"sleaze" allegations, had severely affected the government's popularity. Despite the strong economic recovery and substantial fall in unemployment in the four years leading up to the election, the rise in Conservative support was only marginal, with all of the major opinion polls having shown Labour in a comfortable lead since late 1992. Loss of parliamentary majority Following the 1992 general election, the Conservatives remained in government with 336 of the 651 House of Commons seats. Through a series of defections and by-election defeats, the government gradually lost its absolute majority in the House of Commons. By 1997, the Conservatives held only 324 House of Commons seats (and had not won a by-election since Richmond in 1989). 1993 Judith Chaplin (Newbury) died, by-election won by Liberal Democrats. 1993 Robert Adley (Christchurch) died, by-election won by Liberal Democrats. 1994 Stephen Milligan (Eastleigh) died, by-election won by Liberal Democrats. 1994 John Blackburn (Dudley West) died, by-election won by Labour. 1995 Sir Nicholas Fairbairn (Perth and Kinross) died, by-election won by Scottish National Party. 1995 Geoffrey Dickens (Littleborough and Saddleworth) died, by-election won by Liberal Democrats. 1995 Alan Howarth (Stratford-on-Avon) defected from Conservative to Labour. 1995 Emma Nicholson (Devon West and Torridge) defected from Conservatives to Liberal Democrats. 1996 Sir David Lightbown (South East Staffordshire) died, by-election won by Labour. 1996 Peter Thurnham (Bolton North East) defected from Conservatives to Liberal Democrats. 1996 Barry Porter (Wirral South) died, by-election won by Labour. 1997 Iain Mills (Meriden) died, no by-election held due to imminent general election 1997 Sir George Gardiner (Reigate) defected from Conservatives to Referendum Party. Timing The previous Parliament first sat on 29 April 1992. The Parliament Act 1911 required at the time for each Parliament to be dissolved before the fifth anniversary of its first sitting; therefore, the latest date the dissolution and the summoning of the next parliament could have been held on was 28 April 1997. The 1985 amendment of the Representation of the People Act 1983 required that the election must take place on the eleventh working day after the deadline for nomination papers, which in turn must be no more than six working days after the next parliament was summoned. Therefore, the latest date the election could have been held on was 22 May 1997 (which happened to be a Thursday). British elections (and referendums) have been held on Thursdays by convention since the 1930s, but can be