University of Wales by-election, 1943
Encyclopedia
The University of Wales by-election, 1943 was a parliamentary by-election
held in the United Kingdom
between 25 and 29 January 1943 for the House of Commons constituency
of University of Wales
.
(MP), Ernest Evans
(1885–1965) had been appointed a County Court
Judge in 1942.
Evans was admitted to the bar in 1910 and became a King's Counsel (KC) in 1937.
After serving as private secretary to the Prime Minister
David Lloyd George
, he was elected as Coalition Liberal MP for Cardiganshire at a by-election in 1921
. He held the seat at the 1922 general election
as a National Liberal candidate, but was defeated standing as a Liberal at the 1923 general election
by the Independent Liberal Rhys Hopkin Morris
.
Evans did not stand again in Cardiganshire, but at the 1924 general election
he defeated the Christian pacifist George Maitland Lloyd Davies
to win the University of Wales constituency as a Liberal.
, which was not a party to the electoral agreement, selected a candidate and three Independent candidates also stood; so a contested poll took place.
Five candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.
candidate was Professor William John Gruffydd
(1881–1954), who was Professor of Celtic at University College, Cardiff from 1918 until 1946 and then an Emeritus Professor. He was editor of Y Llenor from 1922 until 1951.
Gruffydd took an interest in Welsh politics and social questions, coming from a nonconformist, radical family. He was at one time a member of Plaid Cymru
and served as deputy vice-president in 1937. However, Gruffydd voiced disagreement with Plaid Cymru party president Saunders Lewis
, which eventually led to his leaving the party.
Gruffydd was elected to Parliament as a Liberal
MP for the University of Wales
seat on January 29, 1943. Gruffydd's opponent in the by-election was Plaid's Saunders Lewis, and he had effectively split the Welsh-speaking community. He was comfortably re-elected in the 1945 general election
and sat until the abolition of University seats in 1950. He did not stand again for Parliament.
, who had previously contested the University seat at the 1931 general election
.
Lewis (15 October 1893 - 1 September 1985) was a Welsh
poet
, dramatist, historian
, literary critic and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist
and founder of the Welsh National Party (later known as Plaid Cymru
). Lewis is usually acknowledged to have been among the most prominent figures of twentieth-century Welsh-language literature. Lewis was a 1970 Nobel nominee for literature, and in 2005 was voted 10th as Wales' 'greatest-ever person' in a BBC Wales
poll.
His Liberal opponent was a former Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru deputy vice-president. Gruffydd had voiced doubts about Lewis' ideas since 1933, and by 1943 he had joined the Liberal party
. The "brilliant but wayward" Gruffydd was a favorite with Welsh-speaking intellectuals and drew 52.3 per cent of the vote, to Lewis' 22 per cent, or 1,330 votes.
The election effectively split the Welsh-speaking intelligentsia, and left Lewis embittered with politics and retreated from direct political involvement. However, the experience proved invaluable for Plaid Cymru, as they began to refer to themselves, as "for the first time they were taken seriously as a political force." The by-election campaign led directly to "considerable growth" for the party's membership.
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 United Kingdom
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...
between 25 and 29 January 1943 for the House of Commons 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 University of Wales
University of Wales (UK Parliament constituency)
University of Wales was a university constituency electing one member to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1918 to 1950. It returned one Member of Parliament , elected under the first-past-the-post voting system....
.
Previous MP
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Liberal 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), Ernest Evans
Ernest Evans (politician)
Ernest Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.-Family and education:Ernest Evans was born at Aberystwyth, the son of Evan Evans, the Clerk to the Cardiganshire County Council and his wife Annie Davies...
(1885–1965) had been appointed a County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
Judge in 1942.
Evans was admitted to the bar in 1910 and became a King's Counsel (KC) in 1937.
After serving as private secretary to the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, he was elected as Coalition Liberal MP for Cardiganshire at a by-election in 1921
Cardiganshire by-election, 1921
The Cardiganshire by-election, 1921 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Cardiganshire on 18 February 1921...
. He held the seat at 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...
as a National Liberal candidate, but was defeated standing as a Liberal at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
by the Independent Liberal Rhys Hopkin Morris
Rhys Hopkin Morris
Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris was a Welsh Liberal politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956....
.
Evans did not stand again in Cardiganshire, but at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
he defeated the Christian pacifist George Maitland Lloyd Davies
George Maitland Lloyd Davies
George Maitland Lloyd Davies was a Welsh pacifist and Member of Parliament for the University of Wales.Davies, who had originally volunteered as an officer in the Territorial Army, but was imprisoned during World War I as a conscientious objector, was the grandson of a noted Welsh preacher, John...
to win the University of Wales constituency as a Liberal.
