1959 Southend West by-election

The Southend West by-election of 29 January 1959 was held after the death of Conservative Party MP and renowned diarist Henry Channon.

Electoral history

The seat was very safe, having been won at the 1955 United Kingdom general election by almost 18,500 votes

General election 1955

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Channon	27,326	64.2
	Labour	VG Marchesi	8,866	20.8
	Liberal	Heather Joan Harvey	6,375	15.0
Majority			18,460	43.4
Turnout			42,567	74.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

Candidates

• 23-year old Paul Channon was selected by the Conservatives after the death of his father, Sir Henry Channon. A company director. Born October, 1935; educated at Lockers Park, Hemel Hempstead, Eton, and Christ Church, Oxford.
• Labour's candidate was 35-year old Anthony Pearson-Clarke, a deputy headmaster. Born November, 1923; educated at St. Luke's College School and Training College, Exeter, Battersea Polytechnic, and Ruskin College, Oxford. A former weekly newspaper editor and local government officer.
• The Liberal Party selected 59-year old Miss Heather Joan Harvey. She had contested the division in 1955 and Esher in 1950 and 1951. She was a writer and was engaged in historical research. She was educated privately at Prior's Field School, Godalming, and Newnham College, Cambridge, where she graduated in 1921 with first-class honours, economics tripos. She joined the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, in 1931. She became secretary of the Study Groups Department in 1935. She was a temporary Civil servant in the Foreign Office, 1939–45. She served with the United Nations 1945-46 as deputy administrative secretary. She was Hon. treasurer, Women's Liberal Federation, a member of Liberal Party Organization Council and executive committee. She was Joint honorary treasurer of the Liberal Party organization.

Result

Southend West by-election, 1959

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Paul Channon	14,493	55.6	−8.6
	Liberal	Heather Joan Harvey	6,314	24.2	+9.2
	Labour	Anthony Pearson-Clarke	5,280	20.2	−0.6
Majority			5,166	31.4	−4.5
Turnout			26,087
	Conservative hold		Swing

Aftermath

General election 1959

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Paul Channon	27,612	58.2
	Liberal	Heather Joan Harvey	10,577	22.3
	Labour	Anthony Pearson-Clarke	9,219	19.4
Majority			17,035	35.9
Turnout			47,408	77.7
	Conservative hold		Swing