Dumfriesshire by-election, 1935
Encyclopedia
The Dumfriesshire by-election, 1935 was a by-election
held for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Dumfriesshire
in Scotland
on 12 September 1935. The by-election was won by the National Liberal Party
candidate Sir Henry Fildes
.
It was the last by-election of the 1931–1935 Parliament. Only six weeks later, on 25 October, Parliament
was dissolved for the 1935 general election
.
had died on 24 July 1935, aged 59. He had held the seat since the 1929 general election
.
did not usually contest by-elections in seats held by other governing parties, so the National Liberal Party candidate Sir Henry Fildes
did not face a Conservative
opponent.
The only other candidate was J. Downie, Labour Co-operative
.
, and held the seat until he stood down at 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 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 Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Dumfriesshire was a county constituency represented in the of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 2005. It was known as Dumfries from 1950...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on 12 September 1935. The by-election was won by the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
candidate Sir Henry Fildes
Henry Fildes
Sir Henry Fildes was a Liberal Party, later National Liberal Party) and later still Liberal National Party politician in the United Kingdom...
.
It was the last by-election of the 1931–1935 Parliament. Only six weeks later, on 25 October, Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
was dissolved for 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...
.
Vacancy
The National Liberal MP Dr Joseph HunterJoseph Hunter (UK politician)
Dr Joseph Hunter was a politician in the United Kingdom, and Member of Parliament from 1929 until his death....
had died on 24 July 1935, aged 59. He had held the seat since the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
Candidates
The parties in the National GovernmentUK National Government
In the United Kingdom the term National Government is an abstract concept referring to a coalition of some or all major political parties. In a historical sense it usually refers primarily to the governments of Ramsay MacDonald, Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain which held office from 1931...
did not usually contest by-elections in seats held by other governing parties, so the National Liberal Party candidate Sir Henry Fildes
Henry Fildes
Sir Henry Fildes was a Liberal Party, later National Liberal Party) and later still Liberal National Party politician in the United Kingdom...
did not face a 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...
opponent.
The only other candidate was J. Downie, Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
.
Result
On a reduced turnout, Fildes held the seat for the National Liberals, with a reduced but still large majority, taking over 60% of the votes. He was re-elected at the general election in November 1935United 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...
, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1945 general election
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...
.
Votes
- Note: Hunter left the Liberal Party and joined the National Liberal Party, in June 1934, during the Parliament.
See also
- Dumfriesshire (UK Parliament constituency)Dumfriesshire (UK Parliament constituency)Dumfriesshire was a county constituency represented in the of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 2005. It was known as Dumfries from 1950...
- DumfriesshireDumfriesshireDumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
- Dumfriesshire by-election, 1963
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950)