On This Day
07 March 1991
Michael Carr wins the Ribble Valley by-election
The by-election was caused by the elevation of the sitting Conservative MP David Waddington to the House of Lords following his appointment as Lord Privy Seal. Carr who had strong local roots in the area, having been the SDP Alliance candidate in 1983 and 1987, exploited public dissatisfaction with the poll tax which the new Prime Minister John Major was reviewing but had yet to announce a replacement scheme. Carr defeated Conservative candidate Nigel Evans by 4,601 votes, seeing a rise of 27% in the Liberal Democrat vote. Carr faced a tough fight at the general election the following year and Evans had his revenge and has held the seat ever since.