Acton by-election, 1943
Encyclopedia
The Acton by-election, 1943 was a by-election
held on 12 December 1943 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Acton
in London
.
The seat had become vacant after the death
in October of the Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) Hubert Duggan
. He had first been elected at the 1931 general election
.
During World War II
, the major parties had agreed an electoral pact under which they would not contest by-elections in seats held by their respective parties, and as a result many wartime by-elections resulting in a candidate being returned unopposed. However, other parties and independent politicians were free to field candidates.
Initially there were six candidates but the independent labour and liberal candidates withdrew leaving Walter Padley
for the Independent Labour Party
(ILP), Edward Godfrey who sought election as an 'English Nationalist' candidate, Independent Dorothy Crisp
who wrote for the Sunday Dispatch
and the official Conservative candidate Henry Longhurst
.
During the war Walter Padley had been a conscientious objector
. In 1950 he was elected Labour Party
MP for Ogmore
and served until 1979.
Godfrey was founder of the English National Association, an organisation with alleged Fascist leanings.
The by-election was held on an electoral roll which had not been updated since 1937.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 12 December 1943 for the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Acton
Acton (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 1940s :- Elections in the 1960s :-References:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The seat had become vacant after the death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
in October of the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Hubert Duggan
Hubert Duggan
Hubert John Duggan was a British Army officer and politician, who was Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Acton from 1931 until his death...
. He had first been elected at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the major parties had agreed an electoral pact under which they would not contest by-elections in seats held by their respective parties, and as a result many wartime by-elections resulting in a candidate being returned unopposed. However, other parties and independent politicians were free to field candidates.
Initially there were six candidates but the independent labour and liberal candidates withdrew leaving Walter Padley
Walter Padley
Walter Ernest Padley was a British Labour politician.Padley was educated at Chipping Norton Grammar School and Ruskin College, Oxford with a TUC scholarship...
for the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
(ILP), Edward Godfrey who sought election as an 'English Nationalist' candidate, Independent Dorothy Crisp
Dorothy Crisp
- Biography :Born in Leeds 17 May 1906, she became a public speaker and writer on nationalism, contributing to the National Review in the 1920s. Among her books were The Rebirth of Conservatism and Why we Lost Singapore . She was a British political commentator with contacts in high places at the...
who wrote for the Sunday Dispatch
Sunday Dispatch
The Sunday Dispatch was a British newspaper, published between 27 September 1801 and 1961. Until 1928, it was called the Weekly Dispatch.-History:...
and the official Conservative candidate Henry Longhurst
Henry Longhurst
Henry Carpenter Longhurst was a renowned British golf writer and commentator. During World War II, Longhurst was also a Member of Parliament for Acton in west London, England.-Biography:...
.
During the war Walter Padley had been a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
. In 1950 he was elected Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP for Ogmore
Ogmore (UK Parliament constituency)
Ogmore is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Boundaries :Taking its name from the River Ogmore, the constituency is situated close to the source of the river in the Ogwr valley and excludes the village of Ogmore-by-Sea, which is the...
and served until 1979.
Godfrey was founder of the English National Association, an organisation with alleged Fascist leanings.
The by-election was held on an electoral roll which had not been updated since 1937.
Votes
See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- British Housewives' LeagueBritish Housewives' LeagueThe British Housewives' League is a right-wing, non-party group that seeks to act as the voice of the British housewife, providing advice and encouraging active participation in society. The League seeks to defend the UK's independence and constitution, to promote Christian values, and to...