Keeping the British Liberal Party flag flying high

[pipisme]

The Conservatives held Aldridge-Brownhills, Bolton West, Brighouse and Spenborough, Derbyshire South West, and Leeds North East with Labour in second place. The Labour candidate for Leeds North East was Liz Truss. She studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at Merton College, Oxford. She was Chair of the Oxford University Labour Club. She graduated with Upper Second Class Honours. After leaving university, she became a teacher in an inner city comprehensive school in Leeds. She has been praised as a deeply committed and inspirational teacher. She co-authored a Labour Party pamphlet on economic policy. She gave a much acclaimed speech at the Labour Party conference in September 2001. Like her parents, she was idealistic and on the left wing of the Labour Party. She reduced the Conservative majority from 8.4% to 2.4%. Timothy Kirkhope, the Conservative MP, was on the shadow Home Affairs team, and had been an Assistant Government Whip in the Conservative government from June 1996 to April 1997. The percentage votes were:
Timothy Kirkhope (Conservative): 37.6
Liz Truss (Labour): 35.2 (31.2)
Liberal: 27.2 (29.2).
It was the biggest percentage increase in the Labour vote in a Leeds constituency. At 26 years old, Truss was tipped to have a brilliant future ahead of her in the Labour Party.

After three recounts, Birmingham Hall Green stayed Conservative by a majority of 38 (0.1%) over Labour. The percentage votes were:
Conservative: 40.3 (39.1)
Labour: 40.2 (34.5)
Liberal: 19.5 (26.4)
-------------------------------------------
Conservative majority: 0.1 (4.6)
------------------------------------------
The Conservatives kept Arundel, Blaby, Blackpool North, Bournemouth Moordown (OTL Bournemouth West), Braintree, Derbyshire South East, and Stowmarket, with the Liberals in second place.

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives held Barnet, Cambridgeshire East, Cambridgeshire West, Canterbury, Chichester, Christchurch and Lymington, and Gravesend. In all except Barnet and Gravesend, the Liberals were in second place.

David Blunkett, Education and Science Secretary, Paul Boateng, Minister of State Housing and Local Government, and Yvette Cooper, Under Secretary Department of Health, were back in Sheffield Brightside, Willesden West, and Pontefract and Castleford respectively, As was Dennis Skinner in Bolsover. Labour also held Bassetlaw, Bothwell, Bow and Poplar, Bristol East, Bury South, Dunbartonshire West, Durham North West, Great Grimsby, Leigh, Liverpool West Derby, Paisley South, St. Helen's North, and West Bromwich West. They gained Brighton Montpelier from Conservative.

Donald Foster, Minister of State Employment held Bristol West. He increased his majority from 0.07% to 3.2%. The percentage votes were:
Donald Foster (Liberal): 38.4 (38.62)
Conservative: 35.2 (38.55)
Labour: 22.9 (18,23)
Green: 3.5 I4.6).
The Liberals also held Bath, Cambridge, Gainsborough, Hertfordshire South, and Sowerby, and gained Orpington from Conservative. Labour were second in Cambridge, and the Conservatives in the other constituencies.

Chris Patten, retired as Liberal MP for Bath and Home Secretary, because he had been appointed British High Commissioner in New Zealand. Stephen Williams was elected Liberal MP for Bath.

After 452 results had been declared the number of seats won by each party were: Labour - 184, Conservative - 183, Liberal - 76, SNP - 5, Plaid Cymru - 3, Speaker - 1.

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives held Beeston, Bromsgrove, Coventry South West, Croydon North East, Flintshire West, Harborough, Hornchurch, Loughborough, and Ramsgate.

Chris Smith, the Paymaster-General, was back in Islington South and Finsbury. Labour also held Ayrshire South, Bethnal Green and Stepney, Brixton, Coventry North West, Don Valley, Glasgow Provan, Hackney South and Shoreditch, Hampstead and Highgate, Hornsey and Wood Green, Lewisham West, Stockton North, and Streatham. There was a recount in Croydon North West where Labour were defending a majority of 4.6% over Conservative in the 1997 general election.

The Liberals kept Chippenham, Dorset North, and Peebles and Selkirk. Caernarfon stayed with Plaid Cymru. The SNP gained Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber from Liberal by a majority of 1.9%. Russell Johnston, who retired from the House of Commons, had a majority of 0.8% in the 1997 general election. The percentage votes were:
SNP: 28.9 (26.4)
Liberal: 27.0 (27.2)
Conservative: 24.0 (25.3)
Labour: 20.1 (19,4)
(Green: 1.7).

By now John Gummer had arrived at Conservative Central Office. He was greeted warmly by party activists, but the atmosphere was sombre and subdued. There was not the victory party which had been prepared. Most were pessimistic that the Liberals would join a Conservative led coalition government, or give a Conservative government confidence and supply.

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives gained Wakefield from Labour. They held Dudley West, Erith and Crayford, and Staffordshire South, with Labour in second place, and Halifax, Northamptonshire South, Petersfield, Sudbury and Woodbridge, Woodspring, and Worthing, with the Liberals in second place.

Labour took Wotton-under-Edge (in south Gloucestershire) from Conservative. They held Birmingham Hodge Hill, Birmingham Small Heath, Birmingham Sparkbrook, Durham North, Hayes and Harlington, Southampton Itchen, with the Conservatives in second place, The Liberals came second in the Labour held seats of Blaydon, Knowsley South, and Manchester Gorton.

David Alton, the Minister of State Overseas Development, held Liverpool Mossley Hill, with Labour in second place. They also held Plymouth Sutton in which the Conservatives came second.

The SNP gained Dundee East from Labour by a majority of 2.5%. The Labour majority in the 1997 general election was 10.7%. The percentage votes were:
SNP: 34.7 (25.9)
Labour: 32.2 (36.6)
Conservative: 22.8 (23.6)
Liberal: 10.3 (13.9).

With 501 results now declared, the number of seats for each party were: Labour - 207, Conservative - 202, Liberal - 81 , SNP - 7, Plaid Cymru - 3, Speaker - 1. However the total Conservative vote was higher than Labour's, and the Liberals were close behind Labour,

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives gained Ormskirk from Labour. They held Enfield, Gloucester, and Worcester with Labour in second place, and Harwich, Lowestoft, Oswestry, Surrey East, and Surrey North West with the Liberals in second place.

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives held Kettering, and Selby, with Labour in second place, and Gosport, Ipswich, Lancaster, Leek, Southend West, and Wimbledon, with Liberal in second place.

Labour gained Harrow East, Ilford South, and Stalybridge and Hyde from Conservative. They kept Bassetlaw, Dulwich, Eccles, Feltham, Ilkeston, Newton, Norwood, Nottingham East, Rother Valley, Tooting, Warrington North, Widnes, and Wigan, with Conservative in second place. In the Labour held seats of Hull West, Leeds South, Liverpool Broadgreen, Liverpool Walton, Manchester Central, Ogmore, and Wallsend. Plaid Cymru came second in Llanelli, and Neath, In Llanelli the Labour majority fell from 25.1% to 3.7%. The percentage votes were:
Labour: 34.7 (44.4)
Plaid Cymru: 31.0 (19.1)
Liberal: 18.0 (19.3)
Conservative: 15.8 (17.2)
Green: 0.5 (n/a).
The SNP came second in Fife West, and Stirlingshire West.

Jenny Tonge, Minister of State Department of Health, was back in Richmond and Barnes. The Liberals also held Middleton and Prestwich, Nottingham North, Plymouth Drake, and Southampton Test, with Conservative in second place, and Birkenhead with Labour in second place.

There was a recount in Dewsbury where Labour were defending a majority of 2.0% over Conservative. After 551 results, the number of seats won by each party were: Labour- 234, Conservative - 219, Liberal - 87, SNP - 7 , Plaid Cymru - 3, Speaker - 1.

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives held Cheshunt, East Grinstead, Fylde, Marlow, Newark, Northwich, Rutland and Melton, and Stamford and Spalding, and Wantage, with Liberal in second place. In Hemel Hempstead Labour were in second place.

Clare Short, Minister of State Home Office, was back in Birmingham Ladywood, with Liberal in second place. Labour also kept Sheffield Heeley with Liberal in second place, and East Ham, Walthamstow, West Ham, and Westhoughton, with Conservative in second place. SNP came second in East Kilbride, and Glasgow Maryhill. Labour gained Mitcham and Morden from Conservative.

Ed Davey, Minister of State Department of Social Welfare, and Nick Harvey,
Under Secretary of State Department of Employment, were back in Twickenham, and Devon North respectively. The Liberals also held Hertfordshire South West, and Tiverton, with Conservative in second place. They took Lewes from Conservative and Rugby from Labour.

There was a second recount in Stevenage. After 576 results had been declared, the number of seats won by each party were: Labour - 243, Conservative - 229, Liberal - 93, SNP - 7, Plaid Cymru - 3, Speaker - 1. Both Labour and Liberal had now won more seats than in the 1997 general election.

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives held Burton, Morecambe and Lunesdale, Uxbridge, Warwick and Leamngton, and Wyre with Labour in second place, and Boothferry, Buckingham, Horsham, Norfolk Mid, Norfolk South West, Reading East, Saffron Walden, and Woodstock with Liberal in second place.

Labour kept Croydon North West by a majority of 46 over Conservative, after a recount, and Dewsbury by a majority of 51 over Conservative, after a recount.

Norman Lamb, the Transport Secretary, was back in Norfolk North. The Liberals also held High Peak, and gained Westbury from Conservative. The Conservatives were in second place in these three constituencies.

At 4.36 am in the early morning of Friday 19 April 2002, all the overnight results had been declared. The number of seats won by each party were: Labour - 245, Conservative - 242, Liberal - 96, SNP - 7, Plaid Cymru - 3, Speaker - 1, total - 494. The third recount in Stevenage was postponed until later in the morning.

 

[pipisme]

The first result declared in the morning of 19 April was Maidstone, which was held by the Conservatives by a majority of 4.0% over Liberal, up from 2.8%. The percentage votes were:
Conservative: 45.3 (43,5)
Liberal: 41.3 (40.9)
Labour: 10.4 (13.8)
Green: 3.0 (2.6)

William Hague, the Chairman of the Conservative Party, was back in Skipton and Ripon. His majority over Liberal was up from 19.9% to 23.6%. The percentage votes were:
William Hague (Conservative): 58.7 (52,2)
Liberal: 35.1 (35.3)
Labour: 6,2 (12.5)
He would always be famous for giving a speech at the age of sixteen at the Conservative Party conference in October 1977. He was elected Conservative MP for the new constituency of Skipton and Ripon in the June 1991 general election, He was Parliamentary Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the June 1996 to April 1997 Conservative government. Then he became Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, and Chairman in April 2000. In interviews with the media, he said that John Gummer had his full support as leader of the Conservative Party.

 

[pipisme]

The Conservatives held Cumberland North and Penrith, Derbyshire West, Hexham, and Isle of Woght, all with Liberal in second place. After third and fourth recounts in Stevenage, the Conservative candidate was elected by a majority of 12 over Labour.

The Liberals gained Ludlow from Conservative. They held Argyll and Bute, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hereford, Orkney and Shetland, St. Ives, and Truro, with Conservative in second place, and Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire with Plaid Cymru in second place.

Plaid Cymru held Carmarthen, Their majority over Labour was up from 0.2% to 2.8%. The percentage votes for each party were:
Plaid Cymru: 31.8 (31.6)
Labour: 29.0 (31.4)
Liberal: 20,7 (17.5)
Conservative: 18.5 (19.5.

The results from Northern Ireland were that the Ulster Unionist Party held Antrim East, Antrim North, Antrim South, Armagh, Down East, Down West, Fermanagh, and Upper Bann; the Progressive Party held Belfast South, Down North, Down South, and Londonderry North, and gained Belfast East from Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP). Belfast North, Belfast West, Londonderry South, and Tyrone stayed NILP.

When all the results for all the constituencies had been declared, the number of seats in the House of Commons for each party were (April 1997 general election):
Conservative: 253 (283)
Labour: 245 (238)
Liberal: 105 (82)
Ulster Unionist: 8 (8)
SNP: 7 (7)
Progressive: 5 (4)
NILP: 4 (5)
Plaid Cymru: 4 (4)
Speaker: 1 (1)
----------------------.
Total: 632 (632)
----------------------
The percentage votes for each party were:
Conservative: 35.5 (36.4)
Liberal: 28.6 (27.4)
Labour: 27.8 (29.2)
SNP: 3.1 (2.6)
Plaid Cymru: 0.8 (0.6)
Others: 4.2 (3.8)
----------------------------
Total: 100.0 (100.00)
----------------------------
The Conservative, Labour and Liberal votes include those for their Northern Ireland allied parties. The turnout was 80,2% (76.4%).

Meahwhile in the morning of 19 April, the Prime Minister, Cherie Scanlan, returned by plane from Liverpool to London. She went to Labour Party Head Office, and then to 10 Downing Street. Bethan Nash, the leader of the Liberal Party, travelled by train from Leominster to Paddongton Station, and then by Liberal Party car to the Liberal Party Head Office.

 

[pipisme]

The percentage votes for each party in constituencies in Northern Ireland were:
Ulster Unionist: 38.1
Progressive: 32.6
NILP: 27.1
Others: 2.2.

The percentage votes in Scotland were (April 1997 general election):
Labour: 28.1 (31.1)
Conservative: 26.3 (25.3)
SNP: 23.4 (21.5)
Liberal: 21.2 (21.2)
Others: 1.0 (0.9)

The percentage votes in Wales were:
Labour: 39.7
Conservative: 25.3
Liberal: 23.0
Plaid Cymru: 11.0
Others: 1.0.

Negotiations between Conservative shadow cabinet minister and Liberal cabinet ministers for a coalition government of the two parties, ended in failure. The Conservatives did not agree to the Liberal demands for no university tuition fees, and for a referendum on the Additional Member System (AMS) for elections to the House of Commons. Negotiations for a continuation of the Labour/Liberal coalition were successful, and agreement was reached in the afternoon of Sunday 21 April 2002. Together with their Northern Ireland sister parties they had 359 seats to 272 seats for all other parties, a majority of 87 seats in the House of Commons.

Cherie Scanlan appointed her cabinet on 21 and 22 April. The members were as follows (Labour unless specified otherwise):
Prime Minister: Cherie Scanlan
Lord Chancellor: Senator Alexander Andrew Irvine (known as Derry Irvine)
Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and leader of the House of Commons: Bethan Nash (Liberal)
Lord Privy Seal and leader of the Senate: Senator Gareth Wyn Williams
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Gordon Brown
Foreign Secretary: Peter Tatchell
Home Secretary: Simon Hughes (Liberal)
Culture and Communications Secretary: Chris Smith
Defence Secretary: Alan Beith (Liberal)
Education and Science Secretary and Minister for Women: Dawn Primarolo
Employment Secretary: David Blunkett
Energy Secretary: Clive Betts
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary: Malcolm Bruce (Liberal). This was a new department which combined the Department of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Health Secretary: Ann Taylor
Housing and Local Government Secretary: Michael Meadowcroft (Liberal)
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Charles Kennedy (Liberal)
Northern Ireland Secretary: Sean Neeson (Progressive)
Overseas Development Secretary: Clare Short
Scotland Secretary: Robin Cook
Social Welfare Secretary: Michael Meacher
Trade and Industry Secretary: Liz Lynne (Liberal)
Transport Secretary: Norman Lamb (Liberal)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Nigel Jones (Liberal)
Wales Secretary: Kim Howells.
There were 14 Labour, 9 Liberal and one Progressive cabinet ministers. 19 of the ministers were men, and five were women.

 

[pipisme]

Here are selected junior ministers, appointed 22 and 23 April 2002. Labour also stated otherwise:
Attorney-General: Sir Denzil Davies KC
Solicitor-General: Sir Archy Kirkwood KC (Liberal)
Paymaster-General: Kevin McNamara
Economic Secretary to the Treasury: Yvette Cooper
Financial Secretary to the Treasury: Paul Boateng
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Government Chief Whip): Hilary Armstrong and Nick Harvey (Liberal)
Minister of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office: David Alton (Liberal)
Minister of State Home Office: Chris Mullin
Minister of Defence Culture and Communications: Tom Brake (Liberal)
Minister of State Defence: John Reid
Minister of State Education and Science: Patsy Calton (Liberal)
Minister of State Employment: Adrian Sanders (Liberal)
Minister of State Energy: Chris Huhne (Liberal)
Minister of State Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Dale Campbell-Savour
Minister of State Health: Jenny Tonge (Liberal)
Minister of State Housing and Local Government: Frank Dobson
Minister of State Northern Ireland Office: Seamus Mallon (NILP)
Minister of State Overseas Development: Norman Baker (Liberal).

 

[pipisme]

Other junior ministers appointed were:
Minister of State Scottish Office: Michael Moore (Liberal)
Minister of State Social Welfare: Ed Davey (Liberal)
Minister of State Trade and Industry: Ed Balls
Minister of State Transport: Paul Tyler (Liberal)
Minister of State Welsh Office: Jenny Willott (Liberal).

 

[pipisme]

Horizon has likely been butterflied away by the lack of PFI contracts in the 1990s and the relative health of ICL and Fujitsu in this timeline.

It has been.

On Monday 22 April 2002, John Gummer announced to the media that he would resign as leader of the Conservative Party, when party members had elected a new leader. In 1999, the method of election of Conservative Party leaders was changed. It was no longer by Conservative MPs. Instead the two candidates who received the most votes of Conservative MPs, would go forward to a ballot of party members.

The candidates who were nominated in the election for Conservative leader were Michael Ancrum, Anthony Blair, Stephen Dorrell, John Redwood, and Malcolm Rifkind. Ancrum (born 7 July 1945), the shadow Leader of the House of Commons, was the eldest candidate. He was MP for Edinburgh South 1979 to 1983, and Devizes 1991 onwards. He was Home Secretary in the Conservative government from June 1996 to April 1997.

Blair (born 6 May 1951), the shadow House and Local Government Secretary, was MP for Dorking from 1983, and Trade and Industry Secretary from June 1996 to April 1997. Dorrell (born 25 March 1952), the shadow Health Secretary, was the youngest candidate. He was MP for Harborough from 1979 and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from June 1996 to April 1997. Redwood (born 15 June 1951) the shadow Trade and Industry Secretary, was MP for Abingdon from 1979 to 1991, when the constituency was abolished, and for Wokingham from 1991. He was Financial Secretary to the Treasury from June 1996 to April 1997. Rifkind (born 21 June 1946), the shadow Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, was MP for Edinburgh Pentlands 1974 to 1983, and from 1991 onwards.

 

[pipisme]

It's Ancram, not Ancrum.

Thank you.

The leadership election was conducted by the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, with the chairman, Sir Michael Spicer, acting as returning officer. The timetable was as follows: First ballot of Conservative MPs: 21 May 2002, second ballot: 23 May, third ballot: 28 May, party members ballot: 29 August 2002. Rifkind was the most left wing of the candidates, and Redwood the most right wing.

The number of votes for each candidate in the first ballot was:
Malcolm Rifkind: 96
John Redwood: 59
Anthony Blair: 47
Michael Ancram: 33
Stephen Dorrell: 17
_____________
Total: 252
--------------
Dorrell was eliminated, and the result of the second ballot was:
Rifkind: 98
Redwood: 62
Blair: 54
Ancram: 38.

Ancram was eliminated, The result of the third ballot was:
Rifkind: 122
Redwood: 68
Blair: 62
So party members had the choice of Redwood or Rifkind. In the next three months there were party hustings in cities throughout Britain. There were also two television debates, one on BBT and one on ITV. The contest was bitter. Redwood accused Rifkind of really being a Liberal, and he would put clear blue water between the Conservative, and the Labour and Liberal parties. Rifkind said that only his liberal moderate Conservatism would win the next general election. If Redwood was elected leader, the party would not attract the Liberal votes it needed to win elections.

The percentage votes for each candidate in the members ballot was:
Malcolm Rifkind: 51.7
John Redwood: 48.3.
So Malcolm Rifkind was elected leader of the Conservative Party and John Gummer resigned.

 

[pipisme]

On 30 August 2002, Malcolm Rifkind made the following changes to his shadow cabinet:
Tony Blair from shadow Housing and Local Government Secretary to shadow Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary
Stephen Dorrell from shadow Health Secretary to shadow Housing and Local Government Secretary
Cheryl Gillan appointed shadow Health Secretary.

The Additional Member System (House of Commons) Referendum Bill passed through all its stages in the House of Commons and Senate, and became law by the middle of December 2002. Under its provisions 422 MPs would be elected by FPTP in single member constituencies, and 210 in 42 regional constituencies of five members each by proportional representation.

The referendum was held on Thursday 3 May 2003, the same day as the local elections. The Conservative Party campaigned for a No vote, on the grounds that the new single member constituencies would be larger in area and population than the existing constituencies, though those in the Scottish Highlands and Islands would be unchanged, also the regional constituencies would be huge and remote from their inhabitants. Also that the MPs elected in regional constituencies would be regarded as second class compared with the other MPs.

Though the Yes campaign was officially supported by the Labour Party, a significant number of Labour MPs were in the No campaign. The cabinet allowed Labour ministers who opposed the change in the voting system to campaign against it. Among them were Gordon Brown, Robin Cook, Kim Howells, Michael Meacher and Clare Short. The proposed change was unpopular in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland the number of constituencies would fall from 17 to 12 and one regional constituency, with Belfast from four to three MPs. Scotland would have a reduction from 71 to 51 seats and four regional constituencies. In Wales the number of constituencies would fall from 36 to 26 and two regional constituencies. Plaid Cymru and the SNP were in the No campaign. Among the changes in cities, Birmingham would fall from 10 seats to 7 seats, Edinburgh from 5 to 3, Glasgow from 10 to 7, Leeds and Liverpool each from 6 to 4, Manchester from 5 to 3, and Sheffield from 6 to 4.

The result of the referendum was:
No: 56.3%
Yes: 43.7%.
The turnout was 45.7%.
The referendum vote was counted by constituencies. 75 voted Yes, and 557 voted No.