1957 North Dorset by-election
# 1957 North Dorset by-election

The 1957 North Dorset by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of North Dorset on 27 June 1957.

## Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Conservative MP, Robert Crouch on 7 May 1957. He had been MP here since gaining the seat in 1950.

## Election history

North Dorset had been won by the Conservatives at every election since 1950 when they gained the seat from the Liberals. The result at the last General election was as follows;

1955 general election Electorate 44,142 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Robert Crouch | 18,906 | 52.1 | |
| | Liberal | Michael Portman | 11,747 | 32.4 | |
| | Labour | Herbert J. Dutfield | 5,633 | 15.5 | +7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,159 | 19.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,286 | 82.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

## Candidates

The Conservatives selected Lt-Col. Richard Glyn. He had first been chosen by the local Conservatives to defend the seat at the 1945 general election, but was defeated by the Liberal candidate Frank Byers. The Liberals selected 34-year-old John Alun Emlyn-Jones as candidate. He had fought the seat of Barry just outside Cardiff in the 1950 general election. He was the son of John Emlyn Emlyn-Jones who had been the Liberal MP here from 1922-24. Labour re-selected H J Dutfield, who had stood here at the last General Election. An Independent candidate, H C Wright, intervened.

## Result

North Dorset by-election, 1957 Electorate 45,346 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Richard Glyn | 15,513 | 45.1 | -7.0 |
| | Liberal | John Alun Emlyn-Jones | 12,411 | 36.1 | +3.7 |
| | Labour | Herbert J. Dutfield | 6,278 | 18.3 | +2.8 |
| | Independent | H C Wright | 170 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,102 | 9.0 | -10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,372 | 75.8 | -6.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.4 | |

## Aftermath

The result at the following General election;

General election 1959: North Dorset Electorate 46,844 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Richard Glyn | 20,255 | 52.7 |
| | Liberal | John Alun Emlyn-Jones | 11,604 | 30.2 |
| | Labour | Herbert J. Dutfield | 6,548 | 17.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,651 | 22.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,377 | 82.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
