2014 Clacton by-election

The 2014 by-election for the House of Commons constituency of Clacton in Essex, England, took place on 9 October 2014.[1][2][3][4] The by-election was triggered by the Conservative MP for Clacton, Douglas Carswell, defecting to the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and subsequently resigning his seat to seek re-election as its candidate.[5]

2014 Clacton by-election
9 October 2014
Clacton constituency
  First party Second party Third party
 
Candidate Douglas Carswell Giles Watling Tim Young
Party UKIP Conservative Labour
Popular vote 21,113 8,709 3,957
Percentage 59.7% 24.6% 11.2%
Swing New party 28.4% 13.8%
Location of Clacton within Essex
Location of Essex within England
MP before election

Douglas Carswell
Conservative

 Subsequent MP

Douglas Carswell
UKIP

Standing for UKIP, Carswell retained the seat with 59.7% of the vote, becoming UKIP's first elected MP. The Conservatives came second, and Labour third. According to John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, the result was the biggest increase in the share of a vote for any party in any by-election in history.[6]

Background

On 28 August 2014, Douglas Carswell, a Eurosceptic Conservative backbencher, announced his defection to UKIP and said that he was resigning his seat in order to fight a by-election. He said he did not think Prime Minister David Cameron was "serious about the change we need", adding that "many of those at the top of the Conservative Party are simply not on our side" and "Of course they talk the talk before elections. They say what they feel they must say to get our support when they want our support, but on so many issues – on modernising our politics, on the recall of MPs, on controlling our borders[,] on less government, on bank reform, on cutting public debt, on an EU referendum – they never actually make it happen".[7] He also said: "...local issues regarding planning and overcrowding of GP surgeries were a factor in my decision to resign".[8]

Responding to the news that Carswell had defected and would trigger a by-election, Cameron said the contest would be held "as soon as possible". He also confirmed that the Conservatives would contest the by-election.[9] It was later announced that the by-election would be held on 9 October.[10] The poll was one of two parliamentary by-elections the same day, with an election also being held in the constituency of Heywood and Middleton following the death of its MP, Jim Dobbin of Labour.[11]

Analysis of demographics for the constituency prior to the by-election were said to make it the most UKIP-friendly in the country.[12]

2010 general election result

UKIP did not stand a candidate against Douglas Carswell in 2010, citing his Eurosceptic views.[13]

General election 2010: Clacton[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Douglas Carswell 22,867 53.0 8.6
Labour Ivan Henderson 10,799 25.0 10.9
Liberal Democrats Michael Green 5,577 12.9 0.6
BNP Jim Taylor 1,975 4.6 New
Tendring First Terry Allen 1,078 2.5 New
Green Chris Southall 535 1.2 New
Independent Chris Humphrey 292 0.7 New
Majority 12,068 28.0 19.5
Turnout 43,123 64.2 1.6
Conservative hold Swing 9.7

Conservative

Most Conservatives condemned Carswell's defection, but some were more supportive of his decision.[15] Cameron called the resignation "deeply regrettable"; he also argued that it was counter-productive, on the grounds that only a Conservative government after the next general election could deliver a referendum on British membership of the EU – an argument echoed by many Conservative MPs, such as Mark Pritchard, Bernard Jenkin and Nigel Evans.[15] A spokesman for the party said that the Conservatives would contest the by-election.[15]

Evans also suggested, however, that the Conservatives should consider not standing in the by-election, which he called "a total distraction",[16] while the backbencher Zac Goldsmith described Carswell as a "model Parliamentarian" and remarked that "I have nothing but admiration for him".[17] The former Conservative minister Norman Tebbit refused to campaign against Carswell and said "[t]he House of Commons needs men of his quality".[18]

Nick Herbert, a Conservative MP and former policing minister, criticised the Conservative Party for being, in his view, more concerned with the Clacton by-election rather than winning the Scottish independence referendum, which was held on 18 September 2014,[19] during the Clacton campaign.[20] During the campaign, on 27 September 2014, a second Conservative MP and close friend of Carswell's, Mark Reckless, likewise defected to UKIP and sought re-election in a by-election for his constituency of Rochester and Strood in Kent.[21]

