1978 Ilford North by-election

2 March 1978

1979 →

MP before election

Millie Miller
Labour

Elected MP

Vivian Bendall
Conservative

The Ilford North by-election of 2 March 1978 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Millie Miller on 29 October 1977. The seat was gained by the Conservatives in a defeat for James Callaghan's government.

Results

1978 Ilford North by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Vivian Bendall	22,548	50.31	+9.43
	Labour	Tessa Jowell	17,051	38.04	–4.44
	Liberal	John Freeman	2,248	5.02	–11.62
	National Front	John Hughes	2,126	4.74	New
	Conservative Independent Democrat	Thomas Iremonger	671	1.50	New
	East London People's Front	Carole Rowe	89	0.20	New
	New Britain	Alfred Burr	48	0.11	New
	Democratic Monarchist, Public Safety, White Resident	Bill Boaks	38	0.08	New
Majority			5,497	12.27	N/A
Turnout			44,819	69.10	−5.36
Registered electors
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Alfred Burr was exposed as a convicted child abuser after nominations closed, resulting in the withdrawal of his endorsement by the New Britain Party and his withdrawal from election six days before the date of the by-election.

General election October 1974: Ilford North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Millie Miller	20,621	42.48	+4.48
	Conservative	Thomas Iremonger	19,843	40.88	+2.32
	Liberal	Gareth Wilson	8,080	16.64	−6.80
Majority			778	1.60	N/A
Turnout			48,544	74.46	−5.15
Registered electors			65,195
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

"1978 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
"UK General Election results: October 1974 [Archive]". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

British Parliamentary Election Results 1974-1983, p. 27, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (MacMillan Press 1983)

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1975	June: Woolwich West
1976	March: Coventry North West Carshalton Wirral June: Rotherham July: Thurrock November: Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Walsall North Workington December: Cambridge
1977	February: City of London and Westminster South March: Birmingham Stechford April: Ashfield Great Grimsby July: Saffron Walden August: Birmingham Ladywood November: Bournemouth East
1978	March: Ilford North April: Glasgow Garscadden Lambeth Central Epsom and Ewell Wycombe May: Hamilton July: Manchester Moss Side Penistone October: Berwick and East Lothian Pontefract and Castleford
1979	March: Clitheroe Knutsford Liverpool Edge Hill
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