1956 Hereford by-election

The 1956 Hereford by-election of 14 February 1956 was held after the resignation of Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Jim Thomas.[http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html#hereford Full results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010071845/http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html |date=2012-10-10 }}

The seat was safe, having been won by Thomas at the 1955 United Kingdom general election albeit with a reduced majority of over 2,000 votes.[http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge55/i11.htm Election results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811165803/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge55/i11.htm |date=11 August 2011 }} PoliticsResources.net The Liberals, who had already polled nearly one-quarter of the vote in 1955, increased their share to 36.4%.

Candidates

David Gibson-Watt was the Conservative candidate to hold the seat. He had served in the Welsh Guards and was a former local councillor.

Frank Owen: A local man who had served in his youth as the Liberal MP for Hereford between 1929 and 1931. At the 1955 general election, he had contested the seat for the first time since losing it in 1931, and polled a good second place.

Labour candidate Bryan Stanley was, at the time, a technical engineer and member of the Labour National Executive Committee.

Result of the previous general election

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = James Thomas

|votes = 18,058

|percentage = 51.79

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Frank Owen

|votes = 8,658

|percentage = 24.83

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = E.L.P. Seers

|votes = 8,154

|percentage = 23.38

|change =

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 9,400

|percentage = 26.96

|change =

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 34,870

|percentage =

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing =

}}

Result of the by-election

The Conservative Party held the seat with a reduced majority.

{{Election box begin | title=Hereford by-election, 14 February 1956{{cite web|url=http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010071845/http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html|title=1956 By Election Results|archive-date=2012-10-10|url-status=dead|access-date=2015-08-14}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = David Gibson-Watt

|votes = 12,129

|percentage = 44.29

|change = -7.50

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Frank Owen

|votes = 9,979

|percentage = 36.44