1937 North Dorset by-election

UK parliamentary by-election

The 1937 North Dorset by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of North Dorset on 13 July 1937.

## Vacancy

[edit]

The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Cecil Hanbury, on 10 June 1937. He had been MP here since gaining the seat in 1924.

## Electoral history

[edit]

The constituency had been won by the Conservatives at every election since they gained it from the Liberals in 1924. The result had always been close between the two parties since the Liberals won comfortably in 1906. The Labour party had only twice before fought the seat, in 1929 and at the last election in 1935. At that election, an Independent 'Agriculture' candidate from a longstanding local Conservative family pushed Labour into fourth place.

General election 1935: North Dorset [1] Electorate 32,714  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cecil Hanbury | 13,055  | 50.1  | −9.1
| Liberal | William Borthwick | 9,871  | 37.9  | −2.9
| Agriculture  | George Pitt-Rivers | 1,771  | 6.8  | New
| Labour | M M Whitehead  | 1,360  | 5.2  | New
Majority | 3,184  | 12.2  | −6.2
Turnout | 26,057  | 79.7  | −2.4
| Conservative hold | Swing | -3.1  |

## Candidates

[edit]

The Conservative candidate was 54-year-old Captain Angus Hambro. He was Member of Parliament for South Dorset from 1910 to 1922. He became High Sheriff of Dorset in 1934.[2]

The Liberal candidate was 58-year-old the Hon. William Borthwick, who was standing here for the fourth time having contested the General Elections of 1929, 1931 and 1935. He had been an army captain before practising as a barrister. Borthwick was described by a party colleague as "an excellent and able man, but a weak candidate."[3]

## Campaign

[edit]

Polling Day was set for 13 July 1937, 33 days after the death of the previous member.

On 30 June, the Liberal campaign received early encouragement when it was announced that the party had narrowly won the 1937 St Ives by-election.

Nominations closed on 5 July.[4] This time there was no Labour or Independent candidates.

## Result

[edit]

Once again, the Conservatives narrowly won the seat.

North Dorset by-election, 1937 [5] Electorate  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Angus Hambro | 12,247  | 51.1  | +1.0
| Liberal | William Borthwick | 11,704  | 48.9  | +11.0
Majority | 543  | 2.2  | −10.0
Turnout | 23,951  | 73.4  | −6.3
| Conservative hold | Swing | -5.0  |

## Aftermath

[edit]

Hambro did not contest the seat again, choosing to retire at the 1945 general election when his successor was defeated by a new Liberal candidate. Borthwick also did not contest another election.

General election 1945: Dorset North Electorate  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Frank Byers | 14,444  | 53.7  | +4.8
| Conservative | Richard Glyn | 12,479  | 46.3  | −4.8
Majority | 1,965  | 7.4  | N/A
Turnout | 26,923  | 75.0  | +1.6
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.8  |

## See also

[edit]

* List of United Kingdom by-elections
* United Kingdom by-election records

## References

[edit]

1. ^ British parliamentary election results 1818-1949, Craig, F. W. S.
2. ^ The New Sheriffs.The Times (London, England), Friday, Mar 23, 1934; pg. 6; Issue 46710
3. ^ Trial by Ballot, by Ivor RM Davies
4. ^ North Dorset Election The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Jul 06, 1937; pg. 9; Issue 47729
5. ^ British parliamentary election results 1818-1949, Craig, F. W. S.

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« 36th Parliament « By-elections to the 37th Parliament of the United Kingdom » 38th Parliament »

1936|

* January: Combined Scottish Universities
* February: Ross and Cromarty
* March: Dunbartonshire
* Llanelli
* May: Peckham
* June: Lewes
* July: Derby
* Balham and Tooting
* East Grinstead
* October: Birmingham Erdington
* November: Clay Cross
* Preston
* Greenock

1937|

* