Chester-le-Street by-election, 1956
Encyclopedia
The Chester-le-Street by-election, 1956 was a parliamentary by-election
held for the British House of Commons
constituency of Chester-le-Street
on 27 September 1956.
Member of Parliament
(MP) Patrick Bartley
. Bartley had held the seat since 1950
.
, a colliery checkweighman from Fatfield
, County Durham
as their candidate and the Conservatives
selected the journalist William Rees-Mogg
.
but the cost of living and the performance of the government on the economy were also mentioned by Labour as issues in the campaign.
Pentland was easily elected with a majority of 21,287 votes.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held 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 of Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street (UK Parliament constituency)
Chester-le-Street was a county constituency centred on the town of Chester-le-Street in County Durham. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
on 27 September 1956.
Vacancy
The by-election had been caused by the death aged 47 years on 25 June 1956 of the sitting LabourLabour 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...
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) Patrick Bartley
Patrick Bartley
Patrick Bartley was a British coal miner, civil servant and politician. He served as Labour Party Member of Parliament for Chester-le-Street from 1950 until his early death.-Mining career:...
. Bartley had held the seat since 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
Candidates
In what was to be a straight fight between the two main parties, Labour chose Norman PentlandNorman Pentland
Norman Pentland was a British Labour Member of Parliament for Chester-le-Street. He won the constituency in a by-election in 1956, and served until his death at the age of 60 in 1972....
, a colliery checkweighman from Fatfield
Fatfield
Fatfield is a village in Tyne and Wear, located in the City of Sunderland metropolitan borough, England. It formed part of the Washington new town....
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
as their candidate and the Conservatives
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...
selected the journalist William Rees-Mogg
William Rees-Mogg
William Rees-Mogg, Baron Rees-Mogg is an English journalist and life peer.-Education:Rees-Mogg was educated at Clifton College Preparatory School in Bristol and Charterhouse School in Godalming, followed by Balliol College, Oxford...
.
Issues
The main political topic of the day was the Suez CrisisSuez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
but the cost of living and the performance of the government on the economy were also mentioned by Labour as issues in the campaign.
The result
In what was a safe Labour seat during a period of Conservative governmentConservative Government 1951-1957
The Conservative Party came to power in the United Kingdom after victory in the 1951 general election. This was the first purely Conservative government since Stanley Baldwin's 1924-1929 administration. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister for a second time. The administration saw several...
Pentland was easily elected with a majority of 21,287 votes.
The votes
See also
- 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...