Other reactions

Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party called Carswell's resignation "a blow for David Cameron", and said that it showed that the Conservative Party was divided.[15] Bob Russell, the Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester (which borders the constituency of Clacton), stated that the resignation was a "huge embarrassment" for the party and that Carswell was "far to the right of the party".[15]

Candidates

UKIP

Carswell announced that he would stand again for the seat as UKIP's candidate, although he was opposed by the recently selected UKIP candidate, the councillor Roger Lord.[22] Some local activists speculated that they might not adopt Carswell; Anne Poonian, the secretary of the Clacton UKIP association, was quoted by Buzzfeed saying that, although she welcomed Carswell's decision to defect, he may not be selected.[23] However, UKIP rules for selecting by-election candidates invested the decision with the party's National Executive Committee, which selected Carswell.[2][24] Lord left UKIP and resigned his County Council seat, supporting the Liberal Democrats in the council by-election.[25]

Conservative

There was speculation that Boris Johnson, the Conservative Mayor of London, would seek the candidacy at the by-election. On 29 August 2014, The Daily Telegraph journalist Peter Oborne wrote: "David Cameron should go down on his knees and beg Boris Johnson to stand as the Conservative Party's candidate for Clacton in the coming by-election."[26] Two Conservative MPs, Matthew Offord and John Stevenson, wrote a joint article calling for Johnson to stand in the by-election.[27] The bookmaker Ladbrokes offered odds of 33–1 against Johnson standing in Clacton.[28] He ruled out standing, saying that he was intent on fighting Uxbridge and South Ruislip at the general election.[29]

The Conservative candidate was the actor and Tendring District councillor Giles Watling who was chosen by an open primary, in which 240 local residents voted, on 11 September.[30] He was shortlisted with Colchester councillor Sue Lissimore.[31][32]

Other candidates

The Colchester councillor Tim Young was selected as the Labour candidate for the constituency in 2013 for the next general election,[33] and became the party's by-election candidate.[34]

The Liberal Democrat candidate, Andy Graham, is the former mayor of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire,[35] as well as an actor and author of children's books.[36][37]

The Green Party candidate was the environmentalist Chris Southall, who had stood for the party in previous general and local elections.[38] He gained some notoriety for a UFO hoax in the 1960s.[39]

Alan "Howling Laud" Hope was the candidate for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. He is also the leader of the party and the former mayor of Ashburton, Devon.[35][40]

Charlotte Rose and Bruce Sizer were independent candidates.[41] Rose described herself as a "high class courtesan" campaigning "for sexual freedom" and improved sex education in schools.[42] Sizer was a consultant oncologist at Colchester Hospital who stood as a single-issue candidate to get health and cancer care onto the agenda of the political parties.[43] He was Joint Clinical Director of the Essex Cancer Network from 2006 until 2008 and is an honorary research professor at the University of Essex.[44]

Campaign

The Conservatives were mocked by UKIP supporters for sending out a leaflet, called "The Big Clacton Survey" asking voters to prioritise issues including "local train and tube services", despite the fact that the nearest tube (ie London Underground) station to Clacton is over 50 miles (80 km) away.[45][46] UKIP claimed to have recruited 150 local Conservative members after Carswell's defection.[47]

The journalist and former Conservative MP, Matthew Parris, created a controversy by writing in The Times that the Conservatives should be "careless" of Clacton voters’ opinions as "Clacton-on-Sea is going nowhere",[48][49][50] remarks which were disowned by local Conservatives and denounced by Carswell as "reflective of what so many in the upper echelons of the Tory party really think"[36] and were cited by two local Conservative councillors as a reason for defecting to UKIP.[51]

An important component of the UKIP campaign was a public meeting of 700 people at the Clacton Coastal Academy with Douglas Carswell and UKIP leader Nigel Farage which was billed as the "biggest public meeting in Clacton in living memory".[52][53][54]

Both the Prime Minister David Cameron[55] and the Labour leader Ed Miliband[56] visited the constituency to help their respective party campaigns.

Ten days before the election, the artist Banksy painted a mural on a wall in Clacton which showed five grey pigeons holding three placards. They held the words "go back to Africa" "migrants not welcome", and "keep off our worms". They were directed towards a more colourful migratory swallow perched further along the same wire. The mural was removed by Tendring District Council who had received a complaint that "offensive and racist remarks" had appeared on a wall.[57]

Two days before the election, Boris Johnson was unable to remember the name of the Conservative candidate in the by-election during an interview with Nick Ferrari, saying "he's a superb man. Stirling? Girling? Something like that".[58]

Polling
Date(s)
conducted		Polling organisation/clientSample sizeConLabUKIPLDGreenOthersLead
9 Oct 2014Clacton by-election result35,36524.6%11.2%59.7%1.4%1.9%1.2%35.1% over Con
29 Aug – 1 SepLord Ashcroft (for the 2015 general election)[59]1,00127%19%48%3%3%<0.5%21% over Con
29 Aug – 1 SepLord Ashcroft (for the 2014 by-election)[59]1,00124%16%56%2%1%1%32% over Con
28–29 AugSurvation (for the 2014 by-election)[60]70020%13%64%2%1%<0.5%44% over Con
6 May 20102010 general election result43,12353.0%25.0%–12.9%1.2%7.8%28.0% over Lab

Results and analysis
By-election 2014: Clacton[61][62]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP Douglas Carswell 21,113 59.7 New
Conservative Giles Watling 8,709 24.6 28.4
Labour Tim Young 3,957 11.2 13.8
Green Chris Southall 688 1.9 0.7
Liberal Democrats Andrew Graham 483 1.4 11.5
Independent Bruce Sizer 205 0.6 New
Monster Raving Loony Alan "Howling Laud" Hope 127 0.4 New
Independent Charlotte Rose 56 0.2 New
Majority 12,404 35.1 N/A
Turnout 35,338 51.0 13.2
UKIP gain from Conservative Swing 44.1

The election produced a number of statistical records, partly because of the unusual situation in which an incumbent MP with a large majority for one party has resigned and then stood for re-election on behalf of a new party for which support was in any case on a strongly rising trend. The 59.7% increase in the percentage vote achieved by UKIP since the previous general election (when they did not field a candidate) is the greatest ever in British parliamentary elections, although the percentage swing remains 0.1% less than the record 44.2% swing to the Liberal Party at the 1983 Bermondsey by-election. The 28.4% reduction in Conservative votes is the 16th worst for any party since the Second World War, while the 1.4% of the vote achieved by the Liberal Democrats was, at the time, the third smallest vote ever obtained by a major party, and the worst since World War II.[63] Since then, however, the Liberal Democrats received an even smaller proportion of the vote at the Rochester and Strood by-election later in 2014.[64]

Aftermath

In November 2014, Mark Reckless won the Rochester and Strood by-election, giving UKIP a second MP.[65] At the 2015 general election, Carswell retained his seat, becoming UKIP's only MP, though the party received 13% of the vote nationally (Reckless lost his seat to the Conervatives).[66][67][68] Giles Watling was the Conservative candidate again, and came second in the constituency, 3,347 votes behind Carswell.[69] The Conesrvative Party won an overall majority in the general election.[70] In their manifesto, they had promised to hold a referendum on British membership of the European Union, which was held on 23 June 2016.[71][72] The UK voted to leave the EU, with 52% of votes cast in favour of leaving.[73]

In March 2017, Carswell left UKIP and became an independent MP.[74] He did not stand in the 2017 general election, instead supporting the Conservative candidate in Clacton.[75] In the general election, Watling won the seat for the Conesrvatives, with a large majority over the second-place Labour candidate (the UKIP candidate came third, receiving 8% of the vote).[76][77] At the 2019 general election, Watling increased his majority further, receiving almost three-quarters of the vote.[77][78]

