Rothwell by-election, 1942
Encyclopedia
The Rothwell by-election, 1942 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 7 August 1942 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Rothwell
in West Yorkshire
.
The seat become vacant when the Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP) William Lunn
died on 17 May 1942, aged 69. Lunn had held the seat since its creation for the 1918 general election
.
MBE, a miner and trade union
organiser who had been a local councillor since 1914.
The parties in the war-time Coalition Government
had agreed not to contest vacancies in seats held by other coalition parties, but other by-elections were contested by independent candidates or those from minor parties. (The most recent had been Maldon in June 1940
, where an independent Labour candidate won what had previously been a safe seat
for the Conservative
s).
. He is best remembered for his successful campaign to repeal the Witchcraft Act 1735.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 7 August 1942 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 Rothwell
Rothwell (UK Parliament constituency)
Rothwell was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rothwell area of West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
.
The seat become vacant when 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
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) William Lunn
William Lunn
William Lunn was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was elected at the 1918 general election as Member of Parliament for the newly-created Rothwell constituency in West Yorkshire, and held the seat until he died in office in 1942, aged 69.In 1924, Lunn served in Ramsay...
died on 17 May 1942, aged 69. Lunn had held the seat since its creation for the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
.
Candidates
The Labour party selected as its candidate Alderman Thomas BrooksThomas Brooks
Thomas Judson Brooks, MBE, JP was a British coal miner and politician who became a Labour Party Member of Parliament. A spiritualist, his main achievement was to lead the successful campaign to repeal the Witchcraft Act 1735.-Working life:Brooks was born on Eastfield Farm at Thurgoland near...
MBE, a miner and trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organiser who had been a local councillor since 1914.
The parties in the war-time Coalition Government
Coalition Government 1940-1945
Members of the War Cabinet are in bold face.-Source:* D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000....
had agreed not to contest vacancies in seats held by other coalition parties, but other by-elections were contested by independent candidates or those from minor parties. (The most recent had been Maldon in June 1940
Maldon by-election, 1942
The Maldon by-election, 1942 was a parliamentary by-election held on 25 June 1942 for the British House of Commons constituency of Maldon in Essex...
, where an independent Labour candidate won what had previously been a safe seat
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...
for the 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...
s).
Results
No other candidates were nominated in Rothwell, so Brooks was returned unopposed. He held the Rothwell seat until the constituency's abolition for the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
. He is best remembered for his successful campaign to repeal the Witchcraft Act 1735.
Votes
See also
- Rothwell constituencyRothwell (UK Parliament constituency)Rothwell was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rothwell area of West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
- Rothwell, West YorkshireRothwell, West YorkshireRothwell is a market town on the River Dolphin in the south east of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, situated between Oulton to the east, Belle Isle to the west, Woodlesford to the north east and Robin Hood to the south west. Swillington, Methley and Kippax are located...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections