2005 Livingston by-election
{{Short description|UK parliamentary by-election}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2005 Livingston by-election
| type = parliamentary
| election_date = 29 September 2005
| ongoing = No
| turnout = 38.6%
| image1 =
| party1 = Labour Party (UK)
| candidate1 = Jim Devine
| popular_vote1 = 12,319
| percentage1 = 41.8%
| swing1 = {{decrease}}9.3%
| image2 = x160px
| party2 = Scottish National Party
| candidate2 = Angela Constance
| popular_vote2 = 9,639
| percentage2 = 32.7%
| swing2 = {{increase}}11.1%
| image4 =
| party4 = Liberal Democrats (UK)
| candidate4 = Charles Dundas
| popular_vote4 = 4,362
| percentage4 = 14.8%
| swing4 = {{decrease}}0.6%
| image5 = x160px
| party5 = Conservative Party (UK)
| candidate5 = Gordon Lindhurst
| popular_vote5 = 1,993
| percentage5 = 6.8%
| swing5 = {{decrease}}3.4%
| title = MP
| after_election = Jim Devine
| before_party = Labour Party (UK)
| before_election = Robin Cook
| country = United Kingdom
| next_election = 2010 United Kingdom general election
| previous_year = May 2005
| previous_election = 2005 United Kingdom general election
| next_year = 2010
| after_party = Labour Party (UK)
}}{{PoliticsScotland}}
The 2005 Livingston by-election was triggered when Robin Cook, the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Livingston, in Scotland, died on 6 August 2005.
Notice of the vacancy in the constituency was published in the London Gazette on 2 September 2005, which allowed the Speaker of the House of Commons to issue the writ for the election on 8 September under the Recess Elections Act 1975. The poll was held on 29 September, in the week of the Labour Party Conference, when the Labour candidate Jim Devine held the seat for his party.
A by-election for the Glasgow Cathcart seat in the Scottish Parliament was also held on the same day.
Result
{{Election box begin|
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Labour
|candidate = Jim Devine
|votes = 12,319
|percentage = 41.8
|change = {{decrease}}9.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Angela Constance
|votes = 9,639
|percentage = 32.7
|change = {{increase}}11.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
|candidate = Charles Dundas
|votes = 4,362
|percentage = 14.8
|change = {{decrease}}0.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Conservatives
|candidate = Gordon Lindhurst
|votes = 1,993
|percentage = 6.8
|change = {{decrease}}3.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Green Party
|candidate = David Robertson
|votes = 529
|percentage = 1.8
|change = New
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Socialist Party
|candidate = Steven Nimmo
|votes = 407
|percentage = 1.4
|change = {{decrease}}0.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = United Kingdom Independence Party
|candidate = Peter Adams
|votes = 108
|percentage = 0.4
|change = New
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Melville Brown
|votes = 55
|percentage = 0.2
|change = New
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Alliance for Change (UK)
|candidate = John William Allman
|votes = 33
|percentage = 0.1
|change = New
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Socialist Party of Great Britain
|candidate = Brian Gardner
|votes = 32
|percentage = 0.1
|change = New
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 2,680
|percentage = 9.1
|change = {{decrease}}20.4
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 29,477
|percentage = 38.6
|change = {{decrease}}19.5
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Scottish Labour
|swing = {{decrease}}10.2
}}
{{Election box end}}
Previous election
{{Election box begin no clear |
|title=General Election 2005: Livingston
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Labour
|candidate = Robin Cook
|votes = 22,657
|percentage = 51.1
|change = {{decrease}}1.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Angela Constance
|votes = 9,560
|percentage = 21.6
|change = {{decrease}}2.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
|candidate = Charles Dundas
|votes = 6,832
|percentage = 15.4
|change = {{increase}}5.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Conservatives
|candidate = Alison Ross
|votes = 4,499
|percentage = 10.1
|change = {{increase}}2.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Socialist Party
|candidate = Steven Nimmo
|votes = 789
|percentage = 1.8
|change = {{decrease}}1.2
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 13,097
|percentage = 29.5
|change = {{increase}}0.1
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 44,337
|percentage = 58.1
|change = {{increase}}2.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Scottish Labour
|swing = {{decrease}}1.2
}}
{{Election box end}}
Reaction to result
Labour's retention of the seat, albeit with a reduced majority, was regarded by the party with satisfaction. The Scottish National Party was the only party to increase their vote from the general election, and although they did not win, they achieved a swing of 10% from Labour. The Liberal Democrats' share of the vote fell by 0.6%.
There was a swing from Labour to Conservatives of 3%, but given the fourth-place position of the Conservative Party in this seat, and their third-place position in Scotland, the significance of this is debatable.
In 2007 Angela Constance gained the Livingston seat in the Scottish Parliament (which has slightly different boundaries) from Labour.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090821060012/http://www.by-elections.co.uk/livingston05.html Campaign literature from the by-election]
- BBC News: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4207176.stm Date is set for Cook by-election]
- [http://gswing.sourceforge.net/scotland/livingston.html Scottish Election Results 1997 - present]
{{By-elections to the 54th UK Parliament}}
{{Westminster by-elections in Scotland 1950-present}}
Category:2005 elections in the United Kingdom
Category:2000s elections in Scotland
Category:Politics of West Lothian
Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies