TIME FLIES, does it not and as we sit here in the YT office on Easter Monday, BBC Parliament is showing the 1992 General Election of April 9th 1992.
The Conservatives regained power under John Major. It was their fourth general election victory in a row.
In Thurrock (Target seat number 9), Labour’s Andrew Mackinlay defeated the sitting MP, Tim Janman. Mr MacKinlay gained 24,791 to Mr Janman’s 23,619. A majority of 1,172.
Mr Mackinlay retired in 2010 but we contacted Andrew to ask what he recalled from that night.
He said: “Fatigue. It was a long campaign. I was please to capture Thurrock but we were bitterly disappointed that Labour had lost and lost so heavily.
“When we won I had to give my old car back to my employer so I bought a new car (my first) from Fortune Autos in Southend Road. It happened to be a Skoda. In those days, people used to take the mickey out of Skodas but I loved it. It was the only Skoda in the House of Commons car park.
Over in Basildon, David Amess retained the seat beating former council leader, John Potter.
In 1992, Baroness Smith of Basildon was a county councillor, campaigning on the doorstep.
Baroness Smith said: “I can recall getting a certain sinking feeling on the doorstep that we had done a lot but not quite enough.
“Issues such a homelessness, repossessions and the poll tax were significant but we did not convince enough.
“The result in Basildon was reflected around the country but we were not dismayed and went forward to fight for the next five years and return victorious in 1997.”
