# 1999 Kensington and Chelsea by-election

The 1999 Kensington and Chelsea by-election was held on 25 November 1999 after the member of Parliament for the constituency, Alan Clark (Conservative), died of a brain tumour on 5 September 1999.
This was the first safe Conservative seat to have a by-election in the 1997–2001 UK Parliament. There was immediate speculation that Michael Portillo, the most high-profile casualty of the 1997 general election, would use it to return to frontline politics. Portillo immediately confirmed his interest in the seat, but was then confronted with the publication of an interview he had given previously that summer in which he had confirmed that while at Peterhouse, Cambridge he had had homosexual affairs.
Portillo was selected as Conservative candidate but faced demonstrations organised by gay rights group OutRage! and its principal campaigner Peter Tatchell who protested against his vote for an unequal age of consent for gay and straight sex, and support for the ban on homosexuality in the UK armed forces while Secretary of State for Defence. Tatchell continued to try to confront Portillo throughout the election, not assuaged by Portillo saying that he had changed his mind on the age of consent.
The Labour Party selected Robert Atkinson, who had fought the 1997 election and was a local councillor. The Liberal Democrats also renominated their general election candidate, Robert Woodthorpe Browne. Because of the prominence of the by-election in central London and the big political name, there were a wide variety of fringe and minor party candidates. Polling day was 25 November. Portillo was returned safely to Parliament.

## Results

1999 by-election: Kensington and Chelsea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Portillo | 11,004 | 56.4 | +2.8 |
| | Labour | Robert Atkinson | 4,298 | 22.0 | –5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Woodthorpe Browne | 1,831 | 9.4 | –5.9 |
| | Pro-Euro Conservative | John Stevens | 740 | 3.8 | New |
| | UKIP | Damian Hockney | 450 | 2.3 | +0.9 |
| | Green | Hugo Charlton | 446 | 2.3 | New |
| | Democratic Party | The Earl of Burford | 182 | 0.9 | New |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Colin Paisley | 141 | 0.7 | New |
| | Independent | Michael Irwin | 97 | 0.5 | New |
| | UK Pensioners Party | Paul Oliver | 75 | 0.4 | –0.1 |
| | Referendum | Stephen Scott-Fawcett | 57 | 0.3 | New |
| | Independent | Louise Hodges | 48 | 0.3 | New |
| | Natural Law | Gerard 'Ged' Valente | 35 | 0.2 | –0.1 |
| | People's Net Dream Ticket Party | Lisa Lovebucket | 26 | 0.1 | New |
| | Environmentalist | John Davies | 24 | 0.1 | New |
| | Equal Parenting Party | Peter May | 24 | 0.1 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Howling Laud Hope | 20 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | Tonysamuelsondotcom | 15 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,706 | 34.4 | +8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,510 | 29.7 | –25.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

## General Election result, 1997

General election 1997: Kensington and Chelsea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Clark | 19,887 | 53.6 | −14.6 |
| | Labour | Robert Atkinson | 10,368 | 27.9 | +11.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Woodthorpe Browne | 5,668 | 15.3 | +2.1 |
| | Teddy Bear Alliance | Edward Bear | 218 | 0.6 | New |
| | United Kingdom Pensioners Party | Paul Oliver | 176 | 0.5 | New |
| | Natural Law | Susan Hamza | 122 | 0.3 | New |
| | Rainbow Dream Ticket | Paul Sullivan | 65 | 0.2 | New |
| | Independent | Pete Parliament | 44 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,519 | 25.7 | –25.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,548 | 54.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |