of the vote and the Conservatives would lose their deposit. In contrast the Conservatives claimed that the SNP would take votes from Labour and allow them to win.Voting today in Stirling and Falkirk https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19710916&printsec=frontpage&hl=en 25 August 2020 The Glasgow Herald 16 September 1971 18 Result Stirling and Falkirk by-Election, 1971http://by-elections.co.uk/71.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120329040730/http://by-elections.co.uk/71.html 1970–71 By Election Results 2012-03-29 dead 2015-09-08 Labour Party (UK) Harry Ewing 17,536 46.47 -4.26 Scottish National Party Robert McIntyre 13,048 34.58 +20.08 Conservative Party (UK) David R. Anderson 7,149 18.95 -15.82 4,488 11.89 -4.07 37,733 Labour Party (UK) -12.17 Previous election General election 1970: Stirling and Falkirkhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge70/i18.htm Result from previous election 4 January 2011 11 August 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110811174921/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge70/i18.htm dead Labour Party (UK) Malcolm MacPherson 22,984 50.73 -1.92 Conservative Party (UK) David R. Anderson 15,754 34.77 +3.55 Scottish National Party I Murray 6,571 14.50 +0.12 7,230 15.96 -5.47 45,309 72.58 -4.52 Labour Party (UK) -2.74 Outcome and aftermath Labour's victorious candidate Harry Ewing claimed that the result represented a "complete rejection" of the policies of the Heath Government, particularly "their policy on the Common Market."Clark William Labour Hold Stirling https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19710917&printsec=frontpage&hl=en 25 August 2020 The Glasgow Herald 17 September 1971 1 Ewing also conceded that his "majority was less than we expected". Journalist William Clark writing in The Glasgow Herald reported that Labour supporters were surprised by the size of the SNP vote, and himself described the level of support for McIntyre as being a "major upset". McIntyre said the result showed that "the SNP are on the march again." The defeated Conservative, Alloa Solicitor David Anderson, said that he did not think the result was "an anti-Common Market vote", but was probably a protest against the Government. He also said that he thought that it was significant that Labour had not performed as well as they had expected. An editorial in the Glasgow Evening Times the day after the election headed "One in the eye for Ted" said the real story of the result was the poor Conservative performance standing "there can be no doubt that the figures are indicative of the low standing of the Conservatives in Scotland." In attacking Prime Minister Edward Heath and the Conservatives it particularly highlighted what it saw as his Government's poor handling of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders crisis.The "Times" Says... One in the eye for Ted https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2mus-XyGPC0C&dat=19710917&printsec=frontpage&hl=en 26 August 2020 Evening Times 17 September 1971 4 References Category:1971 in Scotland Category:1970s elections in Scotland Category:1971 elections in the United Kingdom Category:September 1971 in Europe Category:Politics of Falkirk (council area) Category:Politics of Stirling (council area) Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies