Roland Jennings
Encyclopedia
Sir Roland Jennings was a British
chartered accountant and politician.
Born in Sunderland, he served with the Durham Light Infantry in the First World War. He was elected as a Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Sedgefield
in County Durham
at the 1931 general election
, defeating the Labour Party
MP John Herriotts
. Jennings was defeated at the 1935 general election
by Labour's John Leslie
.
After losing the Wandsworth Central
seat in a 1937 byelection, Jennings returned to the House of Commons
in 1939, when he was elected as MP for Sheffield Hallam at a by-election
following the death of Sir Louis William Smith. At this and each subsequent election he fought as a 'Conservative and Liberal
' although he took the Conservative whip.
In 1955, Jennings was caught up in a minor constitutional difficulty when shortly after the general election a political opponent highlighted the fact that he had been, since 1923, a public auditor approved by the Treasury. He had taken the post solely in order to audit the books of the Cotherstone British Legion and Village Club, but there were circumstances in which he might have been paid by the Treasury: this would make it an "office of profit under the Crown" and therefore a disqualification from being elected.
The matter was referred by the House of Commons
to a Select Committee which reported that Jennings was indeed disqualified under the law as it stood. The government rushed through Parliament a Bill changing the law, and another bill indemnifying Jennings from the consequences of acting as an MP while disqualified and validating his election. Several other MPs were similarly found to have been unknowingly disqualified in an ensuing investigation.
Jennings retired from Parliament
at the 1959 general election
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chartered accountant and politician.
Born in Sunderland, he served with the Durham Light Infantry in the First World War. He was elected as a 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) for Sedgefield
Sedgefield (UK Parliament constituency)
Sedgefield is a county 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...
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
at the 1931 general election
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...
, defeating 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...
MP John Herriotts
John Herriotts
John Herriotts was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Sedgefield in County Durham at the 1922 general election, with a majority of only 689 votes...
. Jennings was defeated at the 1935 general election
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...
by Labour's John Leslie
John Leslie (politician)
John Robert Leslie, MP was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was born in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland to John Leslie and Clementina Hunter. Leslie and his wife had 3 sons, John, William and Robert, and two daughters, Clementina and Alice...
.
After losing the Wandsworth Central
Wandsworth Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Wandsworth Central was a parliamentary constituency in the Wandsworth district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
seat in a 1937 byelection, Jennings 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 1939, when he was elected as MP for Sheffield Hallam at a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
following the death of Sir Louis William Smith. At this and each subsequent election he fought as a 'Conservative and 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...
' although he took the Conservative whip.
In 1955, Jennings was caught up in a minor constitutional difficulty when shortly after the general election a political opponent highlighted the fact that he had been, since 1923, a public auditor approved by the Treasury. He had taken the post solely in order to audit the books of the Cotherstone British Legion and Village Club, but there were circumstances in which he might have been paid by the Treasury: this would make it an "office of profit under the Crown" and therefore a disqualification from being elected.
The matter was referred by 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...
to a Select Committee which reported that Jennings was indeed disqualified under the law as it stood. The government rushed through Parliament a Bill changing the law, and another bill indemnifying Jennings from the consequences of acting as an MP while disqualified and validating his election. Several other MPs were similarly found to have been unknowingly disqualified in an ensuing investigation.
Jennings retired from 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...
at the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
.