Birmingham Edgbaston by-election, 1940
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham Edgbaston by-election, 1940 was a parliamentary by-election
held for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Birmingham Edgbaston on 18 December 1940. The seat had become vacant when Neville Chamberlain
, the constituency's Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
had died from stomach cancer
on 9 November. Chamberlain had been Prime Minister
until May 1940, and had held the Edgbaston seat since the 1929 general election
.
The Conservative candidate, Peter Bennett
, was returned unopposed. During World War II
, unopposed by-elections were common, since the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties; contests occurred only when independent candidates or minor parties chose to stand, and the Common Wealth Party
was formed in 1942 with the specific aim of contesting war-time by-elections.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held 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 Birmingham Edgbaston on 18 December 1940. The seat had become vacant when Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
, the constituency's Conservative Party
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,...
had died from stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
on 9 November. Chamberlain had been Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
until May 1940, and had held the Edgbaston seat since the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
The Conservative candidate, Peter Bennett
Peter Bennett, 1st Baron Bennett of Edgbaston
Peter Frederick Blaker Bennett, 1st Baron Bennett of Edgbaston OBE, JP , known as Sir Peter Bennett between 1941 and 1953, was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician.-Background and education:...
, was returned unopposed. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, unopposed by-elections were common, since the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties; contests occurred only when independent candidates or minor parties chose to stand, and the Common Wealth Party
Common Wealth Party
The Common Wealth Party was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom in the Second World War. Thereafter, it continued in being, essentially as a pressure group, until 1993.-The war years:...
was formed in 1942 with the specific aim of contesting war-time by-elections.
See also
- Birmingham Edgbaston (UK Parliament constituency)
- Birmingham Edgbaston by-election, 1898
- Birmingham Edgbaston by-election, 1953
- The suburb of EdgbastonEdgbastonEdgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
- List of United Kingdom by-elections