2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election

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Event.png 2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
C and A by-election.jpg
Date17 June 2021
DescriptionThis safe Tory constituency had voted Conservative since the 19th-century, but this by-election saw a huge swing to the Liberal Democrats.

The 2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election was held on 17 June 2021 in the UK parliament constituency of Chesham and Amersham in Buckinghamshire following the death of the sitting member, Dame Cheryl Gillan on 4 April 2021. Gillan had been MP for the constituency since 1992.[1] The by-election was the third to the 58th Parliament, which was elected in 2019.[2]

Sarah Green, 39, the Liberal Democrats’ candidate, secured 21,517 votes, giving her an 8,028 majority over the second-placed Tories. Labour lost its deposit securing just 622 votes.[3] This was the lowest Labour by-election percentage in history.[4]

Date set

On 12 May, the writ for the by-election was moved in the House of Commons by Government Chief Whip Mark Spencer.[5][6]

Candidates

On 5 May 2021, the Liberal Democrats selected training and communications professional Sarah Green as their candidate in the by-election.[7][8]

On 6 May, the Conservative Party selected businessman Peter Fleet as their candidate.[9][10] Fleet was the Conservative candidate for the Southampton Itchen constituency in the UK/1997 General Election, and came second with 28.4% of the vote.[11]

On 7 May, the Green Party selected Carolyne Culver as their candidate in the by-election.[12] Culver is the Green Party group leader on West Berkshire Council.

On 18 May, the Labour Party selected Slough councillor Natasa Pantelic as their candidate in the by-election.[13] Pantelic is the lead member for health and wellbeing on Slough Borough Council in Berkshire.[14]

On 18 May, the Breakthrough Party selected mother-of-two and charity worker Carla Gregory as their candidate in the by-election.[15] Carla Gregory said:

"I’m running for MP of Chesham and Amersham because there is no one representing people who struggle to keep up with the cost of living in this constituency. This is my hometown and where I am raising my children so I want the best possible future for them and Chesham and Amersham. For far too long the gap between the rich and the poor has been widening here and I want to be the voice of the unheard residents."[16]

On 18 May 2021, Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) selected Alex Wilson as their candidate in the by-election.[17]

Hustings on the radio

On 6 June 2021, local radio station Wycombe Sound tweeted:

Following the sad death of Dame Cheryl Gillan, voters in the Chesham and Amersham constituency head to the polls on the 17th of June. Join Bob Johnson as he interviews all of the candidates starting tomorrow on Mid Mornings until the day before the by-election. You can also hear them in full on Wednesday 16th June from 7pm.[18]

Results

  • Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat): 21,517
  • Peter Fleet (Conservative): 13,489
  • Carolyne Culver (Green Party): 1,480
  • Natasa Pantelic (Labour): 622
  • Alex Wilson (Reform UK): 414
  • Carla Gregory (Breakthrough Party): 197
  • Adrian Oliver (Freedom Alliance): 134
  • Brendan Donnelly (Rejoin EU): 101
  • Lib Dem majority: 8,028
  • Turnout: 52% (37,954)[19]


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References

  1. "Tory MP Dame Cheryl Gillan dies aged 68"
  2. "By-elections since the 2019 General Election"
  3. "Chesham and Amersham by-election: Liberal Democrats take Tory seat"
  4. https://skwawkbox.org/2021/06/18/starmer-loses-deposit-in-chesham-with-lowest-labour-by-election-percentage-ever-and-less-than-1-10-of-corbyns-in-same-seat/
  5. https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/68a53c44-3b1e-4ecc-ad47-72a2aa5c0cba
  6. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-05-12/debates/7BF80026-702F-4671-9D71-F8EF581C6842/Speaker%E2%80%99SStatement
  7. https://www.libdemvoice.org/sarah-green-selected-for-chesham-amersham-67612.html
  8. https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/19291149.chesham-amersham-by-election-lib-dems-announce-candidate-replace-late-mp-dame-cheryl-gillan/
  9. https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/19283567.conservatives-name-chesham-amersham-mp-candidate-replace-dame-cheryl-gillan/
  10. https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2021/05/fleet-wins-the-conservative-selection-for-the-chesham-and-amersham-by-election.html
  11. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/profile-big-blue-peter-fleet-director-marketing-ford-britain/143499
  12. https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/19285979.green-party-announces-chesham-amersham-mp-candidate/
  13. https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/19310475.labour-select-candidate-amersham-chesham-by-election/
  14. https://labourlist.org/2021/05/labour-selects-slough-councillor-to-fight-chesham-and-amersham-by-election/
  15. "Chesham and Amersham by-election: mum-of-two standing for new Breakthrough party to be ‘voice of unheard’"
  16. "Another by-election headache is incoming for Keir Starmer"
  17. "We are delighted to announce Alex Wilson as the Reform UK Candidate for the #CheshamAndAmersham By-Election"
  18. "Bob Johnson interviews all of the candidates starting 7th June"
  19. "Chesham and Amersham: Lib Dems overturn big Tory majority in by-election upset"
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