Islington East by-election, 1931
Encyclopedia
The Islington East by-election, 1931 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 19th February 1931 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Islington East
in Islington
, North London
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP), Dr Ethel Bentham
, died on 19th January 1931, aged 70. She had held the seat since the 1929 general election
.
, President of the National Union of Teachers
. The Conservative Party
candidate was Thelma Cazalet
, a 31-year-old feminist and member of the London County Council
. The Liberal candidate was Horace Crawfurd
, who had been the MP for Walthamstow West
from 1924
to until his defeat at the 1929 general election
.
The fourth candidate, Alfred Critchley
, was referred to by Thelma Cazalet
as "the Beaverbrook
candidate". He stood for the Empire Free Trade Crusade
and the United Empire Party, which both sought to make the British Empire
a free trade
bloc. The Empire Crusade had won the Paddington South by-election in October 1930, and hoped to repeat its success. Critchley had been the Conservative candidate in Manchester Gorton
in 1929.
in March.
At the 1931 general election
, Cazalet won the seat by a large majority, serving as Islington East's MP until her defeat by Labour's Eric Fletcher
at the 1945 general election
. After her defeat in 1931, Manning did not return to Parliament
until her victory in Epping
in 1945. Critchley rejoined the Conservative Party, and won the Twickenham by-election
in 1934.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 19th February 1931 for 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 Islington East
Islington East (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington East was a constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885, until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.-1885–1918:...
in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
.
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's 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...
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), Dr Ethel Bentham
Ethel Bentham
Dr. Ethel Bentham was a progressive doctor, a politician and a suffragette in the United Kingdom. She was born in Ireland, educated at Alexandra School and College in Dublin, the London School of Medicine for Women and the Rotunda Hospital...
, died on 19th January 1931, aged 70. She had held the seat since the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
Candidates
Labour selected as its candidate the 45-year-old Leah ManningLeah Manning
Dame Elizabeth Leah Manning DBE was a British educationalist, social reformer, and Labour Member of Parliament in the 1930s and 1940s...
, President of the National Union of Teachers
National Union of Teachers
The National Union of Teachers is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress...
. The Conservative Party
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...
candidate was Thelma Cazalet
Thelma Cazalet-Keir
Thelma Cazalet-Keir CBE, née Cazalet, was a British feminist and Conservative Party politician.She was born in London, the third child and only daughter of William Marshall Cazalet , and Maud Lucia née Heron-Maxwell...
, a 31-year-old feminist and member of the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
. The Liberal candidate was Horace Crawfurd
Horace Crawfurd
Horace Evelyn Crawfurd was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was a lecturer at Liverpool University....
, who had been the MP for Walthamstow West
Walthamstow West (UK Parliament constituency)
Walthamstow West was a borough constituency in what is now the London Borough of Waltham Forest, but was until 1965 the Walthamstow Urban District of Essex...
from 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
to until his defeat at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
The fourth candidate, Alfred Critchley
Alfred Critchley
Brigadier-General Alfred Cecil Critchley, CMG, CBE, DSO was an entrepreneur and politician in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1934 to 1935....
, was referred to by Thelma Cazalet
Thelma Cazalet-Keir
Thelma Cazalet-Keir CBE, née Cazalet, was a British feminist and Conservative Party politician.She was born in London, the third child and only daughter of William Marshall Cazalet , and Maud Lucia née Heron-Maxwell...
as "the Beaverbrook
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, Bt, PC, was a Canadian-British business tycoon, politician, and writer.-Early career in Canada:...
candidate". He stood for the Empire Free Trade Crusade
Empire Free Trade Crusade
The Empire Free Trade Crusade was a political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Lord Beaverbrook in July 1929 to press for the British Empire to become a free trade bloc....
and the United Empire Party, which both sought to make the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
a free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
bloc. The Empire Crusade had won the Paddington South by-election in October 1930, and hoped to repeat its success. Critchley had been the Conservative candidate in Manchester Gorton
Manchester Gorton (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester, Gorton is a parliamentary constituency in the city of Manchester, 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.-1885–1918:...
in 1929.
Results
On a reduced turnout, Manning held the seat for Labour with a majority of 2,277 votes. Critchley came second with 27.2% of the votes, a setback for the Empire Crusade which also failed to win the Westminster St George's by-electionWestminster St George's by-election, 1931
The Westminster St. George's by-election, 1931 was a parliamentary by-election held on 19 March 1931 for the British House of Commons constituency of Westminster St. George's.- Previous MP :...
in March.
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...
, Cazalet won the seat by a large majority, serving as Islington East's MP until her defeat by Labour's Eric Fletcher
Eric Fletcher, Baron Fletcher
Eric George Molyneux Fletcher, Baron Fletcher was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.Fletcher was the son of a former town clerk of Islington. He studied at Radley College and the University of London and became a solicitor, specialising in international law...
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...
. After her defeat in 1931, Manning did not return to 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...
until her victory in Epping
Epping (UK Parliament constituency)
Epping was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1945. Critchley rejoined the Conservative Party, and won the Twickenham by-election
Twickenham by-election, 1934
The Twickenham by-election, 1934 was a parliamentary by-election held on 22 June 1934 for the British House of Commons constituency of Twickenham in Middlesex....
in 1934.
Votes
See also
- Islington East (UK Parliament constituency)Islington East (UK Parliament constituency)Islington East was a constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885, until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election.-1885–1918:...
- IslingtonIslingtonIslington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections