Altrincham by-election, 1933
Encyclopedia
The Altrincham by-election, 1933 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 14 June 1933 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Altrincham
in Cheshire
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP), Cyril Atkinson
, had resigned from the House of Commons
on being appointed a High Court judge. He had held the seat since the 1924 general election
, when he had defeated the one-term Liberal
MP Robert Alstead
.
, so this was Altrincham's first contested election since 1929.
All three candidates were former MPs seeking re-election. The Liberal Party
selected Philip Oliver
, who had been MP for Manchester Blackley
from 1923–1924 and from 1929–1931.
The Conservative Party fielded Sir Edward Grigg
, the former Liberal MP for Oldham
. After distinguished service in the Great War
, he had been private secretary to Liberal Prime Minister
David Lloyd George
from 1920–22, and had later been Governor of Kenya from 1925 to 1930.
Labour was represented by James Hindle Hudson
, who had been MP for Huddersfield
from 1923 to 1931.
, when he was ennobled as Baron Altrincham
.
Oliver did not stand for Parliament
again. Hudson was defeated again at Stockport
in 1935
, but returned to the House of Commons
in 1945 as MP for Ealing West
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 14 June 1933 for the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
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 . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Altrincham
Altrincham (UK Parliament constituency)
Altrincham was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1945. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), Cyril Atkinson
Cyril Atkinson
Cyril Atkinson was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Member of Parliament for Altrincham in Cheshire from 1924 general election to 1933, when he was appointed as a High Court judge....
, had resigned from the House of Commons
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
on being appointed a High Court judge. He had held the seat since the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, when he had defeated the one-term Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
MP Robert Alstead
Robert Alstead
Robert Alstead was a self-made businessman in the clothing trade and Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom.-Family and education:...
.
Candidates
Atkinson had been returned unopposed at the 1931 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
, so this was Altrincham's first contested election since 1929.
All three candidates were former MPs seeking re-election. The Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
selected Philip Oliver
Philip Oliver (UK politician)
Philip Milner Oliver CBE was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom who served for two short terms as Member of Parliament for Manchester Blackley.-Political career:...
, who had been MP for Manchester Blackley
Manchester Blackley (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester, Blackley was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
from 1923–1924 and from 1929–1931.
The Conservative Party fielded Sir Edward Grigg
Edward Grigg, 1st Baron Altrincham
Edward William Macleay Grigg, 1st Baron Altrincham, KCMG, KCVO, DSO, MC, PC was a British colonial administrator and politician.-Early years:...
, the former Liberal MP for Oldham
Oldham (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. After distinguished service in the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he had been private secretary to Liberal Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
from 1920–22, and had later been Governor of Kenya from 1925 to 1930.
Labour was represented by James Hindle Hudson
James Hindle Hudson
James Hindle Hudson was a British Labour Party politician, who served as a Member of Parliament for 18 years in two periods between 1923 and 1955....
, who had been MP for Huddersfield
Huddersfield (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
from 1923 to 1931.
Results
Grigg held the seat for the Conservatives with a comfortable majority of 9,500 votes over Oliver. He held the seat until its abolition for the 1945 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, when he was ennobled as Baron Altrincham
Baron Altrincham
Baron Altrincham, of Tormarton in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 1 August 1945 for the politician Edward Grigg. His son, the second Baron, was a politician, journalist, historian and writer. Soon after the passage of the Peerage Act...
.
Oliver did not stand for Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
again. Hudson was defeated again at Stockport
Stockport (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in 1935
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, but returned to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
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 . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1945 as MP for Ealing West
Ealing West (UK Parliament constituency)
Ealing West was a parliamentary constituency in what was then the Municipal Borough of Ealing in west London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
.
Votes
See also
- Altrincham constituencyAltrincham (UK Parliament constituency)Altrincham was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1945. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
- Altrincham by-election, 1913Altrincham by-election, 1913The Altrincham by-election was held on 28 May 1913. The contest took place following the resignation of John Robert Kebty-Fletcher, the sitting Conservative member of parliament for Altrincham....
- AltrinchamAltrinchamAltrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...