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“Beetham hopes only short-lived”

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Description: This image was taken by the Evening Standard on Saturday 14th of July 1984 but was not published. It depicts a young boy with a feline friend at the Social Credit headquarters at the Little Theatre in Feilding. The Social Credit leader Bruce Beetham was the sitting MP for Rangitikei, but narrowly lost the 1984 snap election to the National Party’s Denis Marshall.

The article “Beetham hopes only short-lived” read:

“SOCIAL CREDIT leader Bruce Betham crossed his fingers, arms and legs, and hoped a report which had him clinging to a 10-vote lead would be enough to hold his Rangitikei seat.

It wasn't. And within half an hour, about 9.50 on Saturday night, the MP for six and a half years had to concede defeat to the new National MP Denis Marshall.

On election night Mr Marshall, a 40-year-old farmer-cum-company director, led Mr Beetham by 230 votes.

Including special votes, Mr Marshall received 7710 votes (41.66 percent) to Mr Beetham's 7480 (40.41).

Third was Labour's Geoff Walpole with 2347 votes (12.6), and New Zealand Party candidate Ian Macpherson trailed with 969 (5.2)

Conflicting ‘Official’ and ‘unofficial’ reports filtering into National's Senior Citizen's Hall and Social Credit's Little Theatre headquarters in Feilding, maintained the interest in the Rangitikei electorate until television confirmed the result at 9.24pm.
At 9.02pm Social Credit supporters began stamping and cheering a television computer prediction which had the green and golds holding Rangitikei.

When Mr Beetham entered his largely empty, apart from media, headquarters at 9.11pm it was a diffident Mr Beetham.

He was "absolutely thrilled" deputy leader Garry Knapp had retained East Coast Bays, and that Neil Morrison was doing well in Pakuranga (he later won.

However, he was not then prepared to concede defeat to. Mr Marshall. ‘The latest indications I have, is that only 10 votes separate us.’

Asked how confident he was on winning, he said: ‘I'm still reasonably confident I can hang on.’

‘Now, I'll cross my fingers, legs and feet and everything else.’

Around at the Senior Citizen's blue and white decked hall, a packed and jubilant crowd welcomed the Rangitikei National victory with For He's A Jolly Good Fellow.

Tears. hugs and kisses, interspersed with handshakes, greeted the Marshall victory. Wife Annette, and daughters Sue and Nicola were on hand to celebrate.

Denis Marshall just had time to say he was ‘absolutely thrilled’ at his victory before Mr Beetham appeared on television from around the corner in Feilding.

The crowd hushed to hear Mг Beetham's television interview in which he said he was naturally disappointed by the election night majority.

‘On the face of it, it looks like I've been defeated.’ he told the television audience.

He blamed the boundary changes and ‘the Labour vote here handed it back to National.’

In his victory speech Mr Marshall said: ‘We've been in the wilderness for six years, now we are back where we belong.’

He thanked everyone for their part in the win, going back three years to the former party executive, to the present line-up, and the branch support.

Later, he told the ‘Evening Standard’: ‘It's been a very tough campaign. It is difficult to campaign against a national figure – a television image.’

However, it was hard work – ‘at least one meeting in every branch. We had 30 to 40 public meetings, as well as dozens of cottage meetings’- which won the seat.

‘I believed some of the Social Credit vote would split to Labour and the New Zealand Party, and I hoped to get a few more.’

Mr Marshall estimated he drove 10,000kms in his electorate during the campaign.

What about his losing candidate Mr Beetham?

‘Bruce Beetham worked very hard for the local man. He was able to be on television (so didn't miss electorate exposure while he toured the country for the party).

‘I think he lost it because he didn't have a policy people believed in.’

What about Sunday (yesterday): ‘There are a lot of people to thank. I'll start work for the National Party - for the National caucus.’

Mr Beetham accompanied by wife Beverley and campaign manager John Boddy, arrived at the hall to concede defeat at 9.50pm.

The National Party supporters warmly welcomed the Social Credit members.

Mr Beetham congratulated Mr Marshall on his majority. ‘It was a good battle fought cleanly. I'm grateful for that.’

He said he'd tried for six and a half years to represent the seat well - conscientiously and vigorously.

Mr Beetham thanked all his supporters. ‘It's been a wonderful experience - most memorable, most rewarding. Parliamentary life has been a combination of highs and lows. I know of no better teacher than parliamentary life.’

Mr Beetham, former Mayor of Hamilton and secondary school teacher, was uncommitted about his future.

Mr Marshall said Mr Beetham had worked to his utmost ability, but he had a different philosophy to the Social Credit leader.

He said Mr Beetham had worked long and hard, and he thanked them for coming around.

Another rendition of For He's A Jolly Good Fellow farewelled the Beetham entourage, and the celebrations began in earnest.

While the total votes of National and Social Credit went down from 1981, (National 7945 to 7710 and Socred 10,321 to 7480), Labour's increased from 1982 to 2342. Its percentage of the vote rose form [sic] 9.69 to 12.6.

Labour candidate Geoff Walpole said he was happy the Labour vote had increased by a third, but was disappointed that their aim of doubling the vote hadn't been achieved.

Obviously Labour people were beginning to vote Labour again.

He was pleased that Social Credit had been beaten as it was the only way that Labour would reinstitute itself as a force in the electorate and hopefully do well enough in the future to win.

As far as his own future in politics was concerned Mr Walpole said he dedicated to the Labour Party and its policies and would continue to work for them in any way he could.

For now that would probably mean working within the party itself but he would be happy to contest the next election if asked.

He is due back at his job on Monday at the Correspondence School but hopes to return to Feilding to help hopes to return to Feilding to help cultivate the increased Labour support.

Many new members, mostly younger people, had signed up during the campaign and a rally was planned in several weeks' time to help keep them interested, he said.

The New Zealand Party got 969 votes - 5.2 percent of the total. Candidate Ian Macpherson said the party's overall showing throughout country was very satisfying.

The 12 percent vote and the party's third placing showed it had a major impact.

The party's job had been more difficult in Rangitikei because 'it had been running against the Social Credit leader.

The results showed a hardening of traditional support with voters returning to the Labour Party. However, the nearly 1000 votes the New Zealand Party achieved was double the rate of increase Labour had.

The party might have done better if it had had longer to consolidate and allowed its candidate to project a public image.

But that had been one of the National Party's ploys, in calling a premature election. That had offended a lot of people.

Mr Macpherson said he would continue to work for the New Zealand Party. He was politically inclined and the party had shown it had a valuable contribution to make.”