Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1946
Encyclopedia
The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1946 was a by-election
held from 22 November to 27 November 1946 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency
of the British House of Commons
.
It was the last election for a university constituency of the UK Parliament
; the Combined Scottish Universities was abolished along with the other university seats for the 1950 general election
.
(MP) Sir John Boyd Orr
had resigned
by the procedural device of accepting the post of Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds
, a notional 'office of profit under the crown' which is used as a procedural device to enable MPs to resign from the Commons. After his resignation, Boyd took up the position of Director-General of the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization
. He had held the seat he was first elected at a by-election in 1945
.
The Unionist candidate was Walter Elliot, who had been MP for Glasgow Kelvingrove
for more than 20 years, until his narrow defeat at the 1945 general election
. He had been Secretary of State for Scotland
from 1936 to 1938.
The Labour Party
candidate was the philosopher and broadcaster C. E. M. Joad
. The Liberal Party
fielded J. M. Bannerman, who had contested Argyll in 1945, and the National Liberal
s nominated Dr R. S. Stevenson, who had stood in West Fife in 1945.
The fifth candidate was J. G. Jameson, a member of the Federal Union
who stood as an advocate of the policies of the Federal Union, although the union did not endorse his candidacy.
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held from 22 November to 27 November 1946 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency
University constituency
A university constituency is a constituency, used in elections to a legislature, that represents a university rather than a geographical area. University constituencies may involve plural voting, in which eligible voters are permitted to vote in both a university constituency and a geographical...
of 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...
.
It was the last election for a university constituency of the UK 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...
; the Combined Scottish Universities was abolished along with the other university seats for the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
Vacancy
The seat had become vacant on 16 October 1946 when the independent Member of ParliamentMember 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 John Boyd Orr
John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr
John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr CH, DSO, MC, FRS , known as Sir John Boyd Orr from 1935 to 1949, was a Scottish teacher, doctor, biologist and politician who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his scientific research into nutrition and his work as the first Director-General of the United Nations...
had resigned
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...
by the procedural device of accepting the post of Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds
Chiltern Hundreds
Appointment to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham is a sinecure appointment which is used as a device allowing a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament to resign his or her seat...
, a notional 'office of profit under the crown' which is used as a procedural device to enable MPs to resign from the Commons. After his resignation, Boyd took up the position of Director-General of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
. He had held the seat he was first elected at a by-election in 1945
Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945
The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945 was a by-election held from 9 April to 13 April 1945 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
.
Candidates
Five candidates contested the by-election, none of whom had stood in 1945.The Unionist candidate was Walter Elliot, who had been MP for Glasgow Kelvingrove
Glasgow Kelvingrove (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Kelvingrove was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.- Boundaries :...
for more than 20 years, until his narrow defeat 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...
. He had been Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
from 1936 to 1938.
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 the philosopher and broadcaster C. E. M. Joad
C. E. M. Joad
Cyril Edwin Mitchinson Joad was an English philosopher and broadcasting personality. He is most famous for his appearance on The Brains Trust, an extremely popular BBC Radio wartime discussion programme...
. 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...
fielded J. M. Bannerman, who had contested Argyll in 1945, and the National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
s nominated Dr R. S. Stevenson, who had stood in West Fife in 1945.
The fifth candidate was J. G. Jameson, a member of the Federal Union
Federal Union
Federal Union is a Pro-European British group launched in November 1938, to advocate a Federal Union of Europe as a post-war aim. It continues to exist today, arguing for federalism for the whole of Europe and the world....
who stood as an advocate of the policies of the Federal Union, although the union did not endorse his candidacy.
Result
The result was a clear victory for the Unionist candidate, Walter Elliot, who won over 68% of the votes, and a majority of more than 50% over the second-placed Labour candidate. Elliot held the seat until the university constituencies were abolished for the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
Votes
See also
- Combined Scottish Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1927Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1927The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1927 was a by-election held from 26 April to 29 April 1927 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1934Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1934The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1934 was a by-election held from 7 March to 12 March 1934 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1935Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1935The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1935 was a by-election held from 17 June to 22 June 1935 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1936Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1936The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1936 was a by-election held from 27 January to 31 January 1936 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1938 was a by-election held from 21 February to 25 February 1938 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945The Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945 was a by-election held from 9 April to 13 April 1945 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.- Vacancy :...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950)