Eastleigh By election 2013
Eastleigh By election
The by-election was caused by the resignation of Chris Huhne after he pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by saying his wife was driving his car when had been caught speeding in order to avoid losing his driving licence. Huhne was appointed as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds on the 5th February, vacating the seat, and the by-election was called almost immediately for the 28th February. It was the first by-election in a LD/Con marginal seat since the formation of the coalition.
Result
| Mike Thornton | (Liberal Democrat) | 13342 | 32.1% (-14.4%) |
| Diane James | (UKIP) | 11571 | 27.8% (+24.2%) |
| Maria Hutchings | (Conservative) | 10559 | 25.4% (-13.9%) |
| John O'Farrell | (Labour) | 4088 | 9.8% (+0.2%) |
| Danny Stupple | (Independent) | 768 | 1.8% (n/a) |
| Iain Maclennan | (National Health Act) | 392 | 0.9% (n/a) |
| Ray Hall | (Beer, Baccy and Crumpet) | 235 | 0.6% (n/a) |
| Kevin Milburn | (Christian) | 163 | 0.4% (n/a) |
| Howling Laud Hope | (Loony) | 136 | 0.3% (n/a) |
| Jim Duggan | (Peace) | 128 | 0.3% (n/a) |
| David Bishop | (Elvis Loves Pets) | 72 | 0.2% (n/a) |
| Michael Walters | (English Democrats) | 70 | 0.2% (n/a) |
| Daz Procter | (TUSC) | 62 | 0.1% (n/a) |
| Colin Bex | (Wessex Regionalist) | 30 | 0.1% (n/a) |
| MAJORITY | 1771 | 4.3% | |
| Turnout | 52.8% (-16.5%) |
Candidates
Maria Hutchings (Conservative) Educated at La Sainte Union Convent and London University. New business development consultant. Contested Eastleigh 2010. Mother of an autistic son who berated Tony Blair on a Channel 5 discussion programme during the 2005 election about the closure of special schools.
Mike Thornton (Liberal Democrat) Business and development manager. Eastleigh councillor since 2007
John O'Farrell (Labour) Born 1962, Maidenhead. Educated at Desborough Comprehensive and Exeter University. Comedian and author. Contested Maidenhead 2001
Diane James (UKIP) Healthcare consultant. Waverley councillor since 2006, elected as an Independent.
Iain Maclennan (National Health Action) Born 1958, Portsmouth. Educated at Christ`s Hospital and Manchester University. Retired GP and Royal Navy Medical Officer. Contested Portsmouth North 2010 for the Green Party
Howling Laud Hope (Loony) Real name Alan Hope. Born Mytchett. Publican. Leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party since 1999. Contested Teignbridge 1983, 1987, 1992, Aldershot 1997, Eddisbury by-election 1999, Kensington and Chelsea by-election 1999, Brent East by-election 2003, Hartlepool by-election 2004, Aldershot 2005, Blaenau Gwent by-election 2006, Sedgefield by-election 2007, Norwich North by-election 2009, Witney 2010, Barnsley Central 2011, Bradford West 2012, Manchester Central 2012
Daz Procter (TUSC) Secretary of the Southampton Shipping branch of the RMT
Michael Walters (English Democrat) Born 1955, Buckinghamshire. Educated at Witney Grammar School and Preston Polytechnic. Bus driver. Contested Dover 2010
Jim Duggan (Peace) Born 1940, Dublin. Works in the building trade. Contested South East 2009 European election, Horsham 2010
David Bishop (Elvis Loves Pets) Painter, decorator and poet – writing under the pen name of Lord Biro. Contested Tatton 1997, Brentwood and Ongar 2001, Erewash 2005, Haltemprice and Howden by-election 2008, Kettering 2010, Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election 2011, Feltham and Heston by-election 2011, Corby 2012
Colin Bex (Wessex Regionalist) Architect. Contested Windsor and Maidenhead 1979, 1983, Portsmouth North 1997, Wells 2001, Dorset South 2005, Witney 2010
Ray Hall (Beer, Baccy and Crumpet) Born 1939. Owns a silverware company
Kevin Milburn (Christian) Retired prison officer and church pastor
Danny Stupple (Independent) Chartered quantity surveyor
“Pete,
do you have figures for how this seat voted in 1992?”
Do you mean the notional results on the current boundaries?
The 1992 notional result for the new boundaries which came in for 1997 were:
Con 28620 50.9%
LD 16708 29.7%
Lab 10947 19.5%
Con maj 11912 21.2%
Actual result on old boundaries
Con 38998 51.3%
LD 21296 28.0%
Lab 15768 20.7%
Con maj 17702 23.3%
The boundary changes though substantial were fairly neutral as they removed the strongly Tory area of Chandlers Ford and Hiltingbury but also the strong Labour Southampton ward of Woolston, but it does shave a couple of % off the Tory lead which means it could have been even closer in 1997 on the old boundaries. The more recent boundary changes in 2010 were relatively trivial
I wonder what 88-year-old Sir David Price, MP for Eastleigh 1955-1992, is thinking of all this, assuming hopefully of course that he still has all his faculties.
Probably none of all this would have happened if he’d decided to serve one more term. I dare say the thought may have crossed a few minds.
The Tories probably would have won with Sir David Price on the ballot paper.