In 1995, literally thousands of Liberal Democrats came to help Chris Davies win a parliamentary by-election that was seen as a test as to whether the party could sustain a determined attack from Tony Blair’s New Labour.
The political skills of our campaign manager, Chris Rennard, were pitted against those of Labour’s Peter Mandelson, and we triumphed. The victory paved the way for the number of elected Lib Dem MPs to more than double at the general election that followed less than two years later.
The Littleborough & Saddleworth constituency disappeared then, but Chris Davies was soon after elected to represent the North West of England in the European Parliament. At the time of Brexit in 2020 he was the last British (male) MEP to be chair of a major European Parliament committee.
By way of thanks to those who have given their support over the years, on Sunday, 27 July 2025, Chris and Carol Davies will be hosting from 5.00-8.00pm a gathering for supper at their home in Saddleworth, Oldham.
Contact details for most of the people they would like to invite are not available, but you (and partner) are very welcome to join if you came to help Chris in the by-election, or at any time since. And please pass on this invitation to anyone you think should also be included.
The location is 4 Higher Kinders, Greenfield, Saddleworth, Oldham OL3 7BH. (Please note that there is no car parking space available within 200 metres of the house).
If you do plan to attend, to help with catering arrangements please send an email to say so to: [email protected]
Be great to see you there and catch up, please respond to the email above – Howard Sykes
* Councillor Howard Sykes is the Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Borough Council where he served as Leader of the Council 2008-2011. He continues to represent the Liberal Democrats on the LGA’s Partnerships Board. He has been a borough councillor for Shaw since 1987 and a founding member of Shaw and Crompton Town Council.
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3 Comments
Thanks for the invitation. I’m sorry I won’t be able to join you, since family commitments clash. My strongest memory of that campaign is of being given a delivery in which almost all of the houses had long front gardens ending with multiple steps up to the front door. It made me understand why Chris Davies was so fit: running gear would have suited me better than usual canvassing clothes!
I was there 40 years ago, with my parents Brian and Susan and my first wife, Elisabeth Wilson, every day as far as my parents were concerned – they came, as always, in their caravan. I lived in nearby Todmorden.
Mind, I was also there in 2010 for the by-election we didn’t win.
I won’t be at the celebration as I will be out of the country at the time. It would have been nice to meet up with veterans of that campaign. It really was a great campaign and best of all we won, when we were not expected to.
Our party owes a lot to Chris and his team. If we hadn’t won 97 would not have been so successful. I was a South Tyneside cllr at the time and went for a few days each week for around 6 weeks staying with my parents in Leyland. Some of you may remember my mother Neva.
One memory I have is one street I delivered where every house had a LD stake board.
Thank you Chris.