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UK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from United Kingdom by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat. A constituency is the seat or division that member represented.

Prior to 1945, electoral competition in the United Kingdom exhibited features which make meaningful comparisons with modern results difficult.

Among the most significant were:

• Frequent interventions and withdrawals of parties in different seats.
• Frequent Coalitions between parties, splits within parties and floor-crossing by members.
• Uncontested elections and truces between parties, in particular during both World Wars.
• Generally more significant competition from independent candidates and minor parties.
• Multi-member seats and University seats.
• Higher frequency of by-elections.
• Generally higher turnouts, although several wartime elections exhibited the lowest recorded turnouts.
• Generally higher variation in size of constituency electorates.

Since 1945, the evolution of a stable three-party system has tended to negate each of the above features so that, broadly speaking, elections are more comparable.

In Northern Ireland, as ever, the pattern of party competition is completely different from that on the mainland and comparisons remain problematic.

Hence, unless otherwise stated records are based on results since the 1945 General Election, and earlier exceptional results are listed separately.

For comparison purposes the following definitions have been adopted.

• Gain - victory by a party which was not victorious at the immediate previous election.
• Loss - defeat of a party which was victorious at the immediate previous election.
• Hold - victory by a party which was victorious at the immediate previous election.
• Win - victory by a party. Ambiguous term that could mean either a gain or a hold.
• Incumbent - the party which held the seat at the immediate previous election, irrespective of any intervening change of candidate or candidate's change of party.
• Third party - In England, since 1922, the "third party" has been the Liberal Party and its successors, the Liberal Democrats. Additionally, in Scotland and Wales the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Plaid Cymru are also considered to be third parties. Prior to 1922, the third party was the Labour Party.
• Minor party - parties smaller than the third party
• Uncontested - an election where only one candidate is put forward. No votes are actually cast and the candidate is by definition the victor.

Contents 1 Numerical records 1.1 Largest swings 1.2 Largest fall in percentage share of vote 1.3 Largest increase in percentage share of vote 1.4 Largest winning share of the vote 1.5 Lowest winning share of the vote 1.6 Lowest share of the vote 1.6.1 Major parties 1.6.2 Candidates winning fewer than ten votes 1.7 Smallest majorities 1.8 Turnout 1.8.1 Highest turnout 1.8.2 Turnout increased from general election 1.8.3 Lowest turnout 1.9 Most candidates 1.10 Fewest candidates 2 Candidate records 2.1 Durable by-election candidates 2.2 Former MPs making a comeback at a by-election 2.2.1 Former MPs failing in a by-election 2.3 Shortest-serving by-election victors 2.3.1 Since 1945 2.3.2 Pre-1945 2.4 Youngest by-election victors 2.4.1 Babies of the House elected at by-elections 2.5 Oldest by-election victors 2.6 First women by-election victors 2.7 First ethnic minority by-election victors 2.8 First by-election victors from specific religions 2.9 By-elections losers awarded seats on disqualification of winner 2.10 Two or more former MPs contest by-election 3 Frequency and duration records 3.1 Longest period without a by-election 3.2 Longest period without a seat changing hands 3.3 Longest period between by-election gains for a party 3.4 Longest period between by-election holds for a party 3.5 Longest period without an opposition gain 3.6 Most by-elections in one day 3.7 Most by-election losses in one day 3.8 Seats with more than one by-election in a single Parliament 3.8.1 Other seats with by-elections less than five years apart 3.9 By-election days 4 Causes of by-elections 4.1 By-elections prompted by assassination 4.2 By-elections prompted by accidental death 4.3 By-elections prompted by suicide 4.4 By-elections prompted by posthumous election of MP 4.5 By-elections prompted by scandal 4.6 By-elections prompted to provide seat for seat-less personality 4.7 By-elections prompted by party splits or disputes 4.8 By-elections re-contested over a single issue 4.9 By-elections to ratify a change of party 4.10 By-elections triggered when members leaves on principle 4.11 By-elections prompted by Member's desire to contest another seat 4.12 By-elections prompted by Election Courts 4.13 By-elections prompted by disqualification of the sitting Member 4.14 By-elections prompted by expulsion from the House 4.15 By-elections prompted by lunacy 4.16 By-elections prompted by bankruptcy 4.17 By-elections prompted for miscellaneous reasons 4.18 By-elections prompted by death of member on wartime active service 4.18.1 Second World War 4.18.2 First World War 5 Miscellaneous records 5.1 Incumbents fall directly from first place to third place 5.2 Incumbent Governments gain seats 5.2.1 Conservative 5.2.2 Labour 5.3 Principal Opposition loses seats 5.3.1 Conservative 5.3.2 Labour 5.4 By-election holds overturned at next general election 5.5 By-election victors had not contested previous general election 5.6 Incumbent party did not contest 5.7 Losers had been unopposed at previous election 5.8 Major party did not run 5.9 Victories by minor parties 5.9.1 Minor parties other strong performance 5.10 Miscellaneous notable results 6 By-elections having national significance 7 Firsts and lasts 8 See also 9 References

Numerical records

For more information about what is meant by the term "swing", see Swing (politics)

Largest swings

Election	Swing (%)	From	To
Christchurch by-election, 1993	35.4	Conservative	Liberal Democrat
Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935	30.0	Conservative	Labour
Dudley West by-election, 1994	29.2	Conservative	Labour
Newbury by-election, 1993	28.4	Conservative	Liberal Democrat
South East Staffordshire by-election, 1996	22.1	Conservative	Labour
Dagenham by-election, 1994	23.1	Conservative	Labour
Barking by-election, 1994	22.0	Conservative	Labour
Glasgow East by-election, 2008	22.6	Labour	Scottish National Party
Walsall North by-election, 1976	22.6	Labour	Conservative
Dudley by-election, 1968	21.2	Labour	Conservative
Ashfield by-election, 1977	20.9	Labour	Conservative

Largest fall in percentage share of vote

A party's share of the vote at a general election is not always matched at subsequent by-elections, but given the five-year maximum term of a Parliament, reductions of 20% or more are unusual. Those of 25% or more are listed below:

Election	Reduction in % share	Party		Result
Merthyr by-election, 1934	59.6		Ind. Labour Party		Labour gain
Glasgow Camlachie by-election, 1948	51.3		Ind. Labour Party		Conservative gain
Southwark South East by-election, 1921	49.7		Liberal		Labour gain
Westminster St George's by-election, 1921	47.7		Conservative		Anti-Waste League gain
Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935	46.7		Conservative		Labour gain
Bermondsey by-election, 1983	37.5		Labour		Liberal gain
Birmingham Ladywood by-election, 1969	33.4		Labour		Liberal gain
Christchurch by-election, 1993	32.5		Conservative		Liberal Democrat gain
Rochdale by-election, 1958	31.7		Conservative		Labour gain
Dudley West by-election, 1994	30.2		Conservative		Labour gain
North Down by-election, 1995	29.9		Conservative		UK Unionist gain from Popular Unionist
Hamilton by-election, 1967	29.7		Labour		Scottish National Party gain
Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election, 2004	29.6		Labour		Labour hold
Paisley by-election, 1961	29.5		Conservative		Labour hold
Brent East by-election, 2003	29.4		Labour		Liberal Democrat gain
Newbury by-election, 1993	29.0		Conservative		Liberal Democrat gain
Caerphilly by-election, 1968	28.7		Labour		Labour hold
Hamilton South by-election, 1999	28.7		Labour		Labour hold
West Lothian by-election, 1962	28.3		Conservative		Labour hold
Torrington by-election, 1958	27.7		Conservative		Liberal gain
West Derbyshire by-election, 1962	25.2		Conservative		Conservative hold

Worst results for other parties:

Party	By-election	Reduction in % share	Result
Ulster Unionist	Belfast South by-election, 1982	22.4	Ulster Unionist hold
Liberal	Clitheroe by-election, 1979	14.2	Conservative hold
Scottish National	Kinross and West Perthshire by-election, 1963	07.7	Conservative hold
Plaid Cymru	Swansea East by-election, 1963	05.3	Labour hold

Largest increase in percentage share of vote

Election	Increase in Share	Party		Result
Bermondsey by-election, 1983	50.9		Liberal		Liberal gain
Paisley by-election, 1961	41.4		Liberal		Labour hold
Christchurch by-election, 1993	38.6		Liberal Democrat		Liberal Democrat gain
Glasgow Govan by-election, 1988	38.4		Scottish National Party		Scottish National Party gain
Liverpool Edge Hill by-election, 1979	36.8		Liberal		Liberal gain
Glasgow Govan by-election, 1973	31.6		Scottish National Party		Scottish National Party gain
Southwark South East by-election, 1921	29.6		Labour		Labour gain
Croydon North West by-election, 1981	29.5		Liberal		Liberal gain
Caerphilly by-election, 1968	29.3		Plaid Cymru		Labour hold
Brent East by-election, 2003	28.5		Liberal Democrat		Liberal Democrat gain
Dudley West by-election, 1994	28.0		Labour		Labour gain
Greenwich by-election, 1987	27.9		Social Democrat		Social Democrat gain
Merthyr Tydfil by-election, 1972	27.4		Plaid Cymru		Labour hold
Carmarthen by-election, 1966	27.4		Plaid Cymru		Plaid Cymru gain
Ribble Valley by-election, 1991	27.1		Liberal Democrat		Liberal Democrat gain
Monklands East by-election, 1994	26.9		Scottish National Party		Labour hold
Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election, 2004	26.1		Liberal Democrat		Labour hold
Glasgow East by-election, 2008	26.1		Scottish National Party		Scottish National Party gain
Mid Staffordshire by-election, 1990	24.3		Labour		Labour gain
Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008	24.1		Conservative		Conservative hold
Bristol West by-election, 1951	22.5		Conservative		Conservative hold
South East Staffordshire by-election, 1996	22.0		Labour		Labour gain
Eastbourne by-election, 1990	21.1		Liberal Democrat		Liberal Democrat gain
Walthamstow East by-election, 1969	20.8		Conservative		Conservative hold
Ashfield by-election, 1977	20.8		Conservative		Conservative hold
Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981	20.8		Ulster Unionist		Anti H-Block gain
Barking by-election, 1994	20.5		Labour		Labour hold
Glasgow Central by-election, 1989	20.3		Scottish National Party		Labour hold
Pontypridd by-election, 1989	20.0		Plaid Cymru		Labour hold

If seats in which the nationalist party had not stood in the general election are included, the best results are:

51.4% at the Motherwell by-election, 1945, gained by the Scottish National Party.

43.2% at the Paisley by-election, 1948, held by Labour.

Largest winning share of the vote

Candidate	Party		Election	Votes	% Share
Ernest Everard Gates		Conservative	Middleton and Prestwich by-election, 1940	32,036	98.7
Ian Paisley		Democratic Unionist	North Antrim by-election, 1986	33,937	97.4
John Craik-Henderson		Conservative	Leeds North East by-election, 1940		97.1
James Milner		Labour	Leeds South East by-election, 1929	11,804	95.8
John Mackintosh McLeod		Conservative	Glasgow Central by-election, 1915		95.3
John Taylor		Ulster Unionist	Strangford by-election, 1986	32,627	94.2
Clifford Forsythe		Ulster Unionist	South Antrim by-election, 1986	30,087	94.1

Lowest winning share of the vote

Winning shares of the vote below 35%, since 1918:

Candidate	Party		Election	Votes	% Share
Edward Taswell Campbell		Conservative	Bromley by-election, 1930	12,782	32.4
George Machin		Labour	Dundee East by-election, 1973	14,411	32.7
Roy Jenkins		Social Democrat	Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982	10,106	33.4
Guy Barnett		Labour	South Dorset by-election, 1962	13,783	33.5
James Carmichael		Ind. Labour Party	Glasgow Bridgeton by-election, 1946	6,351	34.3
Leah Manning		Labour	Islington East by-election, 1931	10,591	34.7
Kenneth Lindsay		National Labour	Kilmarnock by-election, 1933	12,577	34.8
Parmjit Singh Gill		Liberal Democrat	Leicester South by-election, 2004	10,274	34.9

The Stockport by-election, 1920, was held to elect two MPs. The winners' shares of the total vote were 25.6% and 25.1%. However, as each voter could cast two votes, the situation is not readily comparable to other by-elections in this period.

Lowest share of the vote

Major parties

Major parties winning 2% or less share of votes cast in a by-election, since 1918:

Candidate	Party		Election	Votes	% Share
R. Goodfellow		Liberal	Glasgow Camlachie by-election, 1948	312	1.2
John Scott Duckers		Liberal	Westminster Abbey by-election, 1924	291	1.3
Robert McCreadie		Social and Liberal Democrats	Glasgow Central by-election, 1989	411	1.6
Patrick Davies		Labour	Winchester by-election, 1997	944	1.7
Ian Miller		Liberal	Glasgow Pollok by-election, 1967	735	1.9
Steve Billcliffe		Labour	Newbury by-election, 1993	1,151	2.0

The worst Conservative performance was in the North Down by-election, 1995, where they took 2.1% of the votes cast.

Candidates winning fewer than ten votes

Since 1918:¹

Votes	Name	Affiliation	Label
5	Bill Boaks	Public Safety Democratic Monarchist White Resident	Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 19821
5	Kailash Trivedi	Independent Janata Party	Kensington and Chelsea by-election, 19881
7	John Connell	Peace - stop ITN manipulation	Chesterfield by-election, 1984
8	Esmond Bevan	Systems Designer2	Bermondsey by-election, 19831
8	Tony Farnon	Independent	Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
8	Norman Scarth	Independent	Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008

¹ F. R. Lees, a Temperance Chartist, won no votes in the Ripon by-election, 1860, as his supporters mistakenly believed that he had withdrawn.

² Bevan made a mistake when filling out his nomination paper and put his occupation ("Systems Designer") in the space labelled 'description' which was then printed on the ballot paper. He was an independent candidate.

Smallest majorities

All majorities of less than 1,000 since the Second World War. Bold entries indicate a new record.

Votes	Election	Notes
57	Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1973	Gained by the Liberal Party
62	Walthamstow West by-election, 1967	Gained by the Conservatives
100	West Derbyshire by-election, 1986	Held by the Conservatives
205	Leyton by-election, 1965	Gained by the Conservatives
219	Torrington by-election, 1958	Gained by the Liberals
220	Central Norfolk by-election, 1962	Held by the Conservatives
264	Ashfield by-election, 1977	Gained by the Conservatives
289	Birmingham Northfield by-election, 1982	Gained by Labour
293	West Dumbartonshire by-election, 1950	Held by Labour
359	Combined English Universities by-election, 1946	Gained by the Conservatives
365	Glasgow East by-election, 2008	Gained by the SNP
395	Glasgow Camlachie by-election, 1948	Gained by the Conservatives
430	Southend East by-election, 1980	Held by the Conservatives
437	Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1950	Held by Labour
452	Heywood and Radcliffe by-election, 1946	Held by Labour
460	Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election, 2004	Held by Labour
478	Swindon by-election, 1969	Gained by the Conservatives
517	Paddington North by-election, 1969	Held by Labour
520	Grimsby by-election, 1977	Held by Labour
552	Penrith and The Border by-election, 1983	Held by the Conservatives
556	Hamilton South by-election, 1999	Held by Labour
557	Manchester Gorton by-election, 1967	Held by Labour
559	Brecon and Radnor by-election, 1985	Gained by the Liberal Party
571	Glasgow Govan by-election, 1973	Gained by the SNP
633	Bromley and Chislehurst by-election, 2006	Held by the Conservatives
641	Bolton East by-election, 1960	Held by the Conservatives
657	Taunton by-election, 1956	Held by the Conservatives
666	Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1960	Gained by the Conservatives
704	South Dorset by-election, 1962	Gained by Labour
705	Falkirk West by-election, 2000	Held by Labour
740	Bassetlaw by-election, 1968	Held by Labour
799	Newcastle-under-Lyme by-election, 1986	Held by Labour
806	Mid Ulster by-election, 1955	Held by Sinn Féin
815	Kensington by-election, 1988	Held by the Conservatives
822	South Antrim by-election, 2000	Gained by the DUP
865	South Norfolk by-election, 1955	Held by the Conservatives
913	Belfast West by-election, 1950	Held by the Unionists
917	South Northamptonshire by-election, 1962	Held by the Conservatives
946	Ripon by-election, 1973	Gained by the Liberal Party
971	Dumfriesshire by-election, 1963	Held by the Conservatives
973	Blackpool North by-election, 1962	Held by the Conservatives

Still smaller majorities have been recorded since 1918. The majority in the Penrith and Cockermouth by-election, 1921, was only 31 votes, and in the Westminster Abbey by-election 1924 was 43 votes.¹

Turnout

Turnout is recorded as the percentage of valid votes from the total recorded vote.

Highest turnout

The highest turnouts since 1918:

• Mid Ulster by-election, 1969: 91.5%
• Mid Ulster by-election, 1955: 89.7%
• Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1928: 89.1%¹
• Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, August 1981: 88.6%
• Mid Ulster by-election, 1956: 88.4%
• Tiverton by-election, 1923: 88.1%¹
• Darlington by-election, 1926: 87.6%¹
• Carmarthen by-election, 1957: 87.4%¹
• Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981: 86.9%
• Stockport by-election, 1925: 85.7%¹
• Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1950: 85.4%¹

Turnout increased from general election

It is highly unusual for a by-election to attract a higher turnout in a seat than the previous general election.

By-election	Turnout %	Turnout % at general election	Increase %
Mid Ulster by-election, 1969	91.5	83.9	7.6
Carmarthen by-election, 1957	87.4	85.1	2.3
Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, August 1981	88.6	87.1	1.5
Darlington by-election, 1926	87.6	86.1	1.5
Mid Ulster by-election, 1955	89.7	88.6	1.1
Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1928	89.1	88.3	0.8
Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982	76.4	75.7	0.7

Lowest turnout

During the Second World War the electoral register was not kept up to date despite significant population movements, especially in the London area (which contains all three constituencies listed below). Consequently only those eligible to vote in the constituency at the outbreak of war were eligible to vote in the by-elections and many voters were physically unable to as they were located elsewhere; in addition the major parties did not compete against each other. The lowest turnout in peacetime since 1918 was 19.9% at the Leeds Central by-election, 1999.¹ The lowest turnouts since 1918 have been:

• Poplar South by-election, 1942: 9.3%¹
• Harrow by-election, 1941: 10.7%
• North Camberwell by-election, 1944: 11.2%

Most candidates

Any number of candidates can be nominated for election under current UK electoral law. There are no restrictions, with the only required stipulation (other than residency rules) being the valid nomination of ten electors from the constituency. By-elections often attract "fringe" or novelty candidates, single-issue candidates, or independents. As with nominations in a general election, candidates must pay a £500 deposit which is only refunded if the candidate wins 5% of the votes cast.

All by-elections with more than ten candidates are listed. Those which created a new record number are shown in bold.

Year	Number of candidates	Election
2008	26	Haltemprice and Howden
1993	19	Newbury
1999	18	Kensington and Chelsea
1984	17	Chesterfield
2003	16	Brent East
1988	15	Kensington
1993	14	Christchurch
2004		Hartlepool
1990		Mid Staffordshire
1989		Vauxhall
1996	13	South East Staffordshire
1981	12	Croydon North West
2003		Ealing Southall
1999		Hamilton South
2008		Henley
1997		Wirral South
2006	11	Bromley and Chislehurst
1986		Hammersmith and Fulham
1978		Lambeth Central
2004		Leicester South
2007		Sedgefield
1990		Upper Bann
1997		Uxbridge
1989		Vale of Glamorgan
1981		Warrington
1977	10	Birmingham Ladywood
1990		Bradford North
1977		City of London and Westminster South
2008		Crewe and Nantwich
1994		Dudley West
1996		Hemsworth
1995		Littleborough and Saddleworth
2005		Livingston
2002		Ogmore

Fewest candidates

Year	Number of candidates	Election
1954	1 (uncontested)	Armagh
1953		North Down
1952		Antrim North
1951		Londonderry by-election
1946		Hemsworth1
1986	2	Eight of the Northern Ireland by-elections
1981		Fermanagh and South Tyrone
1971		Widnes1
1986	3	Ryedale

*¹ The most recent mainland UK example

*² Four of the eight straight fights were between the Unionist incumbent and a "paper candidate" using the name "Peter Barry", the name of the then Irish Foreign Minister.

Candidate records

Durable by-election candidates

Former Labour cabinet minister Tony Benn contested no fewer than four by-elections during his career, topping the poll on each occasion: Bristol South East in 1950, Bristol South East in 1961, Bristol South East in 1963 and Chesterfield in 1984. His first and last by-election victories were 33 years and 3 months apart.

Former cabinet minister and European Commissioner Roy Jenkins fought two different by-elections for the Social Democratic Party only eight months apart. He narrowly failed in the Warrington by-election, 1981 before winning the Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982. He had been first elected as a Labour MP almost 34 years previously in the Southwark Central by-election, 1948.

Former Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd finally secured election at her third by-election attempt at the West Bromwich by-election, 1973. She had previously failed in the Leicester South East by-election, 1957 and the Nelson and Colne by-election, 1968 as well as the General Elections of 1959 and 1970.

Fringe candidates Bill Boaks, Screaming Lord Sutch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Tom Keen of the Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain contested numerous by-elections without success.

Pre-1945

Arthur Henderson was distinguished in being successful in no fewer than five by-elections in different seats, in Barnard Castle, Widnes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne East, Burnley, and Clay Cross.

Joseph Gibbins is the only person in modern times to gain the same seat twice in two different by-elections. He triumphed for Labour in the Liverpool West Toxteth by-election, 1924 and the Liverpool West Toxteth by-election, 1935.

William O'Brien won four by-elections, in Mallow in 1883, North East Cork in 1887 and then Cork City in 1904 and 1914. On these last two occasions, he was re-elected having resigned the seat.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill contested five by-elections in his long career:-

• Oldham by-election, 1899 in which he was not elected
• Manchester North-West by-election, 1908 where he was defeated
• Dundee by-election, 1908 where he was elected
• Dundee by-election, 1917 where he was re-elected.²
• Westminster, Abbey by-election, 1924 in which he was unsuccessful

John Wilkes won the Aylesbury by-election, 1757, and was then elected in the Middlesex by-elections of February, March and April 1769, on each occasion being subsequently expelled from the House of Commons.

