# 1985 Brecon and Radnor by-election

The 1985 Brecon and Radnor by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 4 July 1985 for the House of Commons constituency of Brecon and Radnor.

## Previous MP

The seat had become vacant on 8 May 1985, when the constituency's Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Tom Ellis Hooson, had died at the age of 52. He was a cousin of Emlyn Hooson, the former Liberal Party MP for Montgomery.
Tom Hooson had been Brecon and Radnor's MP since the 1979 general election, when he gained the seat from the Labour Party.

## Candidates

Seven candidates were nominated. Richard Arthur Lloyd Livsey was the candidate of the Liberal Party and represented the SDP–Liberal Alliance. He was a former senior lecturer in farm management, born in 1935, who had become a smallholder. He had contested the seat in the 1983 general election.
(Frederick) Richard Willey, born 1945, was the Labour candidate. He was the son of veteran Labour MP Fred Willey and a member of Radnor District Council. He was a freelance educational researcher and writer.
Christopher John Butler, born 1950, represented the Conservative Party. He was a special adviser to the Secretary of State for Wales and had previously worked at the Conservative Research Department in Wales and the Political Office in 10 Downing Street.
Janet Mary Davies was nominated by Plaid Cymru. She was born in 1938 and was a member of Taff Ely Borough Council.
Frequent election candidate and pop singer Screaming Lord Sutch (otherwise known as David Edward Sutch) represented the Monster Raving Loony Party.
Roger Everest was an Independent candidate who sought election as a One Nation Conservative.
Andre Charles Leopold Genillard was an Independent who campaigned as a Free the World from Multiple Sclerosis candidate. He was a teacher at Mayfield College, Mayfield, and entered the election as an educational exercise for students before electoral deposits substantially increased.

## Result

1985 Brecon and Radnor by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Livsey | 13,753 | 35.8 | +11.4 |
| | Labour | Frederick Willey | 13,194 | 34.4 | +9.4 |
| | Conservative | Chris Butler | 10,631 | 27.7 | −20.5 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Janet Davies | 435 | 1.1 | −0.6 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Screaming Lord Sutch | 202 | 0.5 | N/A |
| | One Nation Conservative | Roger Everest | 154 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | Independent | Andre C. L. Genillard | 43 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 559 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,412 | 79.4 | −0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,371 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +16.0 | |

## Aftermath

Livsey held the seat for the Liberals at the 1987 general election, with a majority of just 56 over the Conservative Jonathan Evans with Labour dropping to third place. This meant that Brecon and Radnor was the only seat that the Conservatives lost at a by-election in the 1983-1987 parliament that they failed to regain at the 1987 election. However at the 1992 general election the Conservatives did regain the seat, although Richard Livsey went on to regain it at the 1997 general election.

## Previous result

General election 1983: Brecon and Radnor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tom Hooson | 18,255 | 48.2 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | David Morris | 9,471 | 25.0 | −15.9 |
| | Liberal | Richard Livsey | 9,226 | 24.4 | +14.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Sian Meredudd | 640 | 1.7 | −0.4 |
| | Independent | Richard Booth | 278 | 0.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,784 | 23.2 | +16.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,870 | 80.1 | −4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,277 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.4 | |