By-Elections In British Politics

Introduction and acknowledgements 1 By-elections and their interpretation 2 The Newport by-election and the fall of the Coalition 3 By-elections of the first Labour Government Note: 1924 to 1931 4 StGeorge's and the Empire Crusade Note: 1931 to 1939 87 5 Interpreting East Fulham 6 Oxford and Bridgwater 7 By-elections of the Second World War Note: 1945 to 1960 8 Orpingron and the 'Liberal revival' 9 By-elections of the Wilson Government 110 Lincoln and the Liberal surge, 1972-73 11 The Wilson-Callaghan Government of 1974-79: by-elections (eventually) bring down a Government 12 'Breaking the mould?' The Alliance by-election challenge, 1981-8 13 By-elections since 1983: did they matter?

Chris Cook is the former Director of the Modern Archives Unit at the London School of Economics and author of over 30 works on history and politics. John Ramsden is Professor of Modern History at Queen Mary and Westfield College, London. He is the author of three twentieth century volumes of the Longman History of the Conservative party (1978, 1995 and 1996).

In this text, historians and political scientists present a survey of the role and influence of by-elections in British politics since 1918.