1987 Truro by-election

The 1987 Truro by-election, was caused by the death of David Penhaligon, the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Truro on 22 December 1986 in a car crash near the city.The Liberal Party, standing with the backing of the Social Democratic Party as part of the SDP–Liberal Alliance, formed a shortlist of five candidates: Matthew Taylor (Penhaligon's economic policy assistant), Paul Tyler (outgoing chair of the Liberal Party and former MP for Bodmin), Doris Ansari (chair of Cornwall County Council's planning and employment committee), Malcolm Brown (Penhaligon's part-time constituency agent), and Philip Beckerlegge (solicitor and Liberal candidate for Cirencester and Tewkesbury in 1983 and 1987).The Conservative candidate was Nick St Aubyn who would go on to become member for Guildford.The only other candidate was Helen Anscomb, who represented Death off Road: Freight on Rail.Anscomb had previously taken part in four other by-elections of the 49th Parliament and on this occasion focused her campaign on the issue of road safety as Penhaligon had been killed in a car accident.
Matthew TaylorNick St AubynLiberalConservativeLabourDavid PenhaligonMember of ParliamentSocial Democratic PartySDP–Liberal AlliancePaul TylerBodminDoris AnsariCornwall County CouncilCirencester and TewkesburyGuildfordLabour PartyGreen PartyChannel FourNewsnightgeneral electionAllianceTurnoutThe GuardianProQuestBy-elections49th Parliament of the United KingdomPenrith and the BorderChesterfieldCynon ValleySouth West SurreyStaffordPortsmouth SouthEnfield SouthgateBrecon and RadnorTyne BridgeBelfast EastBelfast NorthBelfast SouthEast AntrimEast LondonderryFermanagh & South TyroneLagan ValleyMid UlsterNewry & ArmaghNorth AntrimNorth DownSouth AntrimSouth DownStrangfordUpper BannFulhamRyedaleWest DerbyshireNewcastle-under-LymeKnowsley NorthGreenwich1801–18061806–18181818–18321832–18471847–18571857–18681868–18851885–19001900–19181918–19311931–19501950–19791979–20102010–presentHereditary peers