GENERAL ELECTION
1 May 1997
In a landslide victory for Labour in the 1997 General Election the final seat figures were as follows:
| Party | Seats at election | Seats at dissolution |
Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats Ulster Unionist Party Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Social Democratic and Labour Party Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin Independent MP for Bexhill and Battle MP for Brent East Scottish Labour The Speaker (and Deputy Speakers) UK Unionist Party TOTAL Labour majority |
418 |
417 |
Notes on calculating the majority: The four Speakers (who do not vote in divisions) and the two Sinn Féin MPs (who have not taken their seats) are excluded from the majority calculation.
DEVELOPMENTS SINCE 2 May 1997
General
2 May 1997: John Major (C, Huntingdon) resigned as Prime Minister. The Queen appointed as PM Tony Blair (Lab., Sedgefield) who formed the first Labour government in eighteen years.
15 May 1997: The new Parliament convened. The four Speakers were elected:
| The Speaker Chairman of Ways and Means First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means |
Rt Hon Betty Boothroyd MP (Lab., West Bromwich West) Sir Alan Haselhurst MP (C., Saffron Walden) Michael Martin MP (Lab., Glasgow Springburn) Michael Lord MP (C., Suffolk Central and Ipswich North) |
The two Sinn Féin members, Gerry Adams (Belfast West) and Martin McGuinness (Ulster Mid) did not take the Oath of Allegiance and therefore did not sit in the Commons.
23 October 2000: Rt Hon Betty Boothroyd (Speaker, West Bromwich West) resigned the Speakership and her seat. First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means Michael Martin (Lab, Glasgow Springburn) succeeded her as Speaker, and Mr Martin was replaced as First Deputy Chairman by Sylvia Heal (Lab, Halesowen and Rowley Regis).
14 May 2001: Parliament was dissolved in order for a general election to take place on 7 June 2001.
By-elections
Seventeen by-elections were held to fill causal vacancies; more than in the preceding Parliament which lasted a year longer and had more Conservative MPs who are generally older and at more risk of dying during a Parliament (and, arguably, at more risk of resignation-inducing scandal) than Labour MPs; make of this what you will. Of these, fifteen were held by the defending party (Falkirk West, Glasgow Anniesland, Hamilton South, Leeds Central, Paisley South, Preston, Tottenham, West Bromwich West and Wigan for Labour, Beckenham, Eddisbury, Kensington and Chelsea, and Uxbridge for the Conservatives, Winchester for the Liberal Democrats and Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru) while two were lost (the Tories losing Romsey to the Liberal Democrats and the Ulster Unionists losing South Antrim to the Democratic Unionists). There were no vacancies for which by-elections were not held because of the approaching dissolution. The consistently poor performance of the Conservatives is only partially explained by the fact that there were no by-elections in marginal Labour seats; the result of the following general election suggests that there were other factors at work.
| Constituency | Previous MP | Vacated seat | Reason | By- election | Winner of by- election | |
| Uxbridge | Sir Michael Shersby (C.) | 8 May 1997 | Death | 31 July 1997 | John Randall (C.) | |
| Paisley South | Gordon McMaster (Lab.) | 28 July 1997 | Death (suicide in the wake of a whispering campaign against him) | 6 Nov. 1997 | Douglas Alexander (Lab.) | |
| Winchester | Mark Oaten (L.D.) | 6 Oct. 1997 | Successful petition against general election result (mistakes by polling officials changed the result of the election) | 20 Nov. 1997 | Mark Oaten (L.D.) | |
| Beckenham | Piers Merchant (C.) | 14 Oct. 1997 | Resignation (to fight press allegations of an affair with his secretary, which he later admitted) | 20 Nov. 1997 | Jacqui Lait (C.) | |
