Coventry North West by-election, 1976

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The Coventry North West by-election, in Coventry, on March 4, 1976 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Edelman. A safe Labour seat, it was won by Geoffrey Robinson, who would go on to retain the seat in 1979.

[edit] Far right split

The by-election represented the first outing for the National Party which had recently split from the National Front and in the end both parties ran candidates in the election. Although ultimately both finished well off the pace it set a trend for a split far right vote which would be replicated in the Vauxhall by-election, 1989 and elsewhere.

[edit] Results

Coventry North West, 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey Robinson 17,118 47.72 -4.14
Conservative Jonathan Guinness 13,424 37.42 +6.08
Liberal Alan Leighton 4,062 11.32 -4.34
National Front Andrew Fountaine 986 2.75 N/A
National Party John Kingsley Read 208 0.60 N/A
Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain Thomas Keen 40 0.11 N/A
Logic Party William Dunmore 33 0.09 N/A
Turnout 35,871
Labour hold Swing

[edit] References