1939 Batley and Morley by-election

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1939 Batley and Morley by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  1935 9 March 1939 1945  

Constituency of Batley and Morley
Turnout72.6% (Decrease2.svg6.7%)
 First partySecond party
  Hubert Beaumont Labour (3x4 crop).jpg
Con
Candidate Hubert Beaumont Wilfrid Wills
Party Labour Conservative
Popular vote20,02016,124
Percentage55.4%44.6%
SwingIncrease2.svg1.8%Decrease2.svg1.8%

MP before election

Willie Brooke
Labour

Elected MP

Hubert Beaumont
Labour

The 1939 Batley and Morley by-election was a parliamentary by-election held in the United Kingdom on 9 March 1939 for the House of Commons constituency of Batley and Morley in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Contents

Vacancy

The Labour Party MP for the seat Willie Brooke died on 21 January 1939 at the age of 44. He had been the MP since the 1935 general election.

Electoral history

This was a traditional Labour/Liberal marginal until 1931 when no Liberal candidate stood and a Conservative won for the first time in the National Government landslide. Brooke comfortably regained the seat at the last election;

General election 14 November 1935: Batley and Morley [1] Electorate
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Willie Brooke 21,182 53.6 +14.8
Conservative Wilfrid Wills 18,35446.4−14.8
Majority2,8287.2N/A
Turnout 39,53679.3−6.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Candidates

Result

The Labour Party held the seat with an increased majority.

1939 Batley and Morley by-election [4] Electorate 49,757
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hubert Beaumont 20,020 55.4 +1.8
Conservative Wilfrid Wills 16,12444.6−1.8
Majority3,89610.8+3.6
Turnout 36,14472.6−6.7
Labour hold Swing

Aftermath

In the 1945 general election,

General election 1945: Batley and Morley [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Hubert Beaumont 22,682 58.1 +2.7
Conservative G W Hirst11,09028.4−16.2
Liberal Ashley Mitchell 5,25613.5New
Majority11,59229.7+18.9
Turnout 39,02880.9+8.3
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig
  2. The Times, House of Commons, 1929
  3. Aberdeen Journal, 2 February 1939
  4. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig
  5. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig