1926 Buckrose by-election

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1926 Buckrose by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  1924 5 May 1926 1929  
  1920 Sir Harry Verney.jpg Herbert Cecil Laycock.jpg
Candidate Albert Braithwaite Sir Harry Verney H.C. Laycock
Party Unionist Liberal Labour
Popular vote12,09810,5372,191
Percentage48.7%42.5%8.8%

MP before election

Sir Guy Gaunt
Unionist

Subsequent MP

Albert Braithwaite
Unionist

The 1926 Buckrose by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Buckrose, Yorkshire on 5 May 1926. This was the first by-election to take place during the General Strike.

Contents

Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Unionist MP, Sir Guy Gaunt on 20 February 1926. He was cited as co-respondent in the divorce case between Sir Richard Cruise and his wife. He had been MP here since winning the seat in 1922.

Election history

The constituency was created in 1885 and had been in the hands of the Liberal Party for most of the time before the Unionists won in 1922. A Labour candidate had only ever stood here once before, in 1918. The result at the last General Election was:

General election 1924: Buckrose [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Guy Gaunt 13,966 56.0 +5.6
Liberal Harry Briggs 10,96244.0−5.6
Majority3,00412.0+11.2
Turnout 24,95882.9−1.2
Unionist hold Swing +5.6

Candidates

Campaign

Nominations closed on 27 April. Polling Day was set for 5 May 1926.

Result

The Unionists hung onto the seat by a reduced margin;

1926 Buckrose by-election [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Albert Braithwaite 12,098 48.7 −7.3
Liberal Harry Verney 10,53742.5−1.5
Labour Herbert Cecil Laycock2,1918.8New
Majority1,5526.2−5.8
Turnout 24,82681.7−1.2
Unionist hold Swing -2.9

Aftermath

Braithwaite retained the seat at the following General Election;

General election 1929: Buckrose [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Albert Braithwaite 15,625 50.0 +1.3
Liberal Sidney Streatfield Leigh Lamert13,82544.4+1.9
Labour Harold H Vickers1,7665.6−3.2
Majority1,8005.6−0.6
Turnout 31,21680.4−1.3
Unionist hold Swing -0.3

Neither Verney not Laycock stood for parliament again. [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig