Hemsworth by-election, 1946
Encyclopedia
The Hemsworth by-election, 1946 was a parliamentary by-election
held in England
for the British House of Commons constituency
of Hemsworth
on 22 February 1946. The seat had become vacant on the death of the Labour
Member of Parliament George Griffiths
, who had held the seat since a 1934 by-election
.
The Labour candidate, Horace Holmes
, was returned unopposed. This was the last uncontested Parliamentary election to date outside Northern Ireland
.
During World War II
, 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, and the Common Wealth Party
was formed with the specific aim of contesting war-time by-elections.
Hemsworth was one of Labour's safest seats
: Labour's share of vote in Hemsworth had exceeded 80% both in 1935
and 1945
. This may have been a factor in the lack of a Conservative
candidate at 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 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for the British House of Commons 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 Hemsworth
Hemsworth (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1940s :- Elections in the 1930s :- Elections in the 1920s :...
on 22 February 1946. The seat had become vacant on the death of the Labour
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...
Member of Parliament George Griffiths
George Griffiths
George Arthur Griffiths was a British Labour Party politician.He was elected unopposed as Member of Parliament for Hemsworth at a by-election in 1934 following the death of the sitting MP Gabriel Price. Griffiths held the seat at the next two general elections, and died in office in...
, who had held the seat since a 1934 by-election
Hemsworth by-election, 1934
A by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of Hemsworth on 17 May 1934. The seat had become vacant on the death of the Labour Member of Parliament Gabriel Price, who had held the seat since the 1931 general election....
.
The Labour candidate, Horace Holmes
Horace Holmes
Horace Edwin Holmes was a British Labour Party politician.He was elected unopposed as Member of Parliament for Hemsworth at a by-election in 1946 following the death of the sitting MP George Griffiths. Holmes held the seat at the next three general elections, and stood down at the 1959 general...
, was returned unopposed. This was the last uncontested Parliamentary election to date outside Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
During World War II
World 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, and the Common Wealth Party
Common Wealth Party
The Common Wealth Party was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom in the Second World War. Thereafter, it continued in being, essentially as a pressure group, until 1993.-The war years:...
was formed with the specific aim of contesting war-time by-elections.
Hemsworth was one of Labour's safest seats
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
: Labour's share of vote in Hemsworth had exceeded 80% both 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...
and 1945
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...
. This may have been a factor in the lack of 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...
candidate at the by-election.
See also
- Hemsworth (UK Parliament constituency)Hemsworth (UK Parliament constituency)-Elections in the 2000s:- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1940s :- Elections in the 1930s :- Elections in the 1920s :...
- Hemsworth by-election, 1934Hemsworth by-election, 1934A by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of Hemsworth on 17 May 1934. The seat had become vacant on the death of the Labour Member of Parliament Gabriel Price, who had held the seat since the 1931 general election....
- Hemsworth by-election, 1991Hemsworth by-election, 1991The Hemsworth by-election, 1991 was a parliamentary by-election held in England on 7 November 1991 for the House of Commons constituency of Hemsworth in West Yorkshire...
- Hemsworth by-election, 1996Hemsworth by-election, 1996The Hemsworth by-election, 1996 was a parliamentary by-election held in England on 1 February 1996 for the House of Commons constituency of Hemsworth in West Yorkshire....
- The town of HemsworthHemsworthHemsworth is a small town and civil parish on the edge of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the City of Wakefield, and has a population of 13,311....
- List of United Kingdom by-elections