1955 Greenock by-election
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The 1955 Greenock by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 8 December 1955 for the British House of Commons constituency of Greenock in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
The vacancy had been created by the death of the incumbent Labour MP Hector McNeil, and the seat was won by the future Labour Minister Dickson Mabon.
Candidates
Labour selected Mabon, who at only thirty would become the youngest Labour MP. He had served as a Bevin Boy and in the army. He had been chairman of the Labour Club (1948–50), then chairman of the National Association of Labour Students in 1949–1950, and finally president of Glasgow University Union in 1951–52, and of the Scottish Union of Students, 1954–55.
The Unionist candidate was Ian MacArthur, who was also thirty, and who worked as an associate director of a marketing and advertising company; he had also contested the seat at the general election earlier that year.
Previous result
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election 1955: GreenockBritish parliamentary election results, 1950–1973 by FWS Craig
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = Hector McNeil
|votes = 19,378
|percentage = 51.4
|change = -5.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Unionist Party (Scotland)
|candidate = Ian MacArthur
|votes = 18,345
|percentage = 48.6
|change = +5.7
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 1,033
|percentage = 2.8
|change = -11.4
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 37,723
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Labour Party (UK)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
By-election result
{{Election box begin |
|title=Greenock by-election, 1955British parliamentary election results, 1950–1973 by FWS Craig
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = Dickson Mabon
|votes = 19,698
|percentage = 53.7
|change = +2.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Unionist Party (Scotland)
|candidate = Ian MacArthur
|votes = 17,004
|percentage = 46.3
|change = -2.3
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 2,694
|percentage = 7.4
|change = +4.6
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 36,702
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Labour Party (UK)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{By-elections to the 41st UK Parliament}}
{{Westminster by-elections in Scotland 1950-present}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenock by-election, 1955}}
Category:1955 elections in the United Kingdom
Category:1950s elections in Scotland
Category:December 1955 in the United Kingdom
Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies