Poplar South by-election, 1942
Encyclopedia
The Poplar South by-election, 1942 was a by-election
held on 12 August 1942 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Poplar South
, which covered the Isle of Dogs
and Poplar
in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar
.
The by-election was caused by the death of the constituency's Labour Party
Member of Parliament
(MP) David Morgan Adams
, who had held the seat since the 1931 general election
.
In accordance with the war-time
electoral pact, neither the Conservative
nor the Liberal
parties fielded a candidate. The Labour candidate, William Henry Guy
, was opposed by the Revd. P. Figgis, who stood as a "Christian Socialist
".
Labour one, turnout was extremely low at 8.5%. This is the lowest turnout recorded in any UK Parliamentary election since at least the 1918 general election
, which was the beginning of universal suffrage
in the United Kingdom
. Labour retained the seat easily.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 12 August 1942 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 Poplar South
Poplar South (UK Parliament constituency)
Poplar South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Poplar district of the East End of London...
, which covered the Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames.-Etymology:...
and Poplar
Poplar, London
Poplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar
Metropolitan Borough of Poplar
Poplar was a local government district in the metropolitan area of London, England. It was formed as a district of the Metropolis in 1855 and became a metropolitan borough in the County of London in 1900. It comprised the civil parishes of Bow, Bromley and Poplar until 1907, when it also became a...
.
The by-election was caused by the death of the constituency's 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...
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) David Morgan Adams
David Morgan Adams
David Morgan Adams was a British Labour Party politician. He was the son of David Morgan Adams of Ystradowen, near Cowbridge, Glamorgan in South Wales and Bessie Dent of Poplar in the East End of London. He received elementary education in the local school in Ystradowen before entering employment...
, who had held the seat since 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...
.
In accordance with the war-time
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...
electoral pact, neither 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...
nor the 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 fielded a candidate. The Labour candidate, William Henry Guy
William Henry Guy
William Henry Guy was a British Labour Party politician.The son of a blacksmith, he came from a family of 21 children. In 1934 he was elected as a member of London County Council, representing South Poplar. He remained a member of the LCC until its abolition in 1965.In August 1942 the sitting...
, was opposed by the Revd. P. Figgis, who stood as a "Christian Socialist
Christian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel...
".
Result
With many men away at war, an electoral register which had not been updated for years, and the seat a safeSafe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
Labour one, turnout was extremely low at 8.5%. This is the lowest turnout recorded in any UK Parliamentary election since at least the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, which was the beginning of universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
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...
. Labour retained the seat easily.
Votes
See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- Poplar South constituencyPoplar South (UK Parliament constituency)Poplar South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Poplar district of the East End of London...
- Poplar by-election, 1914