The 1935 Norwood by-election was a by-election held in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

on 14 March 1935 to elect a new

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 o ...

(MP) for the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

constituency of Norwood. Demographically at the time the seat was almost equally split between housing with gardens (including some flats) and generally depressed, subdivided Victorian property such as in Herne Hill and Tulse Hill elements of the seat where wages were low on the back of a continuing high unemployment rate. The by-election was held due to the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP,

Walter Greaves-Lord Sir Walter Greaves Greaves-Lord (born Walter Greaves Lord; 21 September 1878 – 18 June 1942) was a British Member of Parliament and judge. Born in Ince, Lord was educated at Wigan Grammar School, Southport College and University College, Liverp ...

to serve as a High Court judge. An Independent Conservative candidate was fielded at the by-election by

Randolph Churchill Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill (28 May 1911 – 6 June 1968) was an English journalist, writer, soldier, and politician. He served as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston from 1940 to 1945. The only son of British ...

, who sponsored Richard Findlay, a member of the British Union of Fascists to stand. This got no support from the press or from any Members of Parliament, despite Randolph being the son of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

. and it was won by the official Conservative candidate

Duncan Sandys Edwin Duncan Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys (; 24 January 1908 – 26 November 1987), was a British politician and minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a son-in-law of Winston Churchill and played a key r ...

. In September that year, Duncan Sandys became son-in-law of Winston and brother-in-law of Randolph by marrying

Diana Churchill Diana Spencer-Churchill (11 July 1909 – 20 October 1963) was the eldest daughter of British statesman Sir Winston Churchill and Clementine Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill. Personal life Diana Churchill was born at 33 Eccleston ...

References

Norwood by-election Norwood,1935 Norwood by-election Norwood,1935 {{London-UK-Parl-by-election-stub