The 1931 Salisbury by-election was a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

held for the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...

constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

on 11 March 1931. The seat had become vacant on the

resignation Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...

of the sitting

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

Hugh Morrison, and the by-election was won by the Conservative candidate

James Despencer-Robertson James Archibald Saint George Fitzwarenne-Despencer-Robertson, (7 November 1886 – 5 May 1942) was an English Conservative politician. The only surviving son of Sir Helenus Robert Robertson and his wife Kate Ann Banks, he was born at Upton Grang ...

Vacancy

The outgoing Conservative member Hugh Morrison had first won the seat at the 1918 general election and had held it until

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

before regaining it the following year. He resigned his seat on 16 February 1931, and died on 15 March 1931, aged 62.

Candidates

The Conservative candidate was 44-year-old

, who had previously been the member for Islington West, serving from the 1922 general election until his defeat at the 1923 general election. The

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

candidate was

Lucy Masterman Lucy Blanche Masterman (née ''Lyttelton''; 19 July 188422 April 1977) was a British poet and diarist from the Lyttelton family. In 1908 she married the Liberal journalist Charles Masterman, who was later elected to parliament and briefly served ...

, who had been the second-placed candidate for Salisbury at the 1929 general election. The Labour Party fielded F. R. Hancock, who had been placed third in 1929.

Result

On a reduced turnout, Despencer-Robertson held the seat for the Conservatives, with a significantly-increased majority of 6,213. He held the seat until his death in 1942. Masterman did not stand for Parliament again, but Hancock stood again three times, without success: in

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...

at the

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

and 1935 general elections, and at the 1939 Monmouth by-election.

Votes

References

* * {{By-elections to the 35th UK Parliament By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Wiltshire constituencies Salisbury by-election Salisbury by-election 20th century in Wiltshire Salisbury by-election Politics of Salisbury

Vacancy

Candidates

Result

Votes

See also

References