1999 Hamilton South by-election

1999 Scottish Parliamentary by-election with record number of candidates December 2020 May 2013 1999 Hamilton South by-election United Kingdom parliamentary no 1997 United Kingdom general election 1997 2001 United Kingdom general election 2001 23 September 1999 41.3% Bill Tynan Labour Party (UK) 7,172 36.9% 28.7% Annabelle Ewing 150x150px Scottish National Party 6,616 34.0% 16.4% Shareen Blackall Scottish Socialist Party 1,847 9.5% New Charles Ferguson Conservative Party (UK) 1,406 7.2% 1.4% Stephen Mungall Independent politician 1,075 5.5% New MP George Robertson Bill Tynan Labour Labour A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Hamilton South was held on 23 September 1999, following the resignation of incumbent Labour Party MP George Robertson upon his appointment as Secretary General of NATO. It was won by Bill Tynan, who held seat for Labour. On 4 August 1999, incumbent MP George Robertson was announced as the new NATO Secretary General. This meant that Robertson was required to resign from his seat which he had won at the 1997 general election. The seat had fallen vacant in a Parliamentary recess, and the law does not permit a by-election to be called during a recess if the sitting member resigns by taking the Chiltern Hundreds. Robertson was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Robertson of Port Ellen on 24 August 1999, instantly vacating his seat. The writ for the by-election was moved immediately. The Labour Party selected Bill Tynan, a locally based trade union official, to defend the seat. The Scottish National Party, which was likely to provide the main challenge, chose Annabelle Ewing.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/434099.stm Ewing to stand in by-election BBC News 30 August 1999 Ewing was the daughter of Winnie Ewing; who had famously defeated Labour to win the Hamilton by-election of 1967. The Scottish Socialist Party fought a strong campaign for the seat, and Stephen Mungall was nominated by a local group protesting against the ownership of the local football team, Hamilton Academical F.C. Twelve candidates stood, which was at the time, the most at any Scottish by-election. This figure was surpassed, when thirteen candidates stood at the 2009 by-election in Glasgow North East. Polling day for the by-election was on 23 September. The Labour Party narrowly held on to the seat, following a recount; the Liberal Democrats polled poorly, their sixth place was the worst placing at a by-election by any major party since the Conservative candidate in the 1990 Upper Bann by-election also came sixth; in by-elections in seats in Great Britain; it was the lowest since the Liberal candidate in the 1948 Glasgow Camlachie by-election also came sixth. The Scottish Socialist Party outperformed the Conservatives. Result Hamilton South by-election, 1999http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1997.html Results of Byelections in the 1997-2002 Parliament Boothroyd David 2015-10-05 United Kingdom Election Results Labour Party (UK) Bill Tynan 7,172 36.9 –28.7 Scottish National Party Annabelle Ewing 6,616 34.0 +16.4 Scottish Socialist Party Shareen Blackall 1,847 9.5 New Conservative Party (UK) Charles Ferguson 1,406 7.2 –1.4 Independent politician Stephen Mungall 1,075 5.5 New Liberal Democrats (UK) Marilyne MacLaren 634 3.3 –1.9 ProLife Alliance Monica Burns 257 1.3 –0.7 Socialist Labour Party (UK) Tom Dewar 238 1.2 New Scottish Unionist Party (1986) Jim Reid 113 0.6 New UK Independence Party Alistair McConnachie 61 0.3 New Natural Law Party George Stidolph 18 0.1 New Independent (politician) John Moray 17 0.1 New 556 2.9 –45.1 19,454 41.3 –29.8 Labour Party (UK) –22.6 Mungall used the description "Hamilton Accies Home, Watson Away", referring to demands by some fans that Hamilton Academical should play their home matches locally and that Watson, a prominent shareholder, should go. Previous election General Election 1997: Hamilton South Labour Party (UK) George Robertson 21,709 65.6 Scottish National Party Ian Black 5,831 17.6 Conservative Party (UK) Robert Kilgour 2,858 8.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Richard Pitts 1,693 5.1 ProLife Alliance Colin Gunn 684 2.1 Referendum Party Stuart Brown 316 1.0 15,878 48.0 33,091 71.1 Labour Party (UK) See also Hamilton South (UK Parliament constituency) Elections in Scotland Lists of United Kingdom by-elections References External links Scottish Election Results 1997 - present Category:1999 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1999 in Scotland Category:1990s elections in Scotland Category:September 1999 in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies Category:Politics of South Lanarkshire Category:20th century in South Lanarkshire