The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the serving Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), Ray Gunter.
The Labour candidate was Harry Lamborn, who represented the constituency on the Greater London Council, of which he was Deputy Chair.
Gunter, who had resigned over the issue of the Common Market, had had a majority of nearly 10,000 and the seat was expected to remain a Labour one.
His main platform was opposition to the Government's Housing Finance Bill, which was expected to raise rents for council tenants.
The Conservatives took some comfort from the fact that in the by-election for the safe Kingston-upon-Thames seat the same day, they retained it against only a small swing to Labour.