Croydon North by-election, 1940
Encyclopedia
The Croydon North by-election, 1940 was a parliamentary by-election
held in the British House of Commons
constituency
of Croydon North
on 19 June 1940. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative
Member of Parliament
Glyn Mason
had resigned
. Mason had held the seat since the 1922 general election
.
During World War II
, the major parties had formed a Coalition Government and agreed an electoral pact, whereby they would not contest by-elections in seats held by the other parties in the government. However, there was nothing to prevent other candidates from standing, and A. L. Lucas stood in Croydon North as an independent candidate.
Despite a very low turnout, the Conservative candidate Henry Willink
held the seat for his party with a large majority. Lucas forfeited his deposit.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held in 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 Croydon North
Croydon North (UK Parliament constituency)
Croydon North is a parliamentary 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...
on 19 June 1940. The seat had become vacant when the 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,...
Glyn Mason
Glyn Mason, 2nd Baron Blackford
Lieutenant-Colonel Glyn Keith Murray Mason, 2nd Baron Blackford CBE, DSO was a British businessman, magistrate and Conservative politician.-Background:...
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...
. Mason had held the seat since the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
.
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...
, the major parties had formed a Coalition Government and agreed an electoral pact, whereby they would not contest by-elections in seats held by the other parties in the government. However, there was nothing to prevent other candidates from standing, and A. L. Lucas stood in Croydon North as an independent candidate.
Despite a very low turnout, the Conservative candidate Henry Willink
Henry Willink
Sir Henry Urmston Willink, 1st Baronet PC, MC, KC , was a British politician and public servant.He is best known for his service in the Conservative Party as Minister of Health from 1943-1945 in the wartime Coalition Government of the United Kingdom...
held the seat for his party with a large majority. Lucas forfeited his deposit.
Election results
See also
- Croydon North (UK Parliament constituency)Croydon North (UK Parliament constituency)Croydon North is a parliamentary 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...
- Croydon North by-election, 1948Croydon North by-election, 1948The Croydon North by-election, 1948 was a parliamentary by-election held in the British House of Commons constituency of Croydon North on 11 March 1948...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections