Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, 1945
Encyclopedia
The Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, 1945 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 26 April 1945 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Caernarvon Boroughs.
(17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) had been elevated to the peerage as the 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor
in January 1945.
Lloyd George was first elected as the constituency's MP at the Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, 1890
, caused by the death of the previous Conservative
MP.
During a long and distinguished political career the former MP had served in many high offices, notably as Chancellor of the Exchequer
1908-1915 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1916-1922. He had led the Liberal Party, after the retirement of Herbert Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, from 1926 to 1931.
Two candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.
1. The Liberal Party candidate, supporting the coalition government, was (David Richard) Seaborne Davies
(26 June 1904 - 26 October 1984). After winning the by-election, he only served in Parliament between April and July 1945. Davies was defeated by a Conservative candidate in the United Kingdom general election, 1945
.
2. Representing Plaid Cymru was Prof. J.E. Daniel. He also contested Caernarvon Boroughs in the 1945 general election.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 26 April 1945 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 Caernarvon Boroughs.
Previous MP
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Liberal Member of Parliament (MP), David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
(17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) had been elevated to the peerage as the 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor
Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor
Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1945 for the famous Liberal politician David Lloyd George. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1908 to 1915 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922...
in January 1945.
Lloyd George was first elected as the constituency's MP at the Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, 1890
Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, 1890
The Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, 1890 was a parliamentary by-election held on 10 April 1890 for the British House of Commons constituency of Caernarvon Boroughs.-Previous MP:...
, caused by the death of the previous 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...
MP.
During a long and distinguished political career the former MP had served in many high offices, notably as Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
1908-1915 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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...
1916-1922. He had led the Liberal Party, after the retirement of Herbert Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, from 1926 to 1931.
Candidates
The election took place during the Second World War. Under an agreement between the Conservative, Labour and Liberal parties; who were participating in a wartime coalition, the party holding a seat would not be opposed by the other two at a by-election. Accordingly the Liberal Party nominated a candidate, but no Labour or Conservative representative was put forward. Plaid Cymru, which was not a party to the electoral agreement, selected a candidate; so a contested poll took place.Two candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.
1. The Liberal Party candidate, supporting the coalition government, was (David Richard) Seaborne Davies
Seaborne Davies
Professor David Richard Seaborne Davies was a Welsh law teacher who served briefly as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament .- Early life :...
(26 June 1904 - 26 October 1984). After winning the by-election, he only served in Parliament between April and July 1945. Davies was defeated by a Conservative candidate in the United Kingdom general election, 1945
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
.
2. Representing Plaid Cymru was Prof. J.E. Daniel. He also contested Caernarvon Boroughs in the 1945 general election.
Votes
See also
- Caernarvon Boroughs constituency
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...