1955 Orpington by-election
{{Short description|Parliamentary by-election for the constituency of Orbington, Kent}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The 1955 Orpington by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 20 January 1955 for the British House of Commons constituency of Orpington in Kent, England. It followed the death of the incumbent Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Sir Waldron Smithers. The seat was held by the Conservatives.
The by-election was notable in that Sumner as the incumbent chairman of the divisional Conservative Association defeated Margaret Thatcher to be adopted prospective candidate for the local constituency.Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley The Liberal Party announced that it would not contest the by-election.The Times, Orpington Polling Day 20 January 5 Jan 1955
Result
{{Election box begin| title=1955 Orpington by-election[https://web.archive.org/web/20090831055341/http://geocities.com/by_elections/55a.html British Parliament by-election: 1955]}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Donald Sumner
|votes = 20,082
|percentage = 65.8
|change = +3.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = R. David Vaughan Williams
|votes = 10,426
|percentage = 34.2
|change = -3.1
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 9,656
|percentage = 31.6
|change = +6.2
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 30,508
|percentage = 55.4
|change = -26.6
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
|reg. electors = 55,069
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing = +3.1
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{By-elections to the 40th UK Parliament}}