The 1962 West Lothian by-election was a UK Parliamentary by-election held for the constituency of West Lothian in Scotland on 14 June 1962, following the death of sitting MP, John Taylor. The by-election saw the election of Tam Dalyell, who went on to become a long-standing and controversial MP. Additionally, the Scottish National Party had a surprisingly strong showing—their candidate, William Wolfe, became the party leader for several years.
Candidates from the Liberal and Conservative parties both lost their deposits. It was the first deposit lost by the Conservatives in Scotland since 1920.
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Tam Dalyell | 21,266 | 50.82 | −9.47 | |
| SNP | William Wolfe | 9,750 | 23.30 | New | |
| Unionist | W. I. Stewart | 4,784 | 11.43 | −28.28 | |
| Liberal | D. Bryce | 4,537 | 10.84 | New | |
| Communist | Gordon McLennan | 1,511 | 3.61 | New | |
| Majority | 11,516 | 27.52 | +6.94 | ||
| Turnout | 41,848 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
References
- "No election fever in West Lothian. Five sides in the voting pool today". The Glasgow Herald. 14 June 1962. p. 1. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- "Veteran nationalist Billy Wolfe dies at the age of 86". 19 March 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- "1962 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
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