Harold Lever Labour Bob Litherland Labour The 1979 Manchester Central by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 September 1979 for the British House of Commons constituency of Manchester Central.

The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Labour Member of Parliament (MP), Harold Lever had been made a life peer on 3 July 1979.

Being held less than five months after the 1979 general election (where the Tories had won power from Labour after five years), it was the first by-election of the 1979–1983 parliament.

[1] Syed Ala-Ud-Din stood in protest at not being selected as the Labour candidate.

[2] Litherland held the seat until he retired from the House of Commons at the 1997 general election.