Bridgwater by-election, 1938
Encyclopedia
The Bridgwater by-election, 1938 was a parliamentary by-election
for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Bridgwater
, Somerset
held on 17 November 1938. The by-election was triggered when Reginald Croom-Johnson
, the sitting Conservative
member was appointed a High Court Judge.
Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain
had signed the Munich Agreement
, handing over the Sudetenland
to German control. This issue polarised British politics at the time, with many Labour
supporters, Liberals
, and some Conservatives strongly opposed to this policy of appeasement. Many by-elections in the autumn of 1938 were fought around this issue, notably the Oxford by-election
, where Liberals and Labour united in support of an Independent anti-appeasement candidate.
Vernon Bartlett
was a journalist and broadcaster with extensive experience of foreign affairs. He was approached by Richard Acland
, Liberal MP for Barnstaple
, a seat bordering Bridgwater, about standing as an anti-appeasement candidate in the by-election. Bartlett agreed to do so providing he had the support of the Liberal and Labour parties.
The Bridgwater Liberal Party unanimously backed Bartlett's candidature. The local Labour Party generally supported him, although many in the Labour Party were unenthusiastic about co-operation with the Liberals.
The Conservative Party selected 26 year old lawyer and former Territorial Army officer Patrick Gerald Heathcoat-Amory of Tiverton as its candidate. He was thought to be assured of a sizeable agricultural vote, half of the electorate lived in rural areas at this time.
Many Liberal personalities came to support Bartlett, including Megan Lloyd George
, Lady Violet Bonham Carter and Sir Charles Hobhouse
. Some Labour voters were reluctant to support Bartlett, believing he was really a Liberal candidate. However, he did receive a letter of support from 39 Labour MPs just before polling day.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
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 Bridgwater
Bridgwater (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridgwater was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, until 2010 when it was replaced by the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
held on 17 November 1938. The by-election was triggered when Reginald Croom-Johnson
Reginald Croom-Johnson
Sir Reginald Powell Croom-Johnson KC was a British politician and judge.Croom-Johnson began his career as a solicitor in 1901. In 1909 he married Ruby Ernestine Hobbs. They had two sons, one of whom was killed in 1940 while serving in the Second World War. In 1929, he was elected the Conservative...
, the sitting 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 was appointed a High Court Judge.
Background
On 29 September 1938, BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
had signed the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
, handing over the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
to German control. This issue polarised British politics at the time, with many Labour
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...
supporters, Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, and some Conservatives strongly opposed to this policy of appeasement. Many by-elections in the autumn of 1938 were fought around this issue, notably the Oxford by-election
Oxford by-election, 1938
The Oxford by-election, 1938 was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Oxford, held on October 27, 1938. The by-election was triggered when Robert Croft Bourne, the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament died on August 7, 1938...
, where Liberals and Labour united in support of an Independent anti-appeasement candidate.
Vernon Bartlett
Vernon Bartlett
Charles Vernon Oldfield Bartlett CBE was an English journalist, politician and author who served as a Member of Parliament from 1938 to 1950.-Life:...
was a journalist and broadcaster with extensive experience of foreign affairs. He was approached by Richard Acland
Richard Acland
Sir Richard Thomas Dyke Acland, 15th Baronet was one of the founding members of the British Common Wealth Party. He had previously been a Liberal Member of Parliament and joined the Labour Party in 1945...
, Liberal MP for Barnstaple
Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnstaple was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member.The constituency...
, a seat bordering Bridgwater, about standing as an anti-appeasement candidate in the by-election. Bartlett agreed to do so providing he had the support of the Liberal and Labour parties.
The Bridgwater Liberal Party unanimously backed Bartlett's candidature. The local Labour Party generally supported him, although many in the Labour Party were unenthusiastic about co-operation with the Liberals.
The Conservative Party selected 26 year old lawyer and former Territorial Army officer Patrick Gerald Heathcoat-Amory of Tiverton as its candidate. He was thought to be assured of a sizeable agricultural vote, half of the electorate lived in rural areas at this time.
Campaign
The campaign was intense and focused almost entirely on foreign affairs. Heathcoat-Amory supported Chamberlain's appeasement policy. Bartlett opposed appeasement and was a very persuasive speaker on the subject. His voice was already well known due to his radio broadcasts. His experience of foreign affairs and erudite speeches were very effective at a time when public meetings were a vital part of electioneering.Many Liberal personalities came to support Bartlett, including Megan Lloyd George
Megan Lloyd George
Lady Megan Arfon Lloyd George CH was a British politician, the first female Member of Parliament for a Welsh constituency, and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. She later became a Labour MP....
, Lady Violet Bonham Carter and Sir Charles Hobhouse
Charles Edward Henry Hobhouse
Sir Charles Edward Henry Hobhouse, 4th Baronet PC, TD, JP was a British Liberal politician. He was a member of the Liberal cabinet of H. H...
. Some Labour voters were reluctant to support Bartlett, believing he was really a Liberal candidate. However, he did receive a letter of support from 39 Labour MPs just before polling day.