Bermondsey by-election, 1983

Bermondsey by-election

← 1979 24 February 1983 1983 →
Candidate Simon Hughes Peter Tatchell Party Liberal Labour Popular vote 17,017 7,698 Percentage 57.7% 26.1%   Candidate John O'Grady Robert Hughes Party Real Bermondsey Labour Conservative Popular vote 2,243 1,631 Percentage 7.6% 5.5%
MP before election Bob Mellish Labour Subsequent MP Roy Jenkins Liberal

Bob Mellish
Labour

Roy Jenkins
Liberal

A by-election was held in the Bermondsey constituency in South London, on 24 February 1983, following the resignation of Labour MP Bob Mellish. Peter Tatchell stood as the candidate for the Labour Party, and Simon Hughes stood for the Liberal Party. Following a bitter campaign, the Liberals made huge gains and took the seat, with a majority of votes cast. Labour's vote fell from 63.6 per cent in May 1979 to 26.1 per cent as Tatchell came a distant second, while the Conservative candidate, Robert Hughes, managed only fourth place. With a swing of 44.2%, the 1983 Bermondsey by-election remains the largest by-election swing in British political history.

Bob Mellish had represented the constituency and its predecessors in the House of Commons since 1946. He was the Labour Chief Whip from 1969 until 1976, but had become disenchanted with the left-wing drift of the Labour Party, and resigned from both the Party and his Parliamentary seat in 1982. He was recruited by the Conservative government to the board of the London Docklands Development Corporation; as he did not wish to be disqualified, the post was made non-salaried until such time as Mellish chose to accept payment. This meant that Mellish had a paid job to go to as soon as he wanted.

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