Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1936
Encyclopedia
The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1936 was a by-election
held from 27 January to 31 January 1936 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency
of the British House of Commons
.
(MP) Noel Skelton had died at the age of 55 on 22 November 1935, 8 days after being returned at the 1935 general election
. A lawyer, journalist and Conservative intellectual, he had held the seat since being elected unopposed at the 1931 general election
.
allies were the dominant group in the National Government, whose parties did not usually stand candidates against each other. A by-election in a Unionist-held seat would therefore normally have been contested by a Unionist candidate, but in this case there was a need to find a seat for Ramsay MacDonald
of National Labour, who had been defeated in his Seaham constituency
at the 1935 general election
. He had led the National Government from 1931 to 1935 and remained Lord President of the Council
, so the other government parties agreed that he should contest this by-election, the first since the general election.
The Labour Party
, which formed the official opposition at Westminster, fielded David Cleghorn Thomson. As a Liberal candidate
, Thompson had contested Willesden West
in 1923
and Edinburgh South
in 1924
. After joining Labour, he stood as the Labour candidate in Leith
in 1935
.
The third candidate was Andrew Dewar Gibb
, of the Scottish National Party
. Gibb, who was Regius Professor of Law at Glasgow University, had also contested the seat in the 1935 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 from 27 January to 31 January 1936 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency
University constituency
A university constituency is a constituency, used in elections to a legislature, that represents a university rather than a geographical area. University constituencies may involve plural voting, in which eligible voters are permitted to vote in both a university constituency and a geographical...
of 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...
.
Vacancy
The seat had become vacant when the Unionist Member of ParliamentMember 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) Noel Skelton had died at the age of 55 on 22 November 1935, 8 days after being returned at the 1935 general election
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...
. A lawyer, journalist and Conservative intellectual, he had held the seat since being elected unopposed 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...
.
Candidates
The Unionists and their ConservativeConservative 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...
allies were the dominant group in the National Government, whose parties did not usually stand candidates against each other. A by-election in a Unionist-held seat would therefore normally have been contested by a Unionist candidate, but in this case there was a need to find a seat for Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
of National Labour, who had been defeated in his Seaham constituency
Seaham (UK Parliament constituency)
Seaham was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was in existence between 1918 and 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
at the 1935 general election
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...
. He had led the National Government from 1931 to 1935 and remained Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
, so the other government parties agreed that he should contest this by-election, the first since the general election.
The 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...
, which formed the official opposition at Westminster, fielded David Cleghorn Thomson. As a Liberal candidate
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...
, Thompson had contested Willesden West
Willesden West (UK Parliament constituency)
Willesden West was a borough constituency in the parliamentary county of Middlesex, adjoining the County of London and forming part of the London conurbation. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
and Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1885. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
. After joining Labour, he stood as the Labour candidate in Leith
Leith (UK Parliament constituency)
Leith was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1950. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of 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...
.
The third candidate was Andrew Dewar Gibb
Andrew Dewar Gibb
Andrew Dewar Gibb was a Scottish politician, barrister and professor....
, of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
. Gibb, who was Regius Professor of Law at Glasgow University, had also contested the seat in the 1935 general election.
Result
The result was a clear victory for MacDonald, who won over 56% of the votes. However his physical and mental health collapsed later in the year; a sea voyage was recommended to restore his health, and he died at sea in November 1937, triggering another by-electionCombined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938
The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938 was a by-election held from 21 February to 25 February 1938 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
.
Votes
See also
- Combined Scottish Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1927Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1927The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1927 was a by-election held from 26 April to 29 April 1927 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1934Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1934The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1934 was a by-election held from 7 March to 12 March 1934 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1935Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1935The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1935 was a by-election held from 17 June to 22 June 1935 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938 was a by-election held from 21 February to 25 February 1938 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945 was a by-election held from 9 April to 13 April 1945 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1946Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1946The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1946 was a by-election held from 22 November to 27 November 1946 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons....
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950)