Westminster Abbey by-election, 1939
Encyclopedia
The Westminster Abbey by-election, 1939 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 17 May 1939 for the British House of Commons constituency
of Westminster Abbey in London
. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) Sir Sidney Herbert, Bt.
had died on 22 March 1939. Herbert had held the seat since an unopposed 1932 by-election
. The Conservative candidate Harold Webbe
held the seat for the party.
The Labour
and Liberal
parties did not stand, so the Conservative candidate's only opponent was Billy Carritt, who stood as an Independent Progressive. In the 1945 general election
, Carritt stood in Westminster Abbey as a Communist
. Webbe remained its MP until the constituency was abolished for the 1950 general election
, when he became MP for the new Cities of London and Westminster
constituency.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 17 May 1939 for the British 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 Westminster Abbey in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. 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,...
(MP) Sir Sidney Herbert, Bt.
Sir Sidney Herbert, 1st Baronet
Sir Sidney Herbert, 1st Baronet was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1922 to 1931 and 1932 to 1939....
had died on 22 March 1939. Herbert had held the seat since an unopposed 1932 by-election
Westminster Abbey by-election, 1932
The Westminster Abbey by-election, 1932 was a parliamentary by-election held on 12 July 1932 for the British House of Commons constituency of Westminster Abbey in London. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament Otho Nicholson resigned from the Commons by becoming the...
. The Conservative candidate Harold Webbe
Harold Webbe
Sir William Harold Webbe, CBE, DL was a British politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1939 to 1959....
held the seat for the party.
The Labour
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...
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...
parties did not stand, so the Conservative candidate's only opponent was Billy Carritt, who stood as an Independent Progressive. 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...
, Carritt stood in Westminster Abbey as a Communist
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
. Webbe remained its MP until the constituency was abolished 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...
, when he became MP for the new Cities of London and Westminster
Cities of London and Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Cities of London and Westminster is a borough constituency covering the area comprising the City of London and southern portion of the City of Westminster in Central London...
constituency.