Ernest Gates
Encyclopedia
Ernest Everard Gates was a British
Conservative Party
politician. He was a Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Middleton and Prestwich
constituency in Lancashire
from 1940 until he stood down at the 1951 general election
.
He won the seat a by-election in May 1940
, at which his only opponent was a member of the British Union of Fascists
. Gates's 98.7% share of the votes remains an all-time record for any Parliamentary by-election in the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
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...
politician. He was a 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) for the Middleton and Prestwich
Middleton and Prestwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Middleton and Prestwich was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Middleton and Prestwich districts of Greater Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
constituency in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
from 1940 until he stood down at the 1951 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
.
He won the seat a by-election in May 1940
Middleton and Prestwich by-election, 1940
The Middleton and Prestwich by-election, 1940 was held for the Middleton and Prestwich constituency on 22 May 1940.The by-election was held during World War II, and the five largest political parties – Conservative, Labour, Liberal, National Labour and National Liberal – were all members of the...
, at which his only opponent was a member of the British Union of Fascists
British Union of Fascists
The British Union was a political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1932 by Sir Oswald Mosley as the British Union of Fascists, in 1936 it changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists and then in 1937 to simply the British Union...
. Gates's 98.7% share of the votes remains an all-time record for any Parliamentary by-election in the United Kingdom.