The by-election represented the first outing for the
National Party; it had recently split from the
National Front and both parties ran candidates in the election. Although both polled poorly, it set a trend for a split
far right vote which was replicated in the
1989 Vauxhall by-election and elsewhere. The
Liberal Party vote fell in this by-election, a development that former leader
Jo Grimond blamed in part on scandals surrounding incumbent
Jeremy Thorpe's
homosexuality. Grimond suggested that the result and the allegations meant that Thorpe "must think of stepping down". Thorpe stood down as Liberal leader two months later. ==Result==