2022 City of Chester by-election: Difference between revisions

| election_name = 2022 City of Chester by-election

| type = parliamentary

| turnout = 41.2% ({{decrease}} 30.5 [[percentage point|pp]])

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 2019 United Kingdom general election

| previous_year = 2019

| next_election = Next2024 United Kingdom general election

| next_year = ''Next''2024

| election_date = 1 December 2022

| map_image = CityOfChester2007Constituency.svg

| map_size = 250px

| map2_image = 2022 City of Chester by-election.svg

| map2_size = 250px

| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]]

| before_election = [[Chris Matheson (politician)|Chris Matheson]]

| before_party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]

| after_election = [[Samantha Dixon]]

| after_party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]

| candidate1 = '''[[Samantha Dixon]]'''

| party1 = Labour Party (UK)

| image1 = Official portrait of Samantha Dixon, 2022 = (cropped).jpg

| last_election1 = 49.6%

| popular_vote1 = '''17,309'''

| percentage1 = '''60.8%'''

| swing1 = {{increase}} '''11.2''' [[percentage points|pp]]

| candidate2 = Liz Wardlaw

| party2 = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]

| image2 = {{Eppt|Conservative Party = (UK)}}

| last_election2 = 38.3%

| popular_vote2 = 6,335

| percentage2 = 22.2%

| swing2 = {{decrease}} 16.1 [[percentage points|pp]]

| candidate3 = Rob Herd

| party3 = [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]

| image3 = {{Eppt|Liberal Democrats = (UK)}}

| last_election3 = 6.8%

| popular_vote3 = 2,368

| percentage3 = 8.3%

| swing3 = {{increase}} 1.5 [[percentage points|pp]]

A '''[[by-election]]''' for the [[Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom parliamentary constituency]] of the '''[[City of Chester (UK Parliament constituency)|City of Chester]]''' was held on 1 December 2022,.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Alex |date=26 October 2022 |title=Date set for City of Chester by-election after Chris Matheson's resignation |work=Cheshire Live |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/date-set-city-chester-election-25362399 |url-status=live |access-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026233815/https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/date-set-city-chester-election-25362399 |archive-date=26 October 2022}}</ref> followingIt followed the [[Resignation from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom|resignation]] of incumbent member of Parliament [[Chris Matheson (politician)|Chris Matheson]] as on 21 October 2022 after accusations of sexual misconduct<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Mason |first=Rowena |last2=Crerar |first2=Pippa |date=21 October 2022 |title=Labour MP Chris Matheson resigns over ‘unwanted'unwanted sexual advances’advances' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/21/labour-mp-faces-suspension-unwanted-sexual-advances-chris-matheson |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> and a recommendation from the [[Independent Expert Panel]] that he be suspended from the House of Commons for four weeks.<ref>{{cite web |last1name=Mason |first1=Rowena |last2=Crerar |first2=Pippa |title=Labour MP Chris Matheson resigns over ‘unwanted sexual advances’ |url=https"://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/21/labour-mp-faces-suspension-unwanted-sexual-advances-chris-matheson0" |website=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian Media Group |access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref>

This was the first by-election to be held during both the reign of King [[Charles III]] and the [[Premiership of Rishi Sunak|premiership]] of [[Rishi Sunak]]. It was also the first by-election in [[North West England]] since the [[2017 Copeland by-election]], and the first in a [[List of parliamentary constituencies in Cheshire|parliamentary constituency]] in [[Cheshire]] since the [[2008 Crewe and Nantwich by-election]], and the penultimate by-election of 2022. The by-election was won by [[Samantha Dixon]] of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. The 14-point swing was Labour's best-ever result in the seat, and the worst result for the Conservative Party in Chester since 1837 (as its precursor, the [[Tories (British political party)|Tories]]). The by-election was held two weeks before a [[2022 Stretford and Urmston by-election|by-election in Stretford and Urmston]] in nearby [[Greater Manchester]].

A [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[safe seat]] for most of the 20th century, Chester elected its first [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MP in the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]], when it was taken by librarian [[Christine Russell]], who defeated TV personality and writer [[Gyles Brandreth]]. In [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]], she was unseated by Conservative [[Stephen Mosley]], who served one term. [[Chris Matheson (politician)|Chris Matheson]] gained the seat from Mosley with a majority of 93 votes, having the third smallest majority of a parliamentary constituency in the UK in the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]]. At the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 election]], Matheson increased his majority from 93 to 9,176, turning Chester from a super-[[marginal seat]] into a relatively [[safe seat]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=David |date=9 June 2017 |title=Chester MP Chris Matheson celebrates big majority |newspaper=[[Chester Chronicle]] |url=http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/general-election-2017-chester-mp-13160521}}</ref> Chester voted Remain by 54% to 46% in the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 EU referendum]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seat Details -– Chester, City of |url=https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Chester,%20City%20of |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=www.electoralcalculus.co.uk}}</ref>

Matheson resigned on 21 October 2022, in response to the [[Independent Expert Panel]]'s recommendation that he be suspended from the House of Commons for four weeks over allegations of "serious sexual misconduct" towards a junior member of staff.<ref>{{cite web |last1name=Mason |first1=Rowena |last2=Crerar |first2=Pippa |title=Labour MP Chris Matheson resigns over ‘unwanted sexual advances’ |url=https"://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/21/labour-mp-faces-suspension-unwanted-sexual-advances-chris-matheson0" |website=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian Media Group |access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref> Following the findings, the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] suspended his membership and withdrew the [[Whip (politics)|parliamentary whip]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bloom |first=Dan |date=21 October 2022 |title=MP Christian Matheson quits over sexual misconduct triggering by-election |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-mp-christian-matheson-faces-28295694 |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=Mirror |language=en}}</ref> Matheson would have faced a recall from Parliament under the [[Recall of MPs Act 2015]], but he announced his resignation shortly after news of the findings was made public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Independent Expert Panel recommends suspending Christian Matheson MP for "serious sexual misconduct" |url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2022/october-2022/independent-expert-panel-recommends-suspending-christian-matheson-mp-for-serious-sexual-misconduct/ |website=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]}}</ref><ref name=BBC21102022>{{citeCite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63344752 |title=Labour MP Christian Matheson stands down over sexual misconduct |work=[[BBC News]] |date=21 October 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref> Matheson continued to deny any sexual misconduct, but said he felt obliged to resign for health and family reasons.<ref name=BBC21102022 />

Libraries were made available as drop-off points for postal votes for the by-election until 30 November 2022.<ref>{{citeCite news |datelast=Watterson |first=Kaleigh |date=28 November 2022 |title= City of Chester by-election: Libraries to host vote drop-off points |urlwork=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-63787393 |work= BBC News |access-date= 30 November 2022}}</ref>

==Results Result ==

{{Election box begin | title=[[2022 City of Chester by-election|2022 City of Chester by-election]]<ref>{{citeCite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63825130|title=Chester by-election: Labour hold seat in Rishi Sunak's first electoral test|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2 December 2022|access-date=2 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|user=BritainElects|number=1598465542809075712|title=Chester by-election, turnout: 41.2% 28,541 votes cast}}</ref>

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Official Monster Raving Loony Party|candidate=[[Howling Laud Hope]]|votes=156|percentage=0.5|change=''New''}}

{{Election box majority|votes=10,974|percentage=38.46|change=+27.13}}

== Previous result ==

{{Election box begin | title=[[2019 United Kingdom general election|General election 2019]]: City of Chester<ref>{{citeCite web|url=https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/your-council/voting-and-elections/election-2019/city-of-chester.aspx|title=City of Chester|publisher=Cheshire West and Chester Council|access-date=2019-11-17}}</ref>

[[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]] [[Keir Starmer]] called the result "a clear message to [[Rishi Sunak]]".<ref>{{Cite news |last=AP |first=Source: |date=2022-12-02 |title='The government has run out of road': Keir Starmer reacts to Labour's Chester byelection win – video |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2022/dec/02/government-has-run-out-of-road-keir-starmer-labour-chester-byelection-win-video |access-date=2022-12-03 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader]] [[Angela Rayner]] spoke to reporters in Chester with Dixon after the result. She said the "historic result" was due to the [[2021–present United Kingdom cost of living crisis|cost of living crisis]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rayner in Chester: Sunak failed in first test as leader |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-63834611 |access-date=2022-12-03}}</ref> The Conservatives saw their lowest vote share in Chester since the [[1832 United Kingdom general election|1832 general election]].,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-02 |title=The Guardian view on the Chester byelection: a victory that poses questions for Labour {{!}} Editorial |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/02/the-guardian-view-on-the-chester-byelection-a-victory-that-poses-questions-for-labour |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> while Labour saw a 14 point swing towards them from the Conservatives, which, if projected nationally, would see Labour win a general election with a [[majority government]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=2022-12-02 |title=Labour stays on course for power with Chester byelection victory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/dec/02/labour-stays-on-course-for-power-with-chester-byelection-victory |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> It was the Labour Party's best-ever result in the seat.<ref>{{Cite news |title=City's residents discuss what led to Labour win |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-merseyside-63839679 |access-date=2022-12-03}}</ref>

== References ==

== External links ==