East Renfrewshire by-election, 1940
Encyclopedia
The East Renfrewshire by-election, 1940 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 9 May 1940 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of East Renfrewshire
in Scotland
.
(MP), The Marquess of Cydesdale
, had succeeded to the peerage as Duke of Hamilton
. He had been East Renfrewshire's MP since winning the seat at a by-election in 1930
.
, unopposed by-elections were common, since the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties; contests occurred only when independent candidates or minor parties chose to stand.
The Unionist candidate in East Renfrewshire, Guy Lloyd, therefore did not face a Labour Party
or Liberal
candidate. However, the Independent Labour Party
(ILP) did not support the electoral pact, and Annie Maxton
(sister of ILP leader James Maxton
) stood as an ILP candidate in the by-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 9 May 1940 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 East Renfrewshire
East Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)
East Renfrewshire is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in Scotland to the south of Glasgow. It elects one Member of Parliament at least once every five years using the First-past-the-post system of voting....
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...
.
Previous MP
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's 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), The Marquess of Cydesdale
Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton
Air Commodore Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon, KT, GCVO, AFC, PC, DL, FRCSE, FRGS, was a Scottish nobleman and pioneering aviator....
, had succeeded to the peerage as Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage , and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas...
. He had been East Renfrewshire's MP since winning the seat at a by-election in 1930
East Renfrewshire by-election, 1930
The East Renfrewshire by-election, 1930 was a parliamentary by-election held on 28 November 1930 for the British House of Commons constituency of East Renfrewshire in Scotland.- Previous MP :...
.
Candidates
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, unopposed by-elections were common, since the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties; contests occurred only when independent candidates or minor parties chose to stand.
The Unionist candidate in East Renfrewshire, Guy Lloyd, therefore did not face a 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...
or Liberal
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...
candidate. However, the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
(ILP) did not support the electoral pact, and Annie Maxton
Annie Maxton
Annie Maxton was a Scottish socialist and trade unionist.Born in Glasgow, Maxton was convinced to join the Independent Labour Party by her elder brother, James Maxton. She trained as a teacher and became active in the Educational Institute of Scotland....
(sister of ILP leader James Maxton
James Maxton
James Maxton was a Scottish socialist politician, and leader of the Independent Labour Party. A prominent proponent of Home Rule for Scotland, he is remembered as one of the leading figures of the Red Clydeside era.-Early years:...
) stood as an ILP candidate in the by-election.
Results
On a much-reduced turnout, the result was a massive victory for Lloyd, who won 80.7% of the votes. He remained East Renfrewshire's MP until he stepped down at the 1959 electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
.
Votes
See also
- East Renfrewshire constituencyEast Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)East Renfrewshire is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in Scotland to the south of Glasgow. It elects one Member of Parliament at least once every five years using the First-past-the-post system of voting....
- East RenfrewshireEast RenfrewshireEast Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975 it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde...
- East Renfrewshire by-election, 1926
- East Renfrewshire by-election, 1930East Renfrewshire by-election, 1930The East Renfrewshire by-election, 1930 was a parliamentary by-election held on 28 November 1930 for the British House of Commons constituency of East Renfrewshire in Scotland.- Previous MP :...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950)