It was won by the Conservative Party candidate Richard Page, who became the first non-Labour MP in the constituency’s history.

He had held the seat since the 1945 general election, and had served in previous Cabinets under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.

The Labour candidate was 33-year-old Dale Campbell-Savours, the Managing Director of a clock company who had fought Darwen in both the February[1] and October elections of 1974.

The Conservative Party candidate was Richard Page, who was 35 and had contested the Workington seat against Peart in both 1974 general elections.

After his defeat, Page soon returned to the House of Commons at a 1979 by-election for the constituency of South West Hertfordshire, which he would represent until the 2005 election.