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{{Short description|UK parliamentary by-election}}
The [[Member of Parliament]] for '''[[Kensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)|Kensington and Chelsea, London|Chelsea]]''', the Rt. Hon. [[Alan Clark]], ([[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]) died of a [[brain tumour]] on [[September 5]], [[1999]].
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = Kensington and Chelsea by-election
| type = parliamentary
| country = United Kingdom
| seats_for_election = [[Kensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)|Kensington and Chelsea]] parliamentary seat
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1997 United Kingdom general election
| previous_year = 1997
| next_election = 2001 United Kingdom general election
| next_year = 2001
| election_date = 25 November 1999
| turnout = 29.7% {{decrease}}25.0%
 
| candidate1 = [[Michael Portillo]]
This was the first truly safe Conservative seat to have a byelection in the Parliament as well as the first in [[London]]. There was immediate speculation that [[Michael Portillo]], the most high-profile casualty of the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 general election]], would use it to return to frontline politics. Portillo immediately confirmed his interest in the seat, but was then confronted with the publication of an interview he had given previously that summer in which he had confirmed that while at [[Peterhouse, Cambridge]] he had had [[Homosexuality|homosexual]] affairs.
| image1 = [[File:Michael Portillo by Regents College cropped.jpg|90px]]
| party1 = Conservative Party (UK)
| popular_vote1 = '''11,004'''
| percentage1 = '''56.4%'''
| swing1 = {{increase}}2.8%
 
| candidate2 = Robert Atkinson
| image2 = [[File:No image.svg|90px]]
| party2 = Labour Party (UK)
| popular_vote2 = 4,298
| percentage2 = 22.0%
| swing2 = {{decrease}}5.9%
 
| candidate3 = Robert Woodthorpe Browne
| image3 = [[File:No image.svg|90px]]
| party3 = Liberal Democrats (UK)
| popular_vote3 = 1,831
| percentage3 = 9.4%
| swing3 = {{decrease}}5.9%
 
| title = MP
| posttitle = Subsequent MP
| before_election = [[Alan Clark]]
| before_party = Conservative Party (UK)
| after_election = [[Michael Portillo]]
| after_party = Conservative Party (UK)
}}
 
The '''1999 Kensington and Chelsea by-election''' was held on 25 November 1999 after the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|member of Parliament]] for the [[Kensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency]], [[Alan Clark]] ([[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]), died of a [[Brain tumor|brain tumour]] on 5 September 1999.
 
This was the first safe Conservative seat to have a by-election in the 1997–2001 UK Parliament. There was immediate speculation that [[Michael Portillo]], the [[Enfield Southgate in the 1997 general election|most high-profile casualty]] of the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]], would use it to return to frontline politics. Portillo immediately confirmed his interest in the seat, but was then confronted with the publication of an interview he had given previously that summer in which he had confirmed that while at [[Peterhouse, Cambridge]] he had had [[Homosexuality|homosexual]] affairs.
 
Portillo was selected as Conservative candidate but faced demonstrations organised by [[gay rights]] group [[OutRage!]] and its principal campaigner [[Peter Tatchell]] who protested against his vote for an unequal [[age of consent]] for gay and straight sex, and support for the ban on homosexuality in the UK armed forces while [[Secretary of State for Defence]]. Tatchell continued to try to confront Portillo throughout the election, not assuaged by Portillo saying that he had changed his mind on the age of consent.
 
The [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] selected Robert Atkinson, who had fought the [[1997]] United Kingdom general election|1997 election]] and was a local councillor. The [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] also renominated their general election candidate, Robert Woodthorpe Browne. Because of the prominence of the byelectionby-election in central London and the big political name, there were a wide variety of fringe and minor party candidates. Polling day was set25 for [[November 25]]. [[MichaelPortillo Portillo]]was returned safely to Parliament.
 
==Results==
{{Election box begin|title=1999 by-election: Kensington and Chelsea<ref name="Demon">{{cite web|url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1997.html|title=Results of Byelections in the 1997-2002 Parliament|last=Boothroyd|first=David|access-date=2015-10-05|website=United Kingdom Election Results}}</ref>}}
The turnout was 29.7%.
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
 