| Newark | * | Fiona Jones (Lab.) | 19 Mar. 1999 | Convicted of an illegal practice at an election (overspending on election campaign) | - | - |
| Leeds Central | Rt. Hon. Derek Fatchett (Lab.) | 9 May 1999 | Death | 10 June 1999 | Hon. Hilary Benn (Lab.) | |
| Eddisbury | Sir Alastair Goodlad (C.) | 28 June 1999 | Resignation (to become High Commissioner to Australia) | 22 July 1999 | Stephen O'Brien (C.) | |
| Wigan | Roger Stott (Lab.) | 9 Aug. 1999 | Death | 23 Sept. 1999 | Neil Turner (Lab.) | |
| Hamilton South | Rt. Hon. George Robertson (Lab.) | 24 Aug. 1999 | Elevation to peerage (Lord Robertson of Port Ellen) | 23 Sept. 1999 | Bill Tynan (Lab.) | |
| Kensington and Chelsea | Rt. Hon. Alan Clark (C.) | 5 Sept. 1999 | Death | 25 Nov. 1999 | Rt. Hon. Michael Portillo (C.) | |
| Ceredigion | Cynog Dafis (P.C.) | 10 Jan. 2000 | Resignation (to concentrate on duties in the National Assembly for Wales) | 3 Feb. 2000 | Simon Thomas (P.C.) | |
| Romsey | Michael Colvin (C.) | 24 Feb. 2000 | Death (killed by a fire at his home) | 4 May 2000 | Sandra Gidley (L.D.) | |
| Tottenham | Bernie Grant (Lab.) | 8 Apr. 2000 | Death | 22 June 2000 | David Lammy (Lab.) | |
| Antrim South | Clifford Forsythe (U.U.P.) | 27 Apr. 2000 | Death | 21 Sept. 2000 | Revd. William McCrea (D.U.P.) | |
| Preston | Audrey Wise (Lab.) | 2 Sept. 2000 | Death | 23 Nov. 2000 | Mark Hendrick (Lab.) | |
| Glasgow Anniesland | Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar (Lab.) | 11 Oct. 2000 | Death | 23 Nov. 2000 | John Robertson (Lab.) | |
| West Bromwich West | Rt. Hon. Betty Boothroyd (Speaker) | 23 Oct. 2000 | Retirement | 23 Nov. 2000 | Adrian Bailey (Lab.) | |
| Falkirk West | Dennis Canavan (M.P. for Falkirk West) | 20 Nov. 2000 | Resignation (to concentrate on duties in the Scottish Parliament, and in protest at being expelled from the Labour Party) | 21 Dec. 2000 | Eric Joyce (Lab.) |
*Ms Jones' conviction was overturned on appeal and she retook her seat on 29 April 1999.
Defections
| MP | Constituency | Party before defection | Date of leaving | Reason for leaving | Party after defection |
| Peter Temple-Morris | Leominster | Conservative | 21 Nov. 1997 | Had Conservative whip withdrawn for failing to support party policy; he then resigned from the party. | "Independent One-Nation Conservative" |
| "Independent One-Nation Conservative" | 21 June 1998 | Conservative policy on Europe and Good Friday Agreement | Labour | ||
| Tammy Graham | Renfrewshire West | Labour | 9 Sept. 1998 | Expelled from party for leading whispering campaign against the late Gordon McMaster | "Scottish Labour" |
| Dennis Canavan | Falkirk West | Labour | 26 Mar. 1999 | Expelled from party for standing in the Scottish Parliament election against the official Labour candidate | "MP for Falkirk West" |
| Shaun Woodward | Witney | Conservative | 18 Dec. 1999 | Tory policy on Europe and Section 28 (of the Local Government Act, which bans councils from promoting homosexuality) | Labour |
| Ken Livingstone | Brent East | Labour | 3 Apr. 2000 | Expelled from party for standing in the London Mayoral election against the official Labour candidate | "MP for Brent East" |
| Charles Clarke | Bexhill and Battle | Conservative | 11 Apr. 2001 | Expelled from party for backing a candidate other than the official Conservative candidate to succeed him at the next general election | "MP for Bexhill and Battle" |
This is the vote total for the 1997 General Election. Note that candidates with the same approximate ballot paper description (eg Independent) have been lumped together even though they are not necessarily connected in any way.
Some Labour candidates included in their descriptions the fact that they were supported by the Co-operative Party; all such candidates are shown as Labour whenever they appear on this website.
