169:
would mean for opposition candidates, especially in a geographically large and electorally scattered constituency and at a difficult time of year - the dead of winter and just before
Christmas. According to one account in a national newspaper the topical issues were the problems of depopulation, transport and midges. However the Liberal candidate, John Bannerman, based his campaign on support for Home Rule for Scotland and an increase in old age pensions. Paterson received a letter of support from former
115:
who had lived in the
Highlands as a child. McLean had the advantage of knowing that Douglas-Hamilton was going to resign and had moved to the constituency in anticipation of the by-election. He had been installed as the prospective candidate for about 18 months, using the time to get to know the area
349:
The by-election result caused little stir at the time, although the
Liberals were clearly pleased with their performance given they had not fought the seat in 1951 and had pushed Labour into third place. It does however seem that Inverness served as a portent of what was to come in Scotland over the
358:
newspaper that ‘...it is possible to argue that if the
Liberals could not recover Inverness this time, when all the circumstances and candidate favoured them, their best days there seem to be over for good' the Inverness result also pre-figured the Liberal revival of the late 1950s and 1960s when
168:
The first political controversy to emerge in relation to
Inverness was the timing of the by-election itself. Labour in particular objected to what they called 'the sharp practice' of moving the by-election writ by the Tories when they did, based on the deliberate shortening of campaign time this
1629:
1063:
350:
next few general elections. One historian has commented that the "...Conservative Party was to suffer in the following decades from the effects of growing support for home rule, later translated into support for the
1056:
132:, Alexander Macnair had indicated he wished to stand again but the local Labour Party preferred a new man. Macnair then said he might put up as an Independent Labour candidate but did not do so in the end. The
602:
625:
1049:
87:
In 1954 the constituency of
Inverness was one of the largest Parliamentary constituencies in Britain spread across 4,000 square miles (10,000 km) of Scottish Highland, from the county town of
1075:
1598:
1020:
595:
1593:
1588:
1583:
1578:
1573:
1568:
1563:
1558:
1553:
1548:
1543:
1538:
1533:
1015:
1010:
1005:
1000:
995:
990:
985:
980:
975:
970:
965:
960:
955:
1649:
650:
621:
1232:
632:
614:
588:
1255:
1644:
1517:
781:
39:
1659:
253:
141:
1459:
1325:
1360:
1041:
853:
580:
149:
1400:
1354:
693:
1090:
401:
32:
1290:
884:
825:
759:
737:
731:
46:
1639:
1441:
1162:
1109:
1082:
406:
384:
372:
157:
153:
137:
129:
69:
58:
54:
1511:
1477:
1313:
1174:
1664:
1608:
1412:
1214:
1115:
1030:
1348:
1226:
879:
819:
787:
747:
660:
1372:
1342:
1302:
1273:
1197:
1156:
1144:
933:
927:
108:
1424:
1406:
1261:
1127:
836:
721:
1418:
1394:
1389:
1366:
1307:
1243:
912:
683:
1654:
1603:
1465:
1447:
1220:
1025:
847:
804:
677:
76:
50:
28:
1296:
1237:
1121:
809:
666:
562:
1494:
1471:
1453:
1249:
1132:
922:
841:
742:
715:
364:
1209:
917:
868:
858:
830:
698:
672:
655:
396:
368:
1634:
1319:
1267:
1180:
1150:
863:
776:
765:
753:
726:
324:
216:
1203:
939:
874:
814:
688:
520:
223:
112:
65:
25:
176:
reminding voters that the Labour Party in office had developed hydro-electric power and a great programme of
1168:
889:
771:
351:
43:
376:
1086:
371:. As already noted, the Liberals best days in Inverness were hardly behind them as they won the seat in
95:
and some nearby islands. More than half the electorate lived in the town of
Inverness itself however.
