Monmouth by-election, 1939
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The Monmouth by-election, 1939 was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Monmouth in Wales on 25 July 1939.
Previous MP
The Conservative MP John Herbert had resigned his seat on 1 July 1939, having been appointed as Governor of Bengal.[1] Herbert had held the seat since a by-election in 1934.
Previous Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Herbert | 23,262 | 63.4 | 1.6 | |
| Labour | Mackintosh Foot | 13,454 | 36.6 | +1.6 | |
| Majority | 9,808 | 26.8 | -3.2 | ||
| Turnout | 36,716 | 76.8 | +7.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 47,792 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -1.6 | |||
Candidates
The Conservative candidate was 55-year-old Leslie Pym, who had not had previously contested a parliamentary election.
The Labour Party candidate at the 1935 general election had been 22-year-old Michael Foot, who later became Leader of the Labour Party. Foot did not contest the by-election, when the Labour candidate was F.R. Hancock, who had been unsuccessful in Salisbury at the 1929 general election and at a by-election in 1931. He had also been an unsuccessful candidate in Lewes at the 1931 and 1935 general elections.[1] He was also a Quaker and thus opposed to all war.
Result
On a slightly reduced turnout, Pym held the seat for the Conservatives, with a reduced but still large majority of 5,815.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Leslie Pym | 17,358 | 60.1 | -3.3 | |
| Labour | F. R. Hancock | 11,543 | 39.9 | +3.3 | |
| Majority | 5,815 | 20.2 | -6.6 | ||
| Turnout | 28,901 | 58.2 | -18.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 49,690 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -3.3 | |||
Aftermath
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Leslie Pym | 22,195 | 51.9 | -8.2 | |
| Labour | A. B. L. Oakley | 20,543 | 48.1 | +8.2 | |
| Majority | 1,652 | 3.8 | -16.4 | ||
| Turnout | 42,738 | 72.0 | +13.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 39,359 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -8.2 | |||
Pym was re-elected at the 1945 general election, but died five days later.
See also
References
- 1 2 Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.