1978 Hamilton by-election

There was a by-election for the United Kingdom House of Commons in Hamilton on Wednesday 31 May 1978. It was caused by the death of the incumbent Labour Party Member of Parliament Alex Wilson on 23 March of that year.

1978 Hamilton by-election
31 May 1978
Constituency of Hamilton
  First party Second party Third party
 
Con
Candidate George Robertson Margo MacDonald Alexander Scrymgeour
Party Labour SNP Conservative
Popular vote 18,880 12,388 4,818
Percentage 51.0% 33.4% 13.0%
Swing Increase3.4% Decrease5.6% Increase3.5%
MP before election

Alexander Wilson
Labour

 Elected MP

George Robertson
Labour

Within days of Wilson's death, The Glasgow Herald described the by-election as 'the biggest battle the Government has faced in Scotland since the last General Election'.[1] The SNP, which had previously won the seat in a by-election in 1967, were reported to see the contest as an important test of where political opinion in Scotland stood. The SNP's prospective candidate, Margo MacDonald, had a high profile as a former MP and had been working in the constituency for three years.[1] There was also initial uncertainty as to whom Labour would select as a candidate. Wilson's death was unexpected and it had been assumed he would fight the seat at the next general election. John Maxton, nephew of James Maxton, who lived in the constituency, was suggested as a possibility, but he had already been selected to fight Glasgow Cathcart for Labour at the next election.[1]

As the opening game of the 1978 FIFA World Cup was on Thursday 1 June, the by-election was held one day earlier, on the Wednesday. All by-elections since then have been held on a Thursday.

The Labour candidate was George Robertson, who defeated SNP candidate Margo MacDonald, with an increased majority.

It was one of a series of significant Labour victories over the SNP in 1978 which halted their rise at that time.

Hamilton by-election, 1978[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Robertson 18,880 51.0 +3.4
SNP Margo MacDonald 12,388 33.4 -5.6
Conservative Alexander Scrymgeour 4,818 13.0 +3.5
Liberal Fred McDermid 949 2.6 -1.4
Majority 6,492 17.6 +9.0
Turnout 37,035 37.0 -40.2
Labour hold Swing +4.5

See also

References
  1. A Staff Reporter (25 March 1978). "Labour faces crunch battle with the SNP". The Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  2. "1978 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2015.


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