A by-election was held on 29 June 1957, with nomination day occurring on 18 May 1957 in Cairnhill and Tanjong Pagar. When talks with the British authorities for self-governance broke down, Chief Minister David Marshall decided to resign from the Labour Front on 7 June 1956. He had also challenged then-opposition leader Lee Kuan Yew from the People's Action Party to resign and recontest his Tanjong Pagar ward as well, which he did. The Labour Front's replacement candidate Keng Bang Ee lost the seat to the new Liberal Socialist Party, while Lee retained his seat in Tanjong Pagar.