The 1962 West Lothian by-election was a UK Parliamentary by-election held for the constituency of West Lothian in Scotland on 14 June 1962,[1] following the death of sitting MP, John Taylor. The by-election saw the election of Tam Dalyell, who went on to become a long-standing and controversial MP. Additionally, the Scottish National Party had a surprisingly strong showing—their candidate, William Wolfe, became the party leader for several years.[2]
Candidates from the Liberal and Conservative parties both lost their deposits. It was the first deposit lost by the Conservatives in Scotland since 1920.