The by-election had been caused by the death of the sitting Conservative MP Robert Taylor. Liberal and SDP leaders were keen for Shirley Williams to stand for the Alliance but the local Liberal Association backed by the Party Council refused to play ball and selected three time candidate William “Bill” Pitt. Pitt standing as a “Liberal with SDP support” duly won the by-election moving from third place to win with a 3,254 majority on a swing of 24.2%. Pitt remained MP for the rest of the parliament but lost the seat to the Tories at the 1983 election.