Former MPs making a comeback at a by-election

• South Antrim by-election, 2000¹: William McCrea returns after losing his Mid Ulster seat in the 1997 General Election.
• Kensington and Chelsea by-election, 1999: Michael Portillo returns after losing his Enfield Southgate seat at the 1997 General Election.
• Beckenham by-election, 1997: Jacqui Lait returns after losing her Hastings and Rye seat at the 1997 General Election.
• Epping Forest by-election, 1988: Steve Norris returns after losing his Oxford East seat at the 1987 General Election.
• Glasgow Govan by-election, 1988¹: Jim Sillars returns as an SNP MP. He had first sat as a Labour MP (later as Scottish Labour) for South Ayrshire between 1970 and 1979.
• Chesterfield by-election, 1984: Tony Benn returns after losing his redrawn Bristol East seat at the 1983 General Election.
• Beaconsfield by-election, 1982: Tim Smith returns after losing his Ashfield seat in the 1979 General Election.
• Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982²: Roy Jenkins returns after a spell as European Commissioner, then co-founding the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He had first sat as a Labour MP for Southwark Central fom 1948-50 and Birmingham Stechford from 1950-77.
• Crosby by-election, 1981¹: Shirley Williams returns as the first-elected SDP MP. She had first sat as a Labour MP for Hitchin 1964-74 and for Hertford and Stevenage 1974-79.
• Warrington by-election, 1981: Douglas Hoyle returns after losing his Nelson and Colne seat in the 1979 General Election.
• Southend East by-election, 1980: Teddy Taylor returns after losing his Glasgow Cathcart seat at the 1979 General Election.
• South West Hertfordshire by-election, 1979: Richard Page returns after losing his Workington seat in the 1979 General Election.
• Knutsford by-election, 1979: Jock Bruce-Gardyne returns after losing his South Angus seat at the October 1974 General Election.
• Clitheroe by-election, 1979: David Waddington returns after losing his Nelson and Colne seat at the October 1974 General Election.
• Glasgow Garscadden by-election, 1978: Donald Dewar returns after losing his Aberdeen South seat in the 1970 General Election.
• Newham South by-election, 1974: Nigel Spearing returns after losing his Acton seat in the February 1974 General Election.
• Merthyr Tydfil by-election, 1972²: Edward Rowlands returns after losing his Cardiff North seat in the 1970 General Election.
• Greenwich by-election, 1971: Guy Barnett returns after losing his South Dorset seat in the 1964 General Election.
• Southampton Itchen by-election, 1971: Bob Mitchell returns after losing his Southampton Test seat in the 1970 General Election.
• St. Marylebone by-election, 1970: Kenneth Baker returns after losing his Acton seat in the 1970 General Election.
• Chichester by-election, 1969: Christopher Chataway returns after losing his Lewisham North seat in the 1966 General Election.
• Brighton Pavilion by-election, 1969: Julian Amery returns after losing his Preston North seat in the 1966 General Election.
• New Forest by-election, 1968: Patrick McNair-Wilson returns after losing his Lewisham West seat in the 1966 General Election.
• Warwick and Leamington by-election, 1968: Dudley Smith returns after losing his Brentford and Chiswick seat in the 1966 General Election.
• West Derbyshire by-election, 1967: James Scott-Hopkins returns after losing his Cornwall North seat in the 1966 General Election.
• Brierley Hill by-election, 1967: Fergus Montgomery returns after losing his Newcastle East seat in the 1964 General Election.
• Honiton by-election, 1967: Peter Emery returns after losing his Reading seat in the 1966 General Election.
• Saffron Walden by-election, 1965: Peter Kirk returns after losing his Gravesend seat in the 1964 General Election.
• Salisbury by-election, 1965: Michael Hamilton returns after losing his Wellingborough seat in the 1964 General Election.
• East Grinstead by-election, 1965: Geoffrey Johnson-Smith returns after losing his Holborn and St. Pancras South seat in the 1964 General Election.
• Altrincham and Sale by-election, 1965: Anthony Barber returns after losing his Doncaster seat in the 1964 General Election.
• St. Marylebone by-election, 1963: Quintin Hogg returns after disclaiming his peerage. He had previously sat for Oxford 1938-1950.
• Kinross and West Perthshire by-election, 1963: Sir Alec Douglas-Home returns after disclaiming his peerage. He had previously sat for Lanark 1931-45 and 1950-51.
• Bristol South East by-election, 1963: Tony Benn returns after disclaiming his peerage. He had been debarred from sitting for the seat since 1961.
• Middlesbrough East by-election, 1962: Arthur Bottomley returns after losing his Rochester and Chatham seat in the 1959 General Election.
• Ebbw Vale by-election, 1960: Michael Foot returns after losing his Plymouth Devonport seat in the 1955 General Election.
• Bootle by-election, 1911: Andrew Bonar Law returns after failing to win Manchester North-West in the December 1910 General Election.
• Dundee by-election, 1908: Winston Churchill returns after losing his Manchester North West seat in a 1908 by-election, upon his appointment to the Board of Trade.
• Dulwich by-election, 1906: Andrew Bonar Law returns after losing his Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown seat in the 1906 General Election.
• City of London by-election, 1906: Arthur Balfour returns after losing his Manchester East seat in the 1906 General Election.

Notes:

¹ by-election gain lost at the subsequent General Election

² by-election gain held at the subsequent General Election

Former MPs failing in a by-election

• Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008 - Former Vale of Glamorgan MP Walter Sweeney stands as an independent, winning 1% of the votes.
• Cheadle by-election, 2005: Stephen Day fails to regain for the Conservatives a seat he lost by only 33 votes four years previously.
• Winchester by-election, 1997: Gerald Malone fails disastrously to regain the seat for the Conservatives, after losing by only 2 votes six months previously.
• Christchurch by-election, 1993: Robert Hayward loses one of the Conservatives' safest seats to the Liberal Democrats.
• Eastbourne by-election, 1990: Richard Hickmet fails disastrously to defend the seat for the Conservatives, after publicly stating that for electors not to support him would be a moral victory for the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
• Pontypridd by-election, 1989: Tom Ellis, former Labour and SDP MP, stands for the Social and Liberal Democrats, losing his deposit.
• Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1986: Owen Carron fails to regain the seat for Sinn Féin that he held 1981-83.
• Peckham by-election, 1982: Dick Taverne, former Labour and Democratic Labour MP, stands for the SDP.
• Gower by-election, 1982: Gwynoro Jones, former Labour MP, stands for the SDP.
• Beaconsfield by-election, 1982: Paul Tyler fails for the Liberals in a by-election held during the Falklands War.
• Warrington by-election, 1981: Roy Jenkins narrowly fails to win for the SDP in its first parliamentary contest.
• Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981: Harry West fails to regain his old seat against Bobby Sands
• Hamilton by-election, 1978: Margo Macdonald fails to repeat the SNP's 1967 triumph.
• Ilford North by-election, 1978: Thomas Iremonger, who had sat for the seat 1954-74, stands as an independent Conservative, winning a mere 1.5% of the vote.
• Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977: Terry Davis loses a safe Labour seat.
• Walsall North by-election, 1976: David Winnick loses a safe Labour seat.
• Liverpool Scotland by-election, 1971: Peter Mahon stands as an Independent Labour Anti-Abortion candidate, securing 10.3% of the vote.
• Brighton Pavilion by-election, 1969: Thomas Skeffington-Lodge stands for Labour in a safe Conservative seat, 19 years after losing his seat.
• Nuneaton by-election, 1967: Air Vice-Marshall Donald Bennett stands as a National Party candidate, 22 years after losing his seat as a Liberal MP.
• Salisbury by-election, 1965: Horace Trevor-Cox stands as an independent Conservative, 20 years after losing his seat.
• Leyton by-election, 1965: Patrick Gordon-Walker narrowly loses a supposed safe seat.
• South Dorset by-election, 1962: Angus Maude narrowly loses.
• Bolton East by-election, 1960: Frank Byers stands for the Liberals.
• Hereford by-election, 1956: Frank Owen fails to regain for the Liberals the seat he previously sat for 1929-1931
• Mid Ulster by-election, 1956: Michael O'Neill fails to regain the seat, a year after retiring as its MP.
• Westminster Abbey by-election, 1924: Winston Churchill narrowly fails