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
{|
|candidate = [[Michael Portillo]]
|'''Candidate'''||'''Party'''||'''Votes'''||'''Share'''||'''Change'''
|votes = 11,004
|-
|percentage = 56.4
|[[Michael Portillo]]||[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]||align=right|11,004||align=right|56.4%||align=right|+2.8%
|change = +2.8
|-
}}
|Robert Atkinson||[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]||align=right|4,298||align=right|22.0%||align=right|-5.9%
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Robert Atkinson|votes=4,298|percentage=22.0|change=–5.9}}
|-
|Robert{{Election Woodthorpebox candidate with party Brownelink||[[party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberalcandidate=Robert Democrat]]Woodthorpe Browne||alignvotes=right|1,831||alignpercentage=right|9.4%||alignchange=right|-5–5.9%}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Pro-Euro Conservative Party|candidate=[[John Stevens (English politician)|John Stevens]]|votes=740|percentage=3.8|change=''New''}}
|-
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=United Kingdom Independence Party|candidate=[[Damian Hockney]]|votes=450|percentage=2.3|change=+0.9}}
|John Stevens||[[Pro-Euro Conservative Party]]||align=right|740||align=right|3.8%
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=[[Hugo Charlton]]|votes=446|percentage=2.3|change=''New''}}
|-
{{Election box candidate|
|[[Damian Hockney]]||[[UK Independence Party]]||align=right|450||align=right|2.3%||align=right|+0.9%
|party = [[Democratic Party (UK, 1998)|Democratic Party]]
|-
|candidate = [[Charles Beauclerk, Earl of Burford|The Earl of Burford]]
|Hugo Charlton||[[Green Party (UK)|Green Party]]||align=right|446||align=right|2.3%
|votes = 182
|-
|percentage = 0.9
|The Earl of Burford||Independent||align=right|182||align=right|0.9%
|change = ''New''
|-
}}
|Colin Paisley||[[Legalise Cannabis Alliance]]||align=right|141||align=right|0.7%
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Legalise Cannabis Alliance|candidate=Colin Paisley|votes=141|percentage=0.7|change=''New''}}
|-
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Independent (politician)|candidate=Michael Irwin|votes=97|percentage=0.5|change=''New''}}
|Dr. Michael Irwin||Independent||align=right|97||align=right|0.5%
{{Election box candidate|
|-
|Paulparty = Oliver||[[UK Pensioners Party]]||align=right|75||align=right|0.4%||align=right|-0.1%
|candidate = Paul Oliver
|-
|votes = 75
|Stephen Scott-Fawcett||Independent Labour||align=right|57||align=right|0.3%
|percentage = 0.4
|-
|change = –0.1
|Louise Hodges||Independent||align=right|48||align=right|0.3%
}}
|-
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Referendum Party|candidate=Stephen Scott-Fawcett|votes=57|percentage=0.3|change=''New''}}
|Gerard 'Ged' Valente||[[Natural Law Party]]||align=right|35||align=right|0.2%||align=right|-0.1%
{{Election box candidate|
|-
|party = Independent
|Lisa Lovebucket||[[ProLife|Pro-Life Alliance]]||align=right|26||align=right|0.1%
|candidate = Louise Hodges
|-
|votes = 48
|John Davies||Independent||align=right|24||align=right|0.1%
|percentage = 0.3
|-
|change = ''New''
|Peter May||Independent||align=right|24||align=right|0.1%
}}
|-
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Natural Law Party|candidate=Gerard 'Ged' Valente|votes=35|percentage=0.2|change=–0.1}}
|[[Howling Laud Hope]]||[[Official Monster Raving Loony Party|Monster Raving Loony]]||align=right|20||align=right|0.1%
{{Election box candidate|
|-
|party = People's Net Dream Ticket Party
|Tonysamuelsondotcom||Independent||align=right|15||align=right|0.1%
|candidate = Lisa Lovebucket
|}
|votes = 26
|percentage = 0.1
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Environmentalist
|candidate = John Davies
|votes = 24
|percentage = 0.1
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Equal Parenting Party
|candidate = Peter May
|votes = 24
|percentage = 0.1
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Official Monster Raving Loony Party|candidate=[[Howling Laud Hope]]|votes=20|percentage=0.1|change=''New''}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Tonysamuelsondotcom
|votes = 15
|percentage = 0.1
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box majority||votes=6,706|percentage=34.4|change=+8.7}}
{{Election box turnout||votes=19,510|percentage=29.7|change=–25.0}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
 
==General Election result, 1997==
{{Election box begin |title=[[1997 United Kingdom general election|General election 1997]]: Kensington and Chelsea}}
{|
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|'''Candidate'''||'''Party'''||'''Votes'''||'''Share'''
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|-
|candidate = [[Alan Clark]]||(C)||align=right|19,887||align=right|53.6%
|votes = 19,887
|-
|percentage = 53.6
|Robert Atkinson||(Lab)||align=right|10,368||align=right|27.9%
|change = -14.6
|-
}}
|Robert Woodthorpe Browne||(L Dem)||align=right|5,668||align=right|15.3%
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|-
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|Angela Ellis-Jones||(UKIP)||align=right|540||align=right|1.5%
|candidate = Robert Atkinson
|-
|votes = 10,368
|[[Dom Joly|Edward Bear]]||(Ind)||align=right|218||align=right|0.6%
|percentage = 27.9
|-
|change = +11.3
|Paul Oliver||(UKPP)||align=right|176||align=right|0.5%
}}
|-
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|Susan Hamza||(NLP)||align=right|122||align=right|0.3%
|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
|-
|candidate = Robert Woodthorpe Browne
|Paul Sullivan||(Rainbow)||align=right|65||align=right|0.2%
|votes = 5,668
|-
|percentage = 15.3
|Pete Parliament||(Ind)||align=right|44||align=right|0.1%
|change = +2.1
|}
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = [[Teddy Bear Alliance]]
|candidate = [[Dom Joly|Edward Bear]]
|votes = 218
|percentage = 0.6
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = [[United Kingdom Pensioners Party]]
|candidate = Paul Oliver
|votes = 176
|percentage = 0.5
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Natural Law Party
|candidate = Susan Hamza
|votes = 122
|percentage = 0.3
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket
|candidate = Paul Sullivan
|votes = 65
|percentage = 0.2
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Pete Parliament
|votes = 44
|percentage = 0.1
|change = ''New''
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 9,519
|percentage = 25.7
|change = –25.9
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 36,548
|percentage = 54.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Conservative Party (UK)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
 
==See also==
*[[Lists of United Kingdom by-elections]]
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090821055843/http://www.by-elections.co.uk/kensington99.html Campaign literature from the by-election]
{{By-elections to the 52nd UK Parliament}}
 
[[Category:Elections in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea|Kensington and Chelsea, 1999]]
[[Category:UK Parliamentary by-elections]]
[[Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in London constituencies|Kensington and Chelsea, 1999]]
[[Category:1999]]
[[Category:1999 in London|Kensington and Chelsea by-election]]
[[Category:1999 elections in the United Kingdom|Kensington and Chelsea by-election]]
[[Category:November 1999 in the United Kingdom|Kensington and Chelsea by-election]]
[[Category:20th century in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Kensington_and_Chelsea_by-election"