248:
133:
73:
411:
273:
117:
332:
148:
speaking farmer and former
Scotland Rugby international, who had been Liberal candidate for
380:
145:
173:
170:
1623:
306:
177:
104:
92:
125:
21:
1630:
By-elections to the
Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies
360:
355:
88:
354:
and a rise in support for the
Liberals and Labour." Despite the opinion in
206:
128:
official, William Paterson, aged 44. The former Labour candidate at the
121:
524:
136:, who had not fought the seat at the previous general election in
1045:
584:
492:
The Times, 15 December 1954 p5 & 18 December 1954 p. 3
363:
the party won its first by-election victory since 1929 at
103:
The Tories chose as their representative the 36-year-old,
570:, edited by John Fowler; (Impulse Books, Aberdeen, 1972)
568:
Bannerman: The Memoirs of Lord Bannerman of Kildonan
64:
The result was a victory for the Unionist candidate
1503:
1486:
1433:
1381:
1334:
1282:
1189:
1101:
904:
796:
707:
642:
116:well and establish a rapport with the electorate.
91:to the west coast of Scotland and included the
1057:
596:
8:
383:held the equivalent constituency until the
57:. Douglas-Hamilton had held the seat since
1650:December 1954 events in the United Kingdom
1064:
1050:
1042:
603:
589:
581:
187:
423:
189:Inverness by-election, 1954: Inverness
1091:House of Commons of the United Kingdom
626:40th Parliament of the United Kingdom
305:
193:
7:
1645:1954 elections in the United Kingdom
407:Lists of United Kingdom by-elections
1660:Politics of the county of Inverness
447:, Issue 53 Winter 2006-07 pp. 18–25
38:The by-election was caused by the
14:
651:Bournemouth East and Christchurch
24:held on 21 December 1954 for the
575:By-elections in British Politics
510:The Times, 17 December 1954 p. 4
483:The Times, 11 December 1954 p. 3
465:The Times, 13 December 1954 p. 4
456:The Times, 11 December 1954 p. 3
430:The Times, 4 December 1954, p. 6
269:
244:
211:
573:Chris Cook & John Ramsden,
474:The Times, 4 December 1954 p. 6
1233:Kinross and Western Perthshire
1:
1256:Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles
577:; UCL Press, 1997 p. 286
68:. McLean held the seat until
53:, by his application for the
51:Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton
1518:Rutherglen and Hamilton West
782:Holborn and St Pancras South
563:Inverness by-election result
152:at the general elections of
111:educated Lieutenant Colonel
1640:1950s elections in Scotland
554:The Times, 24 December 1954
441:The Inverness turning point
1681:
1452:September 2005:
1423:September 1999:
1289:September 1971:
521:"1954 By Election Results"
445:Journal of Liberal History
397:1922 Inverness by-election
367:and more spectacularly at
18:1954 Inverness by-election
1665:20th century in Inverness
1526:
1476:November 2009:
1470:November 2008:
1460:Dunfermline and West Fife
1458:February 2006:
1446:December 2000:
1440:November 2000:
1417:November 1997:
1399:November 1991:
1388:November 1990:
1365:November 1988:
1359:December 1982:
1301:November 1973:
1266:November 1967:
1242:December 1963:
1231:November 1963:
1225:November 1962:
1208:November 1961:
1173:November 1958:
1149:December 1955:
1137:December 1954:
948:
323:
291:
205:
202:
199:
196:
1530:Lists of UK by-elections
1516:October 2023:
1326:Berwick and East Lothian
1324:October 1978:
1272:October 1969:
1143:January 1955:
1114:October 1950:
952:Lists of UK by-elections
359:under the leadership of
26:British House of Commons
854:Shoreditch and Finsbury
352:Scottish National Party
1401:Kincardine and Deeside
1355:Coatbridge and Airdrie
1347:March 1982:
1312:April 1978:
1295:March 1973:
1260:March 1967:
1254:March 1965:
1202:April 1961:
1179:April 1959:
1161:March 1958:
1126:April 1954:
1108:April 1950:
694:Birmingham Small Heath
402:Inverness constituency
1493:June 2011:
1464:July 2008:
1405:June 1994:
1371:June 1989:
1353:June 1982:
1341:June 1980:
1219:June 1962:
1167:June 1958:
1120:July 1952:
545:Wyburn Powell, op cit
501:Wyburn Powell, op cit
385:2015 general election
130:1951 general election
1655:History of Inverness
1510:May 2021:
1411:May 1995:
1361:Glasgow Queen's Park
1318:May 1978:
1291:Stirling and Falkirk
1248:May 1964:
1196:May 1960:
1155:May 1957:
885:Liverpool West Derby
826:Arundel and Shoreham
760:Birmingham Edgbaston
738:Hayes and Harlington
732:Stoke-on-Trent North
439:Alun Wyburn Powell,
72:when he lost to the
47:Member of Parliament
1163:Glasgow Kelvingrove
1110:West Dunbartonshire
190:
1512:Airdrie and Shotts
1478:Glasgow North East
1442:Glasgow Anniesland
1314:Glasgow Garscadden
1175:East Aberdeenshire
527:on 4 February 2012
365:Torrington in 1958
188:
180:in the Highlands.
