1945 Monmouth by-election

The 1945 Monmouth by-election was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Monmouth in Wales on 31 October 1945. The seat had become vacant on the death of the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Leslie Pym, and the by-election was won by the Conservative candidate Peter Thorneycroft.

Vacancy

The Conservative MP Leslie Pym had died at the age of 61 on 17 July 1945, twelve days after polling in the 1945 general election, but nine days before the declaration.[1] He was thus unusually declared elected posthumously. Pym had held the seat since a by-election in 1939.

Previous result
General election July 1945: Monmouth[2]
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

Candidates

The Conservative candidate was 36-year-old Peter Thorneycroft, who had been the MP for Stafford from a 1938 by-election until his defeat at the 1945 general election.

The Labour Party candidate was A. B. L. Oakley, who had been the unsuccessful candidate at the general election in July.

Results

On a significantly reduced turnout, Thorneycroft held the seat for the Conservatives, a narrowly increased majority of 2,139. He held the seat until his defeat at the 1966 general election, serving as a senior Cabinet minister in the government of Harold Macmillan.

1945 Monmouth by-election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Thorneycroft 21,092 52.7 +0.8
Labour A. B. L. Oakley 18,953 47.3 -0.8
Majority 2,139 5.4 +1.6
Turnout 40,045 39.8 -32.2
Registered electors 60,013
Conservative hold Swing +0.8

See also

References
  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 3)
  2. Craig, F. W. S. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (1 ed.). Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-019. Page 567
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