Candidates
The election took place during the Second World War. Under an agreement between the Conservative, Labour and Liberal parties; who were participating in a wartime coalition, the party holding a seat would not be opposed by the other two at a by-election. Accordingly the Liberal Party nominated a candidate, but no Labour or Conservative representative was put forward. Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
, which was not a party to the electoral agreement, selected a candidate and three Independent candidates also stood; so a contested poll took place.
Five candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.
Liberal Party
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...
candidate was Professor William John Gruffydd
William John Gruffydd
Professor William John Gruffydd was a Welsh academic, poet, writer, and politician.-Family and Education:...
(1881–1954), who was Professor of Celtic at University College, Cardiff from 1918 until 1946 and then an Emeritus Professor. He was editor of Y Llenor from 1922 until 1951.
Gruffydd took an interest in Welsh politics and social questions, coming from a nonconformist, radical family. He was at one time a member of Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
and served as deputy vice-president in 1937. However, Gruffydd voiced disagreement with Plaid Cymru party president Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic, and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party...
, which eventually led to his leaving the party.
Gruffydd was elected to Parliament as a 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...
MP for the University of Wales
University of Wales (UK Parliament constituency)
University of Wales was a university constituency electing one member to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1918 to 1950. It returned one Member of Parliament , elected under the first-past-the-post voting system....
seat on January 29, 1943. Gruffydd's opponent in the by-election was Plaid's Saunders Lewis, and he had effectively split the Welsh-speaking community. He was comfortably re-elected in 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...
and sat until the abolition of University seats in 1950. He did not stand again for Parliament.
Plaid Cymru
Representing Plaid Cymru in the by-election was its President, (John) Saunders LewisSaunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic, and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party...
, who had previously contested the University seat 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...
.
Lewis (15 October 1893 - 1 September 1985) was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, dramatist, historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, literary critic and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist
Welsh nationalism
Welsh nationalism emphasises the distinctiveness of Welsh language, culture, and history, and calls for more self-determination for Wales, which may include more Devolved powers for the Welsh Assembly or full independence from the United Kingdom.-Conquest:...
and founder of the Welsh National Party (later known as Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
). Lewis is usually acknowledged to have been among the most prominent figures of twentieth-century Welsh-language literature. Lewis was a 1970 Nobel nominee for literature, and in 2005 was voted 10th as Wales' 'greatest-ever person' in a BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
poll.
His Liberal opponent was a former Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru deputy vice-president. Gruffydd had voiced doubts about Lewis' ideas since 1933, and by 1943 he had joined 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...
. The "brilliant but wayward" Gruffydd was a favorite with Welsh-speaking intellectuals and drew 52.3 per cent of the vote, to Lewis' 22 per cent, or 1,330 votes.
The election effectively split the Welsh-speaking intelligentsia, and left Lewis embittered with politics and retreated from direct political involvement. However, the experience proved invaluable for Plaid Cymru, as they began to refer to themselves, as "for the first time they were taken seriously as a political force." The by-election campaign led directly to "considerable growth" for the party's membership.
Others
- Alun Talfan Davies (22 July 1913 - 11 November 2000) was a WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
lawyer, writer and publisher, the brother of Aneirin Talfan DaviesAneirin Talfan DaviesAneirin Talfan Davies was a Welsh poet, broadcaster and literary critic.Talfan Davies was brought up in Gorseinon. During the 1930s Davies worked in London as a pharmacist before returning to Wales and settling in Swansea. He was the brother of Alun Talfan Davies, with whom he founded the...
. A former member of Plaid Cymru, he stood as an Independent candidate in the by-election. He subsequently contested CarmarthenCarmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1542 and 1997...
in the 1959United Kingdom general election, 1959This 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...
and 1964United Kingdom general election, 1964The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
general elections, as well as DenbighDenbigh (UK Parliament constituency)Denbigh was a county constituency centred on the town of Denbigh in North Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
in 1966United Kingdom general election, 1966The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
. In all of these other contests he stood as a Liberal candidate. - The more successful of the two Independent Labour candidates contesting the by-election was Evan Davies, who did not contest any other Parliamentary elections.
- The second placed Independent Labour candidate, who finished bottom of the poll at the by-election, was N.L. Evans. He did not contest any other Parliamentary election.
Votes
See also
- University of Wales constituencyUniversity of Wales (UK Parliament constituency)University of Wales was a university constituency electing one member to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1918 to 1950. It returned one Member of Parliament , elected under the first-past-the-post voting system....
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- 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...
Sources
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)