Richard Sharples Conservative Graham Tope Liberal

The Sutton and Cheam by-election of 7 December 1972 was held after Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Sharples was appointed Governor of Bermuda.

In a defeat for Edward Heath's government the seat was won by Liberal candidate Graham Tope, who defeated the Conservative candidate Neil Macfarlane.

[1] This was the second Liberal gain during the 1970–1974 Parliament, during which they gained five seats overall.

[2] Tope went on to lose the seat to Macfarlane at the February 1974 election.