See also

References
  1. "Chancellor makes Douglas Carswell's resignation official". Itv.com. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  2. "Stuart Wheeler: More Tory defections to UKIP 'odds on'". BBC News. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  3. Swinford, Steven (28 August 2014). "Douglas Carswell's shock defection to UKIP triggers by-election battle". Telegraph. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  4. "ITV News Carswell and Farage in Clacton Ahead of by-election". Itv.com. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  5. Watt, Nicholas (28 August 2014). "Tory MP Douglas Carswell defects to Ukip and forces byelection". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  6. Pickard, Jim; Odell, Mark (10 October 2014). "Ukip surge sends tremors through Westminster". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  7. "Tory MP Douglas Carswell defects to UKIP and forces by-election". BBC News. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020..
  8. Dwan, James (28 August 2014). ""Local issues affected my decision" claims Carswell following defection to UKIP". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  9. "Tory MP Douglas Carswell defects to UKIP and forces by-election". BBC News. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  10. "Clacton by-election to be held on 9 October". BBC News. 2 September 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  11. "Clacton and Heywood and Middleton by-elections: Last day of campaigning". BBC News. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  12. Osborn, Andrew (9 October 2014). "UKIP poised to snare first parliament seat in blow to Cameron". Reuters. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  13. Hope, Christopher (13 April 2010). "Ukip's Lord Pearson says supporters should vote for up to 15 candidates from main parties". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  14. "Clacton". BBC News. 2010. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  15. "Douglas Carswell: Reaction as Tory MP defects to UKIP". BBC News. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  16. Watt, Nicholas (31 August 2014). "Tories should give Ukip free run in Clacton, MP suggests". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  17. Swinford, Steven; Holehouse, Matthew (28 August 2014). "Douglas Carswell's shock defection to Ukip triggers by-election battle". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  18. Tebbit, Norman (28 August 2014). "The House of Commons needs men like Douglas Carswell: I would not campaign against him". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  19. "Scottish referendum: Scotland votes 'No' to independence". BBC News. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  20. Swinford, Steven (18 September 2014). "Tory MPs expected to 'buy ice-creams in Clacton' instead of going to Scotland". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  21. "Conservative MP Mark Reckless defects to UKIP". BBC News. 27 September 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  22. Holehouse, Matthew (29 August 2014). "'Douglas Carswell is a gutless coward' says ousted UKIP candidate Roger Lord". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  23. Waterson, Jim (28 August 2014). "UKIP's Clacton Candidate Says He Won't Stand Down For Douglas Carswell". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020. 'Carswell's taking a very big risk for getting in for a little party. We may not adopt him as our candidate, who knows? He has to be adopted by us, the local association. At the moment he’s just an unemployed MP. Who knows whether he’ll be adopted?'
  24. "Ukip candidate blasts 'stupid' Carswell". PoliticsHome. 29 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  25. Lodge, Will (3 September 2014). "Essex: UKIP county councillor Roger Lord resigns after being deselected as Clacton election candidate". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  26. Oborne, Peter (29 August 2014). "Why David Cameron must beg Boris Johnson to fight in Clacton". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  27. Offord, Matthew; Stevenson, John (3 September 2014). "Matthew Offord MP and John Stevenson MP: Step up to the plate for the Party, Boris – and run in Clacton". ConservativeHome. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  28. Drewett, Zoe (29 August 2014). "Will Uxbridge lose Boris Johnson to Clacton seat?". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  29. Simons, Ned (2 September 2014). "Boris Johnson Rules Out Fighting Douglas Carswell For Clacton". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  30. Dwan, James (11 September 2014). "Frinton actor Giles Watling named as Tory candidate for by-election". Essex County Standard. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  31. Dwan, James (10 September 2014). "TORY 'open primary' candidates for Clacton by-election are Frinton actor Giles Watling and Colchester councillor Sue Lissimore". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  32. Wallace, Mark (10 September 2014). "Two candidates shortlisted for the Clacton by-election". Conservative Home. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  33. Dwan, James (3 December 2013). "Tim Young selected as Labour candidate for Clacton". Gazette News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  34. "Clacton by-election to take place on 9 October". BBC News. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  35. "Actor, Escort And 'Loony' Line Up For Clacton". Sky News. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  36. Hirst, Andrew (8 September 2014). "Poll: Is Clacton a town that's going nowhere?". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  37. "Conservatives prepare to choose Clacton candidate". ITV News. 11 September 2014. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  38. "Clacton environmentalist Chris Southall is Green Party's by-election candidate". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  39. "Tell Tom - Are we alone?". BBC News. 18 February 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  40. "The lunatic fringe". The Independent. 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021. Hope, who served as Mayor of Ashburton and is now the Town Crier in Yateley
  41. Lodge, Will (16 September 2014). "Clacton: Candidates announced for Parliamentary by-election". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  42. Dwan, James (17 September 2014). "Sex worker named as candidate in Clacton by-election". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  43. Lodge, Will (18 September 2014). "Essex/Ipswich: Cancer doctor to fight Clacton by-election on health agenda". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  44. Creed, Rebecca (4 March 2020). "Cancer specialists' farewell after 40 years serving patients". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  45. Dwan, James (6 September 2014). "Ukip supporters mock Tory survey asking Clacton voters' views on 'local' tube services". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  46. Bennett, Asa (6 September 2014). "Ukip's Douglas Carswell Tells Clacton: 'Don't Get Angry, Get Change'". Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  47. Dwan, James (4 September 2014). "Ukip claims "mass exodus" of Tory party members". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  48. Parris, Matthew (6 September 2014). "Tories should turn their backs on Clacton". The Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  49. Ford, Rob; Goodwin, Matthew (8 September 2014). "The voters of Clacton don't deserve Mr Parris's sneering contempt". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  50. Stanley, Tim (6 September 2014). "If the Tories abandon the working class to UKIP they deserve to lose". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  51. Dwan, James (9 September 2014). "Two Clacton Tory councillors defect to Ukip". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  52. Dwan, James (22 September 2014). "More than 700 people snap up tickets for "biggest public meeting in Clacton in living memory" with Ukip leader Nigel Farage". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  53. Thompson, Barney (25 September 2014). "Ukip takes anti-establishment fight to Essex seaside". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  54. Hayes, Kat; Akkoc, Raziye (26 September 2014). "Is Ukip's Douglas Carswell overshadowing Nigel Farage within the party?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  55. Dwan, James (2 October 2014). "David Cameron says 'underdog' Tories can win Clacton by-election during visit to resort". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  56. Dwan, James (2 October 2014). "Clacton: Labour leader Miliband - 'we're the party to tackle GP shortage'". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  57. Johnston, Chris (1 October 2014). "Council removes Banksy artwork after complaints of racism". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  58. "Stirling? Girling? Boris Johnson forgets candidate's name". BBC News. 7 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  59. "Clacton By-Election Poll" (PDF). Lord Ashcroft. 1 September 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  60. "Clacton Constituency Poll" (ZIP). Survation. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  61. "UKIP gains first elected MP with Clacton win". BBC News. 10 October 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  62. "Clacton Constituency – Parliamentary by-election". Tendring District Council. 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  63. Curtice, John (10 October 2014). "Clacton by-election: Statistics of Douglas Carswell's win" (Video). Interviewed by Andrew Neil. BBC News. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  64. McSmith, Andy (21 November 2014). "Rochester by-election: Lib Dems blame tactical voting for party's worst ever result". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  65. "Rochester: Farage looks to more UKIP gains after success". 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  66. "Election 2015: Essex seats stay Conservative bar Clacton". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  67. "Nigel Farage resigns as UKIP leader as the party vote rises". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  68. "Election 2015: UKIP fails in South Thanet and Rochester and Strood". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  69. Lodge, Will (8 May 2015). "Election 2015: UKIP's Douglas Carswell holds Clacton seat with majority of 3,437". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  70. "Election results: Conservatives win majority". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  71. "Timeline: Campaigns for a European Union referendum". BBC News. 21 May 2015. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  72. "EU referendum: Cameron sets June date for UK vote". BBC News. 20 February 2016. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  73. "EU Referendum: Results". BBC News. 2016. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  74. "Douglas Carswell quitting UKIP to become independent MP for Clacton". BBC News. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  75. "Douglas Carswell will not stand in general election". BBC News. 20 April 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  76. Lodge, Will (9 June 2017). "General election 2017: Conservative Giles Watling re-takes Clacton for his party". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  77. "Clacton: Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. 2019. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  78. Barnett, Sophie (13 December 2019). "'Humbling' - Tory Giles Watling describes winning Clacton seat with 25,000". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.