124:engine driver and
1617:
1616:
1413:Perth and Kinross
1215:Glasgow Bridgeton
1116:Glasgow Scotstoun
1039:
1038:
412:Murdoch Macdonald
377:Liberal Democrats
369:Orpington in 1962
342:
341:
278:William Paterson
55:Chiltern Hundreds
1672:
1635:1954 in Scotland
1609:Hereditary peers
1604:Northern Ireland
1349:Glasgow Hillhead
1227:Glasgow Woodside
1096:
1095:
1080:
1066:
1059:
1052:
1043:
1031:Hereditary peers
1026:Northern Ireland
880:Sutton and Cheam
820:Bournemouth West
788:Paddington North
748:Sunderland South
661:Leeds South East
637:
628:
619:
605:
598:
591:
582:
555:
552:
546:
543:
537:
536:
534:
532:
523:. Archived from
517:
511:
508:
502:
499:
493:
490:
484:
481:
475:
472:
466:
463:
457:
454:
448:
437:
431:
428:
208:
191:
83:The constituency
77:Russell Johnston
1680:
1679:
1675:
1674:
1673:
1671:
1670:
1669:
1620:
1619:
1618:
1613:
1522:
1499:
1482:
1429:
1377:
1373:Glasgow Central
1343:Glasgow Central
1330:
1303:Edinburgh North
1278:
1274:Glasgow Gorbals
1198:Edinburgh North
1185:
1157:Edinburgh South
1145:Edinburgh North
1097:
1093:
1081:
1072:
1070:
1040:
1035:
944:
934:Stockport South
928:Edinburgh North
900:
792:
703:
638:
633:41st Parliament
629:
620:
615:39th Parliament
611:
609:
559:
558:
553:
549:
544:
540:
530:
528:
519:
518:
514:
509:
505:
500:
496:
491:
487:
482:
478:
473:
469:
464:
460:
455:
451:
438:
434:
429:
425:
420:
393:
381:Danny Alexander
347:
186:
166:
164:Election issues
101:
85:
42:of the sitting
12:
11:
5:
1678:
1676:
1668:
1667:
1662:
1657:
1652:
1647:
1642:
1637:
1632:
1622:
1621:
1615:
1614:
1612:
1611:
1606:
1601:
1596:
1591:
1586:
1581:
1576:
1571:
1566:
1561:
1556:
1551:
1546:
1541:
1536:
1531:
1527:
1524:
1523:
1521:
1520:
1514:
1507:
1505:
1501:
1500:
1498:
1497:
1490:
1488:
1484:
1483:
1481:
1480:
1474:
1468:
1462:
1456:
1450:
1444:
1437:
1435:
1431:
1430:
1428:
1427:
1425:Hamilton South
1421:
1415:
1409:
1407:Monklands East
1403:
1397:
1392:
1385:
1383:
1379:
1378:
1376:
1375:
1369:
1363:
1357:
1351:
1345:
1338:
1336:
1332:
1331:
1329:
1328:
1322:
1316:
1310:
1305:
1299:
1293:
1286:
1284:
1280:
1279:
1277:
1276:
1270:
1264:
1262:Glasgow Pollok
1258:
1252:
1246:
1240:
1235:
1229:
1223:
1217:
1212:
1206:
1200:
1193:
1191:
1187:
1186:
1184:
1183:
1177:
1171:
1165:
1159:
1153:
1147:
1141:
1135:
1130:
1128:Edinburgh East
1124:
1118:
1112:
1105:
1103:
1099:
1098:
1071:
1069:
1068:
1061:
1054:
1046:
1037:
1036:
1034:
1033:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
963:
958:
953:
949:
946:
945:
943:
942:
936:
930:
925:
920:
915:
908:
906:
902:
901:
899:
898:
892:
887:
882:
877:
871:
866:
861:
856:
850:
844:
839:
837:Edinburgh East
833:
828:
822:
817:
812:
807:
800:
798:
794:
793:
791:
790:
784:
779:
774:
768:
762:
756:
750:
745:
740:
734:
729:
724:
722:Isle of Thanet
718:
711:
709:
705:
704:
702:
701:
696:
691:
686:
680:
675:
669:
663:
658:
653:
646:
644:
640:
639:
610:
608:
607:
600:
593:
585:
579:
578:
571:
565:
557:
556:
547:
538:
512:
503:
494:
485:
476:
467:
458:
449:
432:
422:
421:
419:
416:
415:
414:
409:
404:
399:
392:
389:
346:
343:
340:
339:
337:
335:
330:
322:
319:
318:
315:
312:
309:
303:
302:
299:
296:
293:
289:
288:
285:
282:
279:
276:
271:
268:
267:
262:
259:
256:
254:John Bannerman
251:
246:
243:
242:
237:
232:
227:
220:
213:
210:
209:
204:
201:
198:
195:
185:
182:
174:Clement Attlee
171:prime minister
165:
162:
142:John Bannerman
100:
97:
84:
81:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1677:
1666:
1663:
1661:
1658:
1656:
1653:
1651:
1648:
1646:
1643:
1641:
1638:
1636:
1633:
1631:
1628:
1627:
1625:
1610:
1607:
1605:
1602:
1600:
1597:
1595:
1592:
1590:
1587:
1585:
1582:
1580:
1577:
1575:
1572:
1570:
1567:
1565:
1562:
1560:
1557:
1555:
1552:
1550:
1547:
1545:
1542:
1540:
1537:
1535:
1532:
1529:
1528:
1525:
1519:
1515:
1513:
1509:
1508:
1506:
1502:
1496:
1492:
1491:
1489:
1485:
1479:
1475:
1473:
1469:
1467:
1463:
1461:
1457:
1455:
1451:
1449:
1445:
1443:
1439:
1438:
1436:
1432:
1426:
1422:
1420:
1419:Paisley South
1416:
1414:
1410:
1408:
1404:
1402:
1398:
1396:
1395:Paisley South
1393:
1391:
1390:Paisley North
1387:
1386:
1384:
1380:
1374:
1370:
1368:
1367:Glasgow Govan
1364:
1362:
1358:
1356:
1352:
1350:
1346:
1344:
1340:
1339:
1337:
1333:
1327:
1323:
1321:
1317:
1315:
1311:
1309:
1308:Glasgow Govan
1306:
1304:
1300:
1298:
1294:
1292:
1288:
1287:
1285:
1281:
1275:
1271:
1269:
1265:
1263:
1259:
1257:
1253:
1251:
1247:
1245:
1244:Dumfriesshire
1241:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1230:
1228:
1224:
1222:
1218:
1216:
1213:
1211:
1207:
1205:
1201:
1199:
1195:
1194:
1192:
1188:
1182:
1178:
1176:
1172:
1170:
1166:
1164:
1160:
1158:
1154:
1152:
1148:
1146:
1142:
1140:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1125:
1123:
1119:
1117:
1113:
1111:
1107:
1106:
1104:
1100:
1092:
1088:
1084:
1078:
1077:
1067:
1062:
1060:
1055:
1053:
1048:
1047:
1044:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
951:
950:
947:
941:
937:
935:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
913:South Norfolk
910:
909:
907:
903:
897:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
851:
849:
845:
843:
840:
838:
834:
832:
829:
827:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
811:
808:
806:
802:
801:
799:
795:
789:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
769:
767:
763:
761:
757:
755:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
719:
717:
713:
712:
710:
706:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
684:Belfast South
681:
679:
676:
674:
670:
668:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
648:
647:
645:
641:
635:
634:
627:
623:
617:
616:
606:
601:
599:
594:
592:
587:
586:
583:
576:
572:
569:
566:
564:
561:
560:
551:
548:
542:
539:
526:
522:
516:
513:
507:
504:
498:
495:
489:
486:
480:
477:
471:
468:
462:
459:
453:
450:
446:
442:
436:
433:
427:
424:
417:
413:
410:
408:
405:
403:
400:
398:
395:
394:
390:
388:
386:
382:
378:
374:
370:
366:
362:
357:
353:
344:
338:
336:
334:
331:
329:
326:
321:
320:
316:
313:
310:
308:
304:
300:
297:
294:
290:
286:
283:
280:
277:
275:
272:
270:
266:
263:
260:
257:
255:
252:
250:
247:
245:
241:
238:
236:
233:
231:
228:
226:
225:
221:
219:
218:
214:
212:
192:
183:
181:
179:
178:afforestation
175:
172:
163:
161:
159:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
114:
110:
106:
98:
96:
94:
90:
82:
80:
78:
75:
71:
67:
62:
60:
56:
52:
48:
45:
41:
36:
34:
30:
27:
23:
19:
1599:2010–present
1466:Glasgow East
1448:Falkirk West
1221:West Lothian
1138:
1094:1950–present
1083:By-elections
1074:
1021:2010–present
895:
848:Croydon East
805:Ilford North
678:North Antrim
631:
622:By-elections
613:
574:
567:
550:
541:
529:. Retrieved
525:the original
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93:Isle of Skye
86:
63:
37:
29:constituency
17:
15:
1297:Dundee East
1238:Dundee West
1122:Dundee East
846:September:
810:Haltemprice
764:September:
667:Dundee East
224:Neil McLean
140:settled on
126:trade union
113:Neil McLean
66:Neil McLean
40:resignation
22:by-election
1624:Categories
1495:Inverclyde
1472:Glenrothes
1454:Livingston
1250:Rutherglen
1133:Motherwell
932:February:
923:Twickenham
894:December:
873:November:
842:Motherwell
803:February:
786:December:
770:November:
743:North Down
716:Canterbury
714:February:
682:November:
649:February:
418:References
361:Jo Grimond
197:Candidate
99:Candidates
1594:1979–2010
1589:1950–1979
1584:1931–1950
1579:1918–1931
1574:1900–1918
1569:1885–1900
1564:1868–1885
1559:1857–1868
1554:1847–1857
1549:1832–1847
1544:1818–1832
1539:1806–1818
1534:1801–1806
1210:East Fife
1139:Inverness
1076:1900–1949
1016:1979–2010
1011:1950–1979
1006:1931–1950
1001:1918–1931
996:1900–1918
991:1885–1900
986:1868–1885
981:1857–1868
976:1847–1857
971:1832–1847
966:1818–1832
961:1806–1818
956:1801–1806
918:Orpington
911:January:
896:Inverness
869:Aldershot
859:Wakefield
852:October:
831:Harrogate
699:Farnworth
673:Cleveland
671:October:
656:Southport
531:14 August
356:The Times
292:Majority
120:selected
109:Sandhurst
89:Inverness
33:Inverness
1320:Hamilton
1268:Hamilton
1181:Galloway
1151:Greenock
1087:Scotland
864:Aberdare
777:Ormskirk
766:Broxtowe
754:Abingdon
727:Barnsley
391:See also
375:and the
325:Unionist
217:Unionist
134:Liberals
44:Unionist
1204:Paisley
1089:to the
1073:«
940:Wrexham
938:March:
875:Morpeth
835:April:
824:March:
815:Harwich
736:April:
720:March:
689:Wycombe
630:»
624:to the
612:«
311:24,959
307:Turnout
249:Liberal
230:10,329
74:Liberal
1169:Argyll
1079:«
890:Armagh
772:Crosby
758:July:
752:June:
665:July:
636:»
618:«
345:Impact
317:−20.1
301:−23.7
295:1,331
287:−12.9
281:5,642
274:Labour
258:8,998
240:−23.1
200:Votes
194:Party
150:Argyll
146:Gaelic
122:Dundee
118:Labour
20:was a
1504:2020s
1487:2010s
1434:2000s
1382:1990s
1335:1980s
1283:1970s
1190:1960s
1102:1950s
443:; in
333:Swing
314:49.2
284:22.6
261:36.0
235:41.4
184:Votes
49:(MP)
905:1955
797:1954
708:1953
643:1952
533:2015
373:1964
328:hold
298:5.4
158:1950
156:and
154:1945
138:1951
107:and
105:Eton
70:1964
59:1950
16:The
1085:in
265:New
31:of
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387:.
379:‘
207:±%
203:%
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144:a
79:.
61:.
35:.
1065:e
1058:t
1051:v
604:e
597:t
590:v
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