Meriden by-election, 1968

The Meriden by-election, 1968 was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Meriden in Warwickshire on 28 March 1968. It was won by the Conservative Party candidate Keith Speed.

Contents

Vacancy

The seat had become vacant when the 38-year-old Labour Member of Parliament (MP), Christopher Rowland had died on 5 November 1967. He had held the seat since the 1964 general election.

Result

The result was a clear victory for Speed in what had been a Labour marginal seat. It was one of the three Conservative gains from Labour on the same day, the others being at Acton and Dudley.

Speed held the seat until the February 1974 general election, when he lost the seat back to Labour. He would go on to become MP for Ashford.

Votes

Meriden by-election, 1968
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Speed 33,344 64.8 +18.4
Labour Roderick MacFarquhar 18,081 35.2 −18.4
Majority 15,263 29.6 N/A
Turnout 51,425 66.0 -19.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +18.4
General Election 1966: Meriden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Rowland 33,831 53.6
Conservative Jonathan Aitken 29,250 46.4
Majority 4,581 7.2
Turnout 63,081 85.7
Labour hold Swing

See also

References