Labour held the seat, but with a significantly reduced majority, as the Conservatives picked up votes. While the National Front only won 6.2% of the vote, this enabled them to beat the Liberals into an embarrassing fourth place. Three of the socialist parties won around 1% of the votes each, a result which was most disappointing for the Workers Revolutionary Party, who had stood in the constituency in previous years and had stood a well-known candidate. Tilley held the constituency until its abolition in 1983, but proved unable to win a new seat at that year's election; he contested
Southwark and Bermondsey but was defeated by its Liberal MP,
Simon Hughes. Hanley was elected for
Richmond and Barnes at the
1983 general election. Blunt stood again for the seat in 1979 and unsuccessfully tried to win
South East Cornwall in 1983. The National Front suffered several splits and declined in importance, never again beating a major party candidate at a by-election. The Socialist Workers Party decided against contesting elections, but the other socialist organisations stood candidates in 1979. ==Previous result==