Cheltenham by-election, 1928
Encyclopedia
The Cheltenham by-election, 1928 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 26 September 1928 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP), Sir James Agg-Gardner
, had died on 9 August 1928, aged 81. He had held the seat since a by-election in 1911, having previously been Cheltenham's MP from 1874
to 1880
, 1885
to 1895
, and 1900
to 1906
.
selected Sir John Brunner
, a political veteran
who had been MP for three previous constituencies, most recently Southport
from 1923–1924.
The Conservative Party candidate was Sir Walter Preston
, who had been MP for Mile End
from 1918
to 1923
. The Labour Party
candidate was Florence Widdowson
.
with a comfortable majority of 3,760 votes over Brunner. He held the seat until his resignation from the House of Commons
in 1937, triggering another by-election in Chelternham
.
Widdowson unsuccessfully contested the Rushcliffe
constituency in Nottingham
in 1929
and again in 1931
, the later time under her married name of Florence Paton
. She did stand in 1935, but finally won the Rushcliffe seat at the 1945 general election
.
Brunner did not stand for Parliament
again.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 26 September 1928 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 Cheltenham in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
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), Sir James Agg-Gardner
James Agg-Gardner
Sir James Tynte Agg-Gardner JP was an English brewery-owner and Conservative Party politician from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire...
, had died on 9 August 1928, aged 81. He had held the seat since a by-election in 1911, having previously been Cheltenham's MP from 1874
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
to 1880
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
, 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
to 1895
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
, and 1900
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
to 1906
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
Candidates
The Liberal PartyLiberal 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 Sir John Brunner
Sir John Brunner, 2nd Baronet
Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner, 2nd Baronet was a British Liberal Party politician.Brunner was the eldest son of industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner...
, a political veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
who had been MP for three previous constituencies, most recently Southport
Southport (UK Parliament constituency)
Southport 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:...
from 1923–1924.
The Conservative Party candidate was Sir Walter Preston
Walter Preston (UK politician)
Sir Walter Reuben Preston was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.At the 1918 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament for the Mile End constituency in the East End of London...
, who had been MP for Mile End
Mile End (UK Parliament constituency)
Mile End was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Mile End district of the East End of London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
from 1918
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
to 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. The Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate was Florence Widdowson
Florence Paton
Florence Beatrice Paton , née Widdowson, was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom, and a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1950.- Early life :...
.
Results
Preston held the seat for the ConservativesConservative 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...
with a comfortable majority of 3,760 votes over Brunner. He held the seat until his resignation 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...
in 1937, triggering another by-election in Chelternham
Cheltenham by-election, 1937
The Cheltenham by-election, 1937 was a parliamentary by-election held on 22 June 1937 for the British House of Commons constituency of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire....
.
Widdowson unsuccessfully contested the Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 80's:-Notes and references:...
constituency in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
in 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
and again in 1931
United 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...
, the later time under her married name of Florence Paton
Florence Paton
Florence Beatrice Paton , née Widdowson, was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom, and a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1950.- Early life :...
. She did stand in 1935, but finally won the Rushcliffe seat at the 1945 general election
United 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...
.
Brunner 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.
Votes
See also
- Cheltenham constituency
- Cheltenham by-election, 1911
- Cheltenham by-election, 1937Cheltenham by-election, 1937The Cheltenham by-election, 1937 was a parliamentary by-election held on 22 June 1937 for the British House of Commons constituency of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire....
- CheltenhamCheltenhamCheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1918–1931)
- 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...