Wilfrid Sugden
Encyclopedia
Sir Wilfrid Hart Sugden was a Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
. A Member of Parliament
(MP) for fourteen years, he represented three different constituencies, losing his seat twice and losing in three other elections which he contested.
He was elected at the 1918 general election
as MP for Royton
in Lancashire
. He was returned with a reduced majority at the 1922 election
, but was defeated at the 1923 general election
by the Liberal Party
candidate William Gorman
.
Sugden returned to Parliament
at the 1924 general election
as MP for the marginal The Hartlepools, where he defeated the sitting Liberal MP William Jowitt
.
At the 1929 general election
, he did not seek re-election in The Hartlepools, where the Liberals regained the seat. Instead, he contested Rossendale
in Lancashire
, where the Conservative MP Robert Waddington had stood down. Sugden was defeated again, winning 30.1% of the votes in a tight three-way contest; he polled only 2,399 votes less than the successful Labour candidate Arthur Law.
The Labour party's vote collapsed at the 1931 general election
after Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald
formed a National Government
, splitting his party. Sugden contested the Labour-held marginal seat of Leyton West
in London
, where he was returned to the House of Commons
with a majority of nearly 10,000. However, he was ousted again at the 1935 general election
, when Labour's Rev. Reginald Sorensen
was returned with a majority of only 128.
He then contested the Islington North constituency
, at a by-election in 1937
following the death of the Conservative MP Albert Goodman. He lost again, on a swing of 6.9% against the Conservatives.
Sugden's last electoral contest was at the 1945 general election
, in the Labour-held constituency of Manchester Platting
. Labour held the seat with a majority of over 7,000.
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...
politician 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...
. A 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 fourteen years, he represented three different constituencies, losing his seat twice and losing in three other elections which he contested.
He was elected at 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...
as MP for Royton
Royton (UK Parliament constituency)
Royton was, from 1918 to 1950, a parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom, centred on Royton in North West England. 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 system.-History:The constituency was...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He was returned with a reduced majority at the 1922 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...
, but was defeated 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 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...
candidate William Gorman
William Gorman
Sir William Gorman was an English barrister and judge and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
.
Sugden returned 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...
at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
as MP for the marginal The Hartlepools, where he defeated the sitting Liberal MP William Jowitt
William Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt
William Allen Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt PC, KC , was a British Labour politician and lawyer, who served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain under Clement Attlee from 1945 to 1951.-Background and education:...
.
At the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, he did not seek re-election in The Hartlepools, where the Liberals regained the seat. Instead, he contested Rossendale
Rossendale (UK Parliament constituency)
Rossendale was a parliamentary constituency in the Lancashire, England. Created in 1885, it elected 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 Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, where the Conservative MP Robert Waddington had stood down. Sugden was defeated again, winning 30.1% of the votes in a tight three-way contest; he polled only 2,399 votes less than the successful Labour candidate Arthur Law.
The Labour party's vote collapsed 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...
after Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
formed a National Government
National Government 1931-1935
See also First National MinistryThe United Kingdom's National Government was composed of members of the following parties:*National Labour*Conservative Party*Liberal Party*Liberal Nationals...
, splitting his party. Sugden contested the Labour-held marginal seat of Leyton West
Leyton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leyton West was a parliamentary constituency in the Municipal Borough of Leyton, then part of Essex but now in Greater London.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 system.-History:The constituency...
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...
, where he was 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...
with a majority of nearly 10,000. However, he was ousted again 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...
, when Labour's Rev. Reginald Sorensen
Reginald Sorensen, Baron Sorensen
Reginald William Sorensen, Baron Sorensen was a Unitarian minister and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament for over thirty years between 1929 and 1964....
was returned with a majority of only 128.
He then contested the Islington North constituency
Islington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington North is a parliamentary 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...
, at a by-election in 1937
Islington North by-election, 1937
The Islington North by-election, 1937 was a parliamentary by-election held on 13 October 1937 for the British House of Commons constituency of Islington North in Islington, North London....
following the death of the Conservative MP Albert Goodman. He lost again, on a swing of 6.9% against the Conservatives.
Sugden's last electoral contest was 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...
, in the Labour-held constituency of Manchester Platting
Manchester Platting (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester Platting was a parliamentary constituency in Manchester. 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 system.-History:...
. Labour held the seat with a majority of over 7,000.