1929 Battersea South by-election

1929 Battersea South by-election

←  1924 7 February 1929 1929  →

Candidate Bennett Selley Albu Party Labour Unionist Liberal Popular vote 11,789 11,213 2,858 Percentage 46.13% 43.87% 10.00%

MP before election Viscount Curzon Unionist Subsequent MP William Bennett Labour

The 1929 Battersea South by-election was held on 7 February 1929. The by-election was held when the incumbent Conservative MP, Francis Curzon, succeeded to the peerage as Earl Howe. It was won by the Labour candidate William Bennett in a three-way contest. ^{[1] [2]}

Candidates

The local Liberal association selected 40 year-old Vivian Claude Albu as their candidate. Albu had stood for the Liberals in the 1922 general election at Battersea North. ^[3] Labour selected William Bennett, who had been their candidate in Guildford in three general elections between 1918 and 1923. The Conservative Party selected Harry Selley, a builder and member of the London County Council for Battersea South. ^[4]

Result

Battersea South by-election, 1929

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Bennett	11,789	46.13
	Conservative	Harry Selley	11,213	43.87
	Liberal	Vivian Claude Albu	2,858	10.00	New
Majority			576	2.25
Turnout			25,557	57.7	−18.8
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+8.8

Aftermath

A few months later at the next general election Bennett again defeated Selley, this time by 418 votes in a much increased poll. The Liberals were again third, though with a new candidate, the former Mayor of Battersea, Captain William J. West. ^{[4] [5]} In 1931 Selley won the seat at the third attempt, defeating Bennett with a majority of over 15,000 votes. ^[5]

References

1. "British By-Election". The Mercury (Hobart). 9 February 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
2. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
3. The Liberal Year Book, 1926
4. The Times House of Commons 1929. London: The Times Office. 1929. pp. 17–18.
5. The Times House of Commons 1931. London: The Times Office. 1931. p. 17.