The Darwen by-election, 1943 was a by-election held on 12 December 1943 for the British House of Commons constituency of Darwen in Lancashire. A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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 In the United Kingdom (UK, each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly Darwen was a County constituency in Lancashire, centred on the town of Darwen. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea
The seat had become vacant after the death in October of the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Stuart Russell, who had been killed in World War II. Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Captain Stuart Hugh Minto Russell ( 18 January 1909 &ndash 30 October 1943) was a Conservative Party politician in the United World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including He had been elected at the 1935 general election, beating the Liberal Party leader Herbert Samuel. Results |} Total votes cast 20991488 All parties shown Conservatives include Ulster Unionists Seats won by the Independent Labour Party (ILP are The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party Herbert Louis Samuel 1st Viscount Samuel GCB OM GBE PC ( November 6, 1870 - February 2, 1963
During World War II, the major parties had agreed an electoral pact under which they would not contest by-elections in seats held by their respective parties, and as a result many wartime by-elections resulting in a candidate being returned unopposed. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including However, other parties and independent politicians were free to field candidates, and at Darwen the journalist Honor Balfour stood as an "Independent Liberal"[1]. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. She was the only opponent to the Conservative candidate Stanley Prescott. (William Robert Stanley Prescott ( 25 April 1912 &ndash 6 June 1962) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom
In the 1935 general election, the Conservatives had won 41% of the votes, with a narrow majority over the ougoing Liberal MP. In 1943, Without either an official Liberal or Labour opponent, Prescott increased the Conservative share of the vote, albeit on a much-reduced turnout. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the However, Balfour came within 70 votes of winning the seat.
Votes
| Darwen by-election, 1943 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Stanley Prescott | 8,869 | 50. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. (William Robert Stanley Prescott ( 25 April 1912 &ndash 6 June 1962) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom 2 | +9. 1 | |
| Independent Liberal | Honor Balfour | 8,799 | 49. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. 8 | N/A | |
| Majority | 70 | 0. 4 | −2. 7 | ||
| Turnout | 17,668 | 45. Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a Ballot in an Election. 0 | −43. 9 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- Craig, F. W. S. [1969] (1983). The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Swing in a British political context is a single figure used as an indication of the scale of voter change between two political parties Darwen was a County constituency in Lancashire, centred on the town of Darwen. This is a list of parliamentary By-elections in the United Kingdom since 1979 with the names of the incumbent and victor and their respective parties Frederick Walter Scott Craig ( December 10, 1929 - March 23, 1989) was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of reference British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, 3rd edition, Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page