1971 Southampton Itchen by-election
UK parliamentary by-election
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The 1971 Southampton Itchen by-election of 27 May 1971 was held after the Speaker of the House of Commons and Member of Parliament (MP) Horace King retired. The seat was gained by the Labour Party (although King had initially sat as a Labour MP). The by-election was noted for the strong performance of the far right National Democratic Party, who had developed a following in the constituency.[1]
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Bob Mitchell | 22,575 | 55.36 | N/A | |
| Conservative | James Spicer | 12,900 | 31.63 | New | |
| National Democratic | Edwin Bray | 3,090 | 7.58 | −14.32 | |
| Liberal | Joseph Cherryson | 2,214 | 5.43 | New | |
| Majority | 9,675 | 23.73 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 40,779 | ||||
| Labour gain from Speaker | Swing | ||||
Previous result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker | Horace King | 29,417 | 67.2 | −18.2 | |
| National Democratic | Edwin Bray | 9,581 | 21.9 | New | |
| Independent | B. H. Phillips | 4,794 | 11.0 | New | |
| Majority | 19,836 | 45.3 | −25.5 | ||
| Turnout | 43,792 | 54.1 | +5.1 | ||
| Speaker hold | Swing | ||||