The 1986 Ryedale by-election took place on 8 May 1986. The election was held on the same day as the 1986 local elections and the West Derbyshire by-election

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1986 Ryedale by-election

← 1983 8 May 1986 1987 →
Constituency of Ryedale
Turnout	67.3% (4.5%)
First party Second party Third party   Con Lab Candidate Elizabeth Shields Neil Balfour Shirley Haines Party Liberal Conservative Labour Popular vote 27,612 22,672 4,633 Percentage 50.3% 41.3% 8.4% Swing 19.8% 17.9% 1.9%
MP before election John Spence Conservative Subsequent MP Elizabeth Shields Liberal

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It is the latest by-election to have just three candidates standing.

The seat was regained by the Conservatives the next year at the 1987 general election by John Greenway.

In the spring of 1986 unemployment began rising at a greater rate than in previous years and the Conservative loss at Ryedale was a factor (according to Nigel Lawson) in "even committed supporters of the Government's economic strategy...insisting that reducing unemployment should now have priority".^[1]

• Ryedale (UK Parliament constituency)
• Thirsk and Malton (UK Parliament constituency)
• List of United Kingdom by-elections