Sheffield Neepsend by-election, 1950
Encyclopedia
The Sheffield Neepsend by-election, 1950 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 5 April 1950 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Sheffield Neepsend
in Neepsend
, an industrial suburb of the city of Sheffield
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP), Harry Morris
, was elevated to the peerage as the first Baron Morris of Kenwood
. Morris, who had held the seat since its creation for the 1950 general election
, had been offered a peerage to trigger a by-election in a safe seat
which could be easily won by Frank Soskice
.
Soskice had been Solicitor General
since Clement Attlee
's Labour Government
had taken office in 1945. His Birkenhead East
constituency had been abolished in boundary changes for the 1950 general election, and he had not been selected for another seat.
Soksice won the by-election comfortably, with over 70% of the votes. He represented Sheffield Neepsend until the constituency was abolished for the 1955 general election
, when he again found himself without a seat. He returned to Parliament
the following year at the by-election on 6th July 1956
for the Newport constituency
in Monmouthshire
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 5 April 1950 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 Sheffield Neepsend
Sheffield Neepsend (UK Parliament constituency)
Sheffield Neepsend was a short-lived Parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield, England. The constituency was created in 1950 and abolished in 1955, presumably due to its low number of electors - never exceeding 50,000...
in Neepsend
Neepsend
Neepsend is a suburb of the city of Sheffield, it stands just north east of the city centre. The main area of Neepsend covers the flood plain of the River Don from Lady's Bridge at the Wicker up to Hillfoot Bridge...
, an industrial suburb of the city of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's 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), Harry Morris
Harry Morris, 1st Baron Morris of Kenwood
Harry Morris, Baron Morris was a British Labour Party politician.He was elected at the 1945 general election as Member of Parliament for Sheffield Central, defeating the Conservative incumbent William Boulton...
, was elevated to the peerage as the first Baron Morris of Kenwood
Baron Morris of Kenwood
Baron Morris of Kenwood, of Kenwood in the City of Sheffield, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1950 for the Labour politician Harry Morris. He had previously represented Sheffield Central and Sheffield Neepsend in the House of Commons...
. Morris, who had held the seat since its creation for the 1950 general election
United 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...
, had been offered a peerage to trigger a by-election in 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...
which could be easily won by Frank Soskice
Frank Soskice
Frank Soskice, Baron Stow Hill PC was a British lawyer and Labour Party politician.-Background and education:...
.
Soskice had been Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
since Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
's Labour Government
Labour Government 1945-1951
The Labour Party came to power in the United Kingdom after their unexpected victory in the July 1945 general elections. Party leader Clement Attlee became Prime Minister and hastily replaced his predecessor Winston Churchill at the Potsdam Conference in late July. Ernest Bevin was Foreign Secretary...
had taken office in 1945. His Birkenhead East
Birkenhead East (UK Parliament constituency)
Birkenhead East was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Birkenhead area of Merseyside. 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 voting system-History:...
constituency had been abolished in boundary changes for the 1950 general election, and he had not been selected for another seat.
Soksice won the by-election comfortably, with over 70% of the votes. He represented Sheffield Neepsend until the constituency was abolished for the 1955 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
, when he again found himself without a seat. He returned to 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...
the following year at the by-election on 6th July 1956
Newport by-election, 1956
The Newport by-election, 1956 was a parliamentary by-election held on 6 July 1956 for the British House of Commons constituency of Newport in Monmouthshire....
for the Newport constituency
Newport (Monmouthshire) (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport was a borough constituency in Monmouthshire from 1918 to 1983. 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....
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
.
Votes
See also
- Sheffield Neepsend (UK Parliament constituency)Sheffield Neepsend (UK Parliament constituency)Sheffield Neepsend was a short-lived Parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield, England. The constituency was created in 1950 and abolished in 1955, presumably due to its low number of electors - never exceeding 50,000...
- SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections