The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting Labour MP Robert Mellish in November of the previous year. The Labour campaign began disastrously with its candidate, Peter Tatchell, being denounced in the House of Commons by the Labour leader Michael Foot and by the intervention of a candidate from Real Bermondsey Labour who took third place, beating the Tories. The Liberals ran an energetic campaign and increased its share of the vote by an incredible 50.9%, recording a swing of 44.2% from Labour. Hughes held the seat for 32 years until Labour finally re-captured it in 2015.