2000 Romsey by-election

2000 UK Parliamentary by-election April 2022 2000 Romsey by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Romsey parliamentary seat no 1997 United Kingdom general election 1997 2001 United Kingdom general election 2001 4 May 2000 55.4% Sandra Gidley 170x170px Liberal Democrats (UK) 19,571 50.56% 21.2% Tim Palmer Con Conservative Party (UK) 16,260 42.01% 4.0% MP Subsequent MP Michael Colvin Conservative Party (UK) Sandra Gidley Liberal Democrats (UK) A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Romsey was held on 4 May 2000, triggered by the death of incumbent Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) Michael Colvin. It was won by Sandra Gidley of the Liberal Democrats, who gained the seat from the Conservatives. Colvin and his wife Nichola died in a fire at their home, Tangley House in Tangley, Hampshire, on 24 February 2000. Polling day was set for 4 May so that it would come simultaneously with local elections. The Conservatives selected Tim Palmer, a farmer and Dorset County Councillor, to defend the seat. The Liberal Democrats considered this by-election their best chance of gaining a seat since 1997 and selected a local pharmacist Sandra Gidley (who had been Mayor of Romsey) as their candidate. The Democratic Party attempted to stand Charles Beauclerk, 15th Duke of St Albans as their candidate, but he did not appear on the ballot due to an error. Labour carried out minimal campaigning in a constituency in which they had come third for years. This led many observers to assume that the party was expecting, or hoping, that its vote would largely go to the Liberal Democrats in order to help defeat the Conservatives. In the event, the Labour vote collapsed while the Liberal Democrats surged, and they made this the only mainland by-election to result in a change of party control in the entire Parliament. This was the first time the Conservatives had lost a seat in a by-election while in Opposition since the 1965 Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election, and would be the last time the Liberal Democrats gained a constituency from the Conservatives at a by-election until Sarah Olney and Zac Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith of Richmond Park at the 2016 Richmond Park by-election. Result By-election 2000: Romseyhttp://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1997.html Results of Byelections in the 1997-2002 Parliament Boothroyd David 2015-10-05 United Kingdom Election Results Liberal Democrats (UK) Sandra Gidley 19,571 50.6 +21.2 Conservative Party (UK) Tim Palmer 16,260 42.0 −4.0 Labour Party (UK) Andy Howard 1,451 3.7 −14.9 UK Independence Party Garry Rankin-Moore 901 2.3 −1.2 Legalise Cannabis Alliance Derrick Large 417 1.1 New Independent politician Thomas Lamont 109 0.3 New 3,311 8.6 N/A 38,709 55.4 –21.0 Liberal Democrats (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +8.6 Previous result General election 1997: Romsey Conservative Party (UK) Michael Colvin 23,834 46.0 -17.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) Mark Cooper 15,249 29.4 +6.3 Labour Party (UK) Joanne Ford 9,623 18.6 +5.7 UK Independence Party Alan Sked 1,824 3.5 New Referendum Party Michael Wigley 1,291 2.5 New 8,585 16.57 -23.5 51,821 76.36 -6.8 Conservative Party (UK) References External links Campaign literature from the by-election Category:2000 elections in the United Kingdom Category:2000 in England Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Hampshire constituencies Category:Test Valley Category:2000s in Hampshire