Definition of 'by-election'

But he has survived three by-election defeats.

His party is not ready for government and has just lost a safe seat in a by-election.

The results of by-elections are usually very different from those of subsequent general elections.

The party has had a rotten run of poor by-election results.

The by-election result will be announced at lunchtime tomorrow.

He then proceeded to lose the resulting by-election.

Anyone who thinks staying up to watch a by-election result is normal behaviour.

After the by-election defeat many Cabinet ministers face a dilemma.

The Conservatives made two gains in council by-elections that the previous winning parties did not contest.

Without this, the country faces weeks of by-elections.

Most insiders agreed that the two by-election results were a big problem for Cameron.

He was eligible to run in the resulting by-election, which he won.

The warning came after the party slumped to one of its all-time lows with a crushing by-election defeat.

Labour MPs are likely to be twitchy over the trend in the polls and possible further by-election defeats.

He will have a reshuffle at the end of next week and faces a by-election defeat in November.

The party can also honestly claim to have made net gains in council by-elections, some nine seats in all.

The by-election result was not a terrific surprise, but it was certainly a meteoric rise for an unknown outsider.

His death raises the possibility of a by-election for his seat - though it is unlikely so close to a national vote.

The best way to judge by-election results is by the changes in the parties' share of the votes since the previous general election.

Write to your MP and demand they stand down to force a by-election.