1934 Basingstoke by-election
The 1934 Basingstoke by-election was a parliamentary
Vacancy
The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Conservative MP, Gerard Wallop. He resigned suddenly on 14 February 1934. He had been MP here since holding the seat in 1929.
Election history
Basingstoke had been won by the Conservatives at every election since 1885 apart from 1923 when the Liberals won. The result at the last General election was as follows;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Gerard Wallop | 23,523 | 69.7 | ||
Liberal | Frances Josephy | 6,106 | 18.1 | ||
Labour | C A Goatcher | 4,124 | 12.2 | ||
Majority | 17,417 | 51.6 | |||
Turnout | 33,753 | 67.4 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Candidates
- The local Conservatives selected 34-year-old Sir Henry Drummond-Wolff. He had contested the 1933 Rotherham by-election without success.[2]
- The Liberal candidate from the last election, President of the Oxford Unionin 1931, following in the steps of his elder brother Dingle (1928). After graduation he joined the family law firm. He was standing for parliament for the first time.
- The local Labour party selected year-old James William Barker as candidate.
Campaign
Polling Day was set for 19 April 1934, some two months after the vacancy first became known. Nominations closed on 9 April 1934.
Foreign Affairs dominated the campaign, particularly the Conservative dominated National Government's isolationist approach.
The Conservative campaign leaned heavily on the support of their National Government partners. On 5 April, leading Liberal National MP,
On the Eve of poll, the Liberal Party Leader,
Result
Despite a large swing against the National Government, the Conservative managed to hold onto the seat.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Drummond Wolff | 16,147 | 53.7 | -16.0 | |
Liberal | John Foot | 9,262 | 30.8 | +12.7 | |
Labour | James William Barker | 4,663 | 15.5 | +3.3 | |
Majority | 6,885 | 22.9 | -28.7 | ||
Turnout | 30,072 | 64.4 | -3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -14.4 |
Aftermath
A Peace Ballot was launched in 1934 to ascertain public support for the League of Nations and collective security. As a result, just before the 1935 general election, the National Government agreed to the Liberal policy of working through the League of Nations. Drummond-Wolff chose not to defend his seat at the following General Election. Foot stood here again. The result at the following General election;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patrick Donner | 18,549 | 57.8 | +4.1 | |
Liberal | John Foot | 10,317 | 32.2 | +1.4 | |
Labour | J.S. Whybrew | 3,207 | 10.0 | -5.5 | |
Majority | 8,232 | 25.7 | +2.8 | ||
Turnout | 32,073 | 67.4 | +3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
See also
References
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
- ^ 'DRUMMOND-WOLFF, Henry', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 14 Dec 2013
- ^ Aberdeen Journal, 6 April 1934
- ^ Dundee Courier, 16 April 1934
- ^ Western Morning News, 19 April 1934
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949