[4] Attention was drawn to the escalating row by Granada Television's World in Action which broadcast a programme on 25 October showing Taverne being confronted by his opponents; Leo Beckett and Don Gossop were said to have "emerged with badly scarred reputations".

[4] However, at a special meeting of the General Management Committee of the local party on 16 November a motion expressing lack of confidence in Taverne was narrowly passed.

Taverne organised an opinion poll in the Lincoln constituency which found that 71% said he was right to have voted in accordance with his own views rather than those of his local party, and 79% approved of him as their MP.

[11] Liberal Party chief whip David Steel considered intervening to 'move the writ' for the by-election, which provoked Mellish to threaten "open warfare".

They were David Winnick, who had been MP for Croydon South, Gerald McNamara, brother of Hull North MP Kevin McNamara, journalist Max Madden, lecturer Joshua Bamfield, engineer Robert Dixey, and John Dilks, who was leader of Derby Borough Council and a management executive with the Derby Cooperative Society.

[15] The Conservatives considered three candidates: Desmond Fennell, a Lincoln-born barrister, Robert V. Jackson, a journalist, and merchant banker Hon.

[23] The Labour Party pulled in a large number of senior shadow cabinet members to speak in support of John Dilks, described by The Times as "probably unequalled in any byelection".

Taverne, by contrast, organised only one meeting at which others spoke in his support, to which he invited the Bishop of Southwark Mervyn Stockwood and newspaper columnist Bernard Levin.

He was much quoted as saying that convicted murderers should be given razor blades in order that they could "do the decent thing" (i.e. die of suicide) and save the state the cost of keeping them in jail.

On 22 February, The Daily Telegraph reported the results of an opinion poll which showed Taverne had a lead of only 2% over the official Labour candidate, well within the margin of error.

Taverne also benefited from strong support from the Lincoln Weekend Chronicle, while the Lincolnshire Echo reported neutrally and did not make an endorsement.

When the result was announced in the early hours of 2 March, it was clear Taverne had been vindicated: This was the first time that someone other than a Conservative, Labour or Liberal candidate managed to win an English post-war by-election.