1964_Bury_St_Edmunds_by-election
1964 Bury St Edmunds by-election
UK Parliamentary by-election
The Bury St Edmunds by-election of 1964 was held on 14 May 1964 after the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, Sir William Aitken. It was retained by the Conservative candidate Eldon Griffiths.[1][2]
The by-election was one of four (the others being Rutherglen, Devizes and Winchester) being held on the same day in which the seat was being defended by a candidate supporting the incumbent Conservative government. With a general election due later in the year, the results were anticipated with interest as a pointer to what might happen at the election, with the Labour candidate in Bury St Edmunds confidently predicting victory. The Glasgow Herald noted that his prediction would require a swing of over 8% and even if this prediction was achieved he would have such a small majority that the Conservatives would regain the seat later in the year.[3]