1962 Leicester North East by-election

{{Short description|UK Parliamentary by-election}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2019}}

The 1962 Leicester North East by-election was held on 12 July 1962 when the incumbent Labour MP Sir Lynn Ungoed-Thomas was appointed a High Court Judge. It was retained by the Labour candidate, Tom Bradley.

The by-election was affected by the refusal of many Conservative activists in Leicestershire and nearby Rutland to campaign, with some actively supporting the Liberal candidate.{{cite journal |author1=Alexander Hutton |title=John Major’s politics of place: a new look at english local government reform, 1990–1997 |journal=Contemporary British History |date=2024 |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=543-564 |doi=10.1080/13619462.2024.2410550}}

As a consequence of the Conservatives falling into third place behind the Liberals, Harold Macmillan reshuffled his cabinet removing seven ministers, including Chancellor of the Exchequer, Selwyn Lloyd who was held responsible for the unpopularity of the pay pause policy. This mass removal of ministers, referred to as ‘the night of the long knives', smacked of desperation and caused many people to question Macmillan's political judgment.Anthony Seldon and Stuart Ball, Conservative Century: The Conservative Party since 1900; OUP 1994 p51

{{Election box begin |

|title=Leicester North East by-election, 1962{{cite web|url=http://by-elections.co.uk/62.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205100601/http://by-elections.co.uk/62.html|title=1962 By Election Results|archive-date=2012-02-05|url-status=dead|access-date=2015-08-17}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Tom Bradley

|votes = 11,274

|percentage = 41.48

|change = -10.43

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = David Bond

|votes = 9,326

|percentage = 34.31

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Robin Marlar

|votes = 6,578

|percentage = 24.20

|change = -23.89

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 1,948

|percentage = 7.17

|change = +3.34

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 27,178

|percentage =

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Labour Party (UK)

|swing = +22.37

}}

{{Election box end}}