1965 Nuneaton by-election

A by-election for the United Kingdom House of Commons was held in the constituency of Nuneaton on 21 January 1965, following the creation of a vacancy by the granting of a Life Peerage to the sitting Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Frank Bowles.

Background

Following the Labour victory in the 1964 general election, new Prime Minister Harold Wilson appointed the General Secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union, Frank Cousins, as Minister of Technology. Since Cousins was not a Member of Parliament, attempts were made to find him a seat. Bowles volunteered to accept a Peerage to make way for him in what was considered a safe seat, with a majority of over 11,000. He told the press he had initially been "shocked, tremendously worried and ill" at the thought of leaving the Commons, but decided to make the sacrifice.

Results
Nuneaton by-election, 21 January 1965[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Cousins 18,325 48.92 -3.86
Conservative David S Marland 13,084 34.93 +5.85
Liberal John Campbell 6,047 16.14 -1.99
Majority 5,241 13.99 -9.71
Turnout 37,456
Labour hold Swing -4.85

Previous result
General election 1964: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Bowles 26,059 52.78 +0.34
Conservative David S Marland 14,357 29.08 -3.26
Liberal Alan Meredith 8,953 18.13 +2.91
Majority 11,702 23.70 +3.61
Turnout 49,369
Labour hold Swing

See also

References
  1. "1965 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
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