1963 Leeds South by-election

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1963 Leeds South by-election

← 1959 20 June 1963 1964 →

Constituency of Leeds South
  First party Second party Third party
  Merlyn Rees appearing on After Dark , 16 July 1988 (3x4 crop).jpg
Con
Lib
Candidate Merlyn Rees J. Udal B. Walsh
Party Labour Conservative Liberal
Popular vote 18,785 5,996 4,399
Percentage 62.93% 20.09% 14.74%
Swing Increase 4.37% Decrease 10.95% Increase 4.34%

MP before election

Hugh Gaitskell
Labour

Subsequent MP

Merlyn Rees
Labour

The 1963 Leeds South by-election was held on Thursday 20 June 1963. It was held due to the death of the incumbent MP and Leader of the Labour Party, Hugh Gaitskell. The by-election was won by the Labour candidate, Merlyn Rees who would later become a Cabinet minister. Had Gaitskell lived to contest the 1964 general election, it has been predicted that Gaitskell would have won the election for Labour and became the next Prime Minister. Some supporters of the late Hugh Gaitskell describe him as "the best Prime Minister Britain never had".

Leeds South by-election, 1963[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Merlyn Rees 18,785 62.93 +4.37
Conservative J. Udal 5,996 20.09 -10.95
Liberal B. Walsh 4,399 14.74 +4.34
Communist Bert Ramelson 670 2.24 New
Majority 12,789 42.84 +15.32
Turnout 29,850
Labour hold Swing

References[]

  1. ^ "1963 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2015.


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