Arthur Ratcliffe
Encyclopedia
Arthur Ratcliffe was a British Conservative Party
politician who served as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Leek division
of Staffordshire
from 1931 to 1935.
Ratcliffe stood for Parliament
only once, at the 1931 general election
, when he overturned the comfortable majority of Leek
's sitting Labour Party
, William Bromfield
, winning the seat with a majority of 2.8%. Ratcliffe did not defend the seat at the next election, in 1935
, when Bromfield was returned in a two-person contest with a National Labour Party
candidate.
In 1933 had a house built for himself on a hill at Ecton
in Staffordshire
, about 12 miles from the town of Leek
. It was known as "Copper Folly" because of its copper spire, which had been salvaged from a disused chapel.
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...
politician who served as the 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) for the Leek division
Leek (UK Parliament constituency)
Leek was a parliamentary constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
of Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
from 1931 to 1935.
Ratcliffe stood for Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
only once, 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...
, when he overturned the comfortable majority of Leek
Leek (UK Parliament constituency)
Leek was a parliamentary constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
's sitting 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...
, William Bromfield
William Bromfield
William Bromfield was an English trade unionist and Labour Party politician from Leek in Staffordshire. He was the town's Member of Parliament for all but four of the years between 1918 and 1945....
, winning the seat with a majority of 2.8%. Ratcliffe did not defend the seat at the next election, in 1935
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, when Bromfield was returned in a two-person contest with a National Labour Party
National Labour Party (UK)
The National Labour Organisation, also known as the National Labour Committee, was a British political group formed after the 1931 creation of the National Government to co-ordinate the efforts of the supporters of the government who had come from the Labour Party. The most prominent Labour Party...
candidate.
In 1933 had a house built for himself on a hill at Ecton
Ecton, Staffordshire
For the village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, see EctonEcton is a hamlet in the Staffordshire Peak District . It is on the Manifold Way, an 8 mile walk- and cycle-path which follows the line of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway....
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, about 12 miles from the town of Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
. It was known as "Copper Folly" because of its copper spire, which had been salvaged from a disused chapel.