1976 Cambridge by-election

By-election in England January 2021 April 2012 The 1976 Cambridge by-election of 2 December 1976 was held after Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) David Lane resigned his seat to take up the position of Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.http://by-elections.co.uk/76.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120314034528/http://by-elections.co.uk/76.html 1976 By Election Results 2012-03-14 dead 2015-09-17 The seat was retained by the Tories in a result that cut the government majority to one seat.Poll result delights Mrs. Thatcher Candidates Michael O'Loughlin had been the Liberal candidate for the same seat in the general elections of 1964, 1966, February 1974 and October 1974. He had not contested the seat at either the 1967 Cambridge by-election, or the 1970 general election. This was his fifth and last candidature for the seat. Robert Rhodes James was a noted historian and a former winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Philip Sargent stood under the title "Science Fiction Looney". Jeremy Wotherspoon was an estate agent and former shop steward for the Transport and General Workers' Union. He had contested Watford for the National Front in the two general elections of 1974.http://by-elections.co.uk/cambridge76/nf.html Wotherspoon's election literature 27 July 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20120314034532/http://by-elections.co.uk/cambridge76/nf.html 14 March 2012 dead He was a candidate for the British National Party in the 2009 European election in the South West England constituency.http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=16067 BNP Seeks Euro Vote from Gibraltar 10 January 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20120227044505/http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=16067 27 February 2012 dead Result of the by-election The result of the by-election was as follows: The Conservative Party held the seat with a significantly increased majority. United Kingdom Parliament: Cambridge by-election 1976 Conservative Party (UK) Robert Rhodes James 19,620 51.03 +9.78 Labour Party (UK) Martin Smith 9,995 25.99 -10.01 Liberal Party (UK) Michael O'Loughlin 7,051 18.34 -2.73 Independent (politician) James Sharpe 711 1.85 N/A National Front (UK) Jeremy Wotherspoon 700 1.82 N/A Science Fiction Looney Philip Sargent 374 0.97 N/A 9,625 25.03 +19.78 38,451 Conservative Party (UK) Result of the previous general election Result from the previous general election was:UK General Election results October 1974 General election October 1974: Cambridge Conservative Party (UK) David Lane 21,790 41.25 +0.66 Labour Party (UK) James Curran 19,017 36.0 +3.28 Liberal Party (UK) Michael O'Loughlin 11,129 21.07 -5.00 United Democratic Party C.J. Curry 885 1.68 N/A 2,773 5.25 -2.62 52,811 69.55 -9.22 Conservative Party (UK) -1.3 References Category:1976 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1976 in England Category:December 1976 in the United Kingdom By-election, 1976 By-election, 1976 Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Cambridgeshire constituencies Category:20th century in Cambridge