I make no claim, especially with the larger parties, that these figures are exactly correct, but they are certainly of the right order.
| GENERAL ELECTION 1997: UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND |
659 seats | |
1 |
Labour Conservative Liberal Democrat Referendum Party Scottish National Party Ulster Unionist Party Social Democratic and Labour Party Plaid Cymru Sinn Féin Democratic Unionist Party UK Independence Party Green Party Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Socialist Labour Party Liberal Independent British National Party Natural Law Party Speaker Seeking Re-election ProLife Alliance UK Unionist Party Progressive Unionist Party National Democrat New Labour Socialist Party Scottish Socialist Alliance Independent Labour Independent Conservative Labour Time for Change Candidate Monster Raving Loony Party Loyal Conservative Rainbow Dream Ticket Party Northern Ireland Women's Coalition Workers' Party National Front Local Conservative Legalise Cannabis Party People's Labour Party Mebyon Kernow Conservatives Against the Single Currency Socialist Party of Great Britain Independent Democracy Means Consulting the People Community Representative Party Independent Conservative Referendum Party Residents Association Social Democrat Anti-sleaze Labour Workers' Revolutionary Party Real Labour Fourth Party Non-party Conservative Island Independent Glow Bowling Party Christian Democrat Old Labour Top Choice Liberal Democrat Communist Party of Great Britain Independent Green Independent English Conservative and Referendum Conservatory Former Captain Northern Ireland Football Team Independent No to Europe Protecting All Your Rights Locally Effectively Keep Britain Free and Independent Party Socialist Equality Party UK Pensioners Party British Democratic Party British Isles People First Party Third Way Fellowship Party for Peace and Justice Justice Party Plymouth First Group Home Rule Local Independent Pro Interests of South Shields People None of the Above Parties Common Sense Sick of Politicians Party Space Age Superhero from Planet Beanus Country Field and Shooting Sports Scottish Labour Unofficial Scottish Labour Independent Anti-Abortion Euthanasia Embryo Experiments Independent Against a Federal Europe Musician Stratford First Democratic Conservative Pacifist for Peace Justice Co-operation Environment Independent Anti-Corruption in Government/TGWU Fancy Dress Party People in Slough Shunning Useless Politicians New Millennium New Way Hemp Candidate Communist League Independent Save Barts Candidate Alternative Liberal Democrat Pathfinders People's Party Ronnie the Rhino Party Newbury Bypass Stop Construction Now Mal Voice of the People Party Christian Unity Islam Zinda Baad Platform Scottish Conservative Unofficial Independent Royal Forest of Dean Teddy Bear Alliance Party Universal Alliance Full Employment Party Independent Old Age Pensioner Republican Party of Great Britain English Democratic Party English Independent Humanist Party Route 66 Party Posse Party Multi-racial Anti-Corruption Alliance Berties Party Radical Alternative Anti-Child Abuse Building a Fair Society Christian Party British Freedom and Individual Rights Whig Party West Cheshire College in Crisis Party Beaconsfield Independent: Unity through Electoral Reform Rainbow Referendum European Unity Party Christian Nationalist All Night Party Rizz Party Justice and Renewal Independent Party Miss Moneypenny's Glamorous One Party People's Party Party Albion Party Logic Party Truth Only Allowed Sheffield Independent Party Sub-genus Party Constitutionalist Freedom Party Lord Byro versus the Scallywag Tories Green Referendum Lawless Naturally Street Party Scrapit Stop Avon Ring Road Now Hemp Coalition Mongolian Barbeque Great Place to Party Humanist Party Democratic Nationalist Human Rights '97 Happiness Stan's Freedom to Party Party Independent Democrat People's Choice Charter for Basic Rights First Dynamic Party Sportsman's Alliance: Anything but Mellor Rainbow Connection Your Island Candidate Independent Back to Basics Anti-Corruption Candidate 21st Century Independent Foresters Care in the Community Juice Party Wessex Regionalist Black Haired Medium Build Caucasian Male Independent Anti-majority Democracy Northern Ireland Party Independently Beautiful Party Local Government Reform Heart 106.2 Alien Party Independent Forester Anti-sleaze Value Party Renaissance Democrat |
13,496,391 |
TOTAL |
31,251,441 |
The seven votes for the Renaissance Democrat is the lowest in a General Election since the granting of votes to women, and means he failed to attract the vote of three of the candidates who signed his nomination papers!
Click here to find out who was elected for all 659 constituencies.
Last updated 14 February 2002