Cardiganshire by-election, 1932
Encyclopedia
The Cardiganshire by-election, 1932 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 22 September 1932 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Cardiganshire.
Member of Parliament (MP), Rhys Hopkin Morris
(5 September 1888 - 22 November 1956) resigned after being appointed a Metropolitan Police Magistrate (a full time paid magistrate, sitting as a judicial officer at courts in the London Metropolitan Police area).
Rhys Hopkin Morris was born in Maesteg
, Glamorgan. He qualified as a barrister in 1919, after serving as an Army officer during the First World War.
Hopkin Morris was an uncompromising adherent of traditional Liberalism. He was unsympathetic to David Lloyd George
. As Hopkin Morris said in 1924, "I am not a follower of Mr Lloyd George and I have no intention of being one". He voted against Lloyd George being Liberal leader in 1926 and was the only Liberal MP to vote against Lloyd George's re-election as leader in 1929.
Hopkin Morris had first contested Cardiganshire, as the official candidate of the Liberal Party, in the 1922 general election. He lost to Lloyd George's private secretary Ernest Evans
, standing for the National Liberal Party
. In the 1923 general election, after the two Liberal factions had re-united, Evans was the Liberal nominee. Rhys Hopkin Morris stood again, as an Independent Liberal, and won the seat. Thereafter he took the Liberal whip and was MP for the seat until resigning in August 1932.
After the by-election, Hopkin Morris served as a Magistrate from 1932 until 1936. He was then appointed to the newly created post of British Broadcasting Corporation regional director for Wales. In that post he argued for Welsh language broadcasting, particularly during the Second World War. After this involvement in broadcasting, between 1936 and 1945, Hopkin Morris returned to politics. He was elected Liberal MP for Carmarthen
in the 1945 general election and retained that seat until his death in 1956.
Rhys Hopkin Morris was Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means
(a deputy Speaker of the House of Commons) between November 1951 and November 1956. He was knighted in 1954.
At the time of the by-election, both the Conservative and Liberal parties were participating in the coalition National government. Despite this coalition both parties nominated a candidate. The Liberal ministers resigned from the National government on 28 September 1932, just six days after the by-election.
1. (David) Owen Evans
(5 February 1876 - 11 June 1945) was the Liberal candidate.
Evans was a barrister and company director. After winning the by-election he retained the seat until his death, shortly before the dissolution of Parliament in 1945. He was awarded a knighthood, but died before he was actually knighted.
2. The Conservative candidate was E.C.L. Fitzwilliam, who had previously contested the seat in the 1929 general election.
3. Representing the Labour Party was the Reverend D.M. Jones. He was only the second Labour candidate to contest the constituency.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 22 September 1932 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 Cardiganshire.
Previous Member of Parliament
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's LiberalLiberal 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...
Member of Parliament (MP), Rhys Hopkin Morris
Rhys Hopkin Morris
Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris was a Welsh Liberal politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956....
(5 September 1888 - 22 November 1956) resigned after being appointed a Metropolitan Police Magistrate (a full time paid magistrate, sitting as a judicial officer at courts in the London Metropolitan Police area).
Rhys Hopkin Morris was born in Maesteg
Maesteg
Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000....
, Glamorgan. He qualified as a barrister in 1919, after serving as an Army officer during the First World War.
Hopkin Morris was an uncompromising adherent of traditional Liberalism. He was unsympathetic to David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
. As Hopkin Morris said in 1924, "I am not a follower of Mr Lloyd George and I have no intention of being one". He voted against Lloyd George being Liberal leader in 1926 and was the only Liberal MP to vote against Lloyd George's re-election as leader in 1929.
Hopkin Morris had first contested Cardiganshire, as the official candidate of the Liberal Party, in the 1922 general election. He lost to Lloyd George's private secretary Ernest Evans
Ernest Evans (politician)
Ernest Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.-Family and education:Ernest Evans was born at Aberystwyth, the son of Evan Evans, the Clerk to the Cardiganshire County Council and his wife Annie Davies...
, standing for the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
. In the 1923 general election, after the two Liberal factions had re-united, Evans was the Liberal nominee. Rhys Hopkin Morris stood again, as an Independent Liberal, and won the seat. Thereafter he took the Liberal whip and was MP for the seat until resigning in August 1932.
After the by-election, Hopkin Morris served as a Magistrate from 1932 until 1936. He was then appointed to the newly created post of British Broadcasting Corporation regional director for Wales. In that post he argued for Welsh language broadcasting, particularly during the Second World War. After this involvement in broadcasting, between 1936 and 1945, Hopkin Morris returned to politics. He was elected Liberal MP for Carmarthen
Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)
Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1542 and 1997...
in the 1945 general election and retained that seat until his death in 1956.
Rhys Hopkin Morris was Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means
Chairman of Ways and Means
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of Ways and Means is a senior member of the House of Commons who acts as one of the Speaker's three deputies...
(a deputy Speaker of the House of Commons) between November 1951 and November 1956. He was knighted in 1954.
Candidates
Three candidates were nominated for the by-election. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.At the time of the by-election, both the Conservative and Liberal parties were participating in the coalition National government. Despite this coalition both parties nominated a candidate. The Liberal ministers resigned from the National government on 28 September 1932, just six days after the by-election.
1. (David) Owen Evans
Owen Evans
David Owen Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.Owen Evans was educated at Llandovery School and the Imperial College of Science. In 1896 he joined the civil service . Later he read for the Bar and was called to Gray's Inn. He practised law in London until 1916 when he joined the Mond...
(5 February 1876 - 11 June 1945) was the Liberal candidate.
Evans was a barrister and company director. After winning the by-election he retained the seat until his death, shortly before the dissolution of Parliament in 1945. He was awarded a knighthood, but died before he was actually knighted.
2. The Conservative candidate was E.C.L. Fitzwilliam, who had previously contested the seat in the 1929 general election.
3. Representing the Labour Party was the Reverend D.M. Jones. He was only the second Labour candidate to contest the constituency.
Votes
See also
- Cardiganshire constituency
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950)
- 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...