1963 Dundee West by-election

UK parliamentary by-election December 2017 December 2017 The 1963 Dundee West by-election was held on 21 November 1963 due to the death of the incumbent Labour MP John Strachey. It was won by the Labour candidate, Peter Doig. Background Dundee West had been held by the Labour Party since its creation in 1950. In 1959, the Unionist candidate Robert Taylor had reduced the Labour majority to just 714 votes, thereby coming close to a surprise victory.Labour Party Choice for By-Election — Dundee City Treasurer https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19630923&id=v2JAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hKMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4443,3195303&hl=en 21 March 2016 The Glasgow Herald 23 September 1963Communist to Stand at Dundee — No Dearth of Candidates https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19630819&id=SlxAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hqMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5852,2417028&hl=en 23 March 2016 The Glasgow Herald 10 August 1963 The 43 year-old Dr. Taylor was selected again as the Unionist and National Liberal candidate. The Communist Party selected fifty year-old Dave Bowman, a local engine driver who had contested the seat at the previous three elections. On 22 September 1963, local councillor Peter Doig was chosen ahead of five other people to be the Labour Party candidate. Doig, a bakery supervisor, was chairman of the Labour group on Dundee Town Council. He was also deputy chairman of the council and honorary city treasurer of Dundee. The short list of six had been drawn up from a field of at least ten candidates. This included three other Dundee-based aspirants, one of whom was Doig's fellow councillor Bailie James L. Stewart.10 Labour Nominees for West Dundee https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19630913&id=t2JAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hKMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3689,1863554&hl=en 23 March 2016 The Glasgow Herald 13 September 1963 The Scottish National Party selected James C. Lees and were reported to have high hopes of achieving a good result following their strong showing in the West Lothian by-election the previous year.Quiet Weekend for Dr. Taylor — But Opponents Open Fire on White Paper https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19631118&id=0mNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=paMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6258,2648404&hl=en 21 March 2016 The Glasgow Herald 18 November 1963 Result Dundee West by-election, 1963The Times, 22 Nov 1963http://www.by-elections.co.uk/63.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120225141806/http://www.by-elections.co.uk/63.html 1963 By Election Results 2012-02-25 dead 2015-08-17 Labour Party (UK) Peter Doig 22,449 50.56 +0.92 Unionist Party (Scotland) Robert R. Taylorand National Liberal 17,494 39.40 -8.87 Scottish National Party James C. Lees 3,285 7.40 New Communist Party of Great Britain Dave Bowman 1,170 2.64 +0.55 4,955 11.16 +9.81 44,398 71.6 -11.3 Labour Party (UK) After his victory Doig declared that Alec Douglas-Home's claim of a new chapter following his victory in the recent Kinross and Western Perthshire by-election was now a closed book and predicted the Conservatives’ hopes of holding their seats at the forthcoming St Marylebone and Dumfries contests were in danger. He also called on Home to call a general election.Labour Retain Seat at Dundee — Two Lost Deposits in Reduced Poll https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19631122&id=1mNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=paMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6199,3234838&hl=en 23 March 2016 The Glasgow Herald 22 November 1963 References Dundee West by-election Dundee West by-election Dundee West by-election, 1963 West by-election, 1963 Dundee West by-election West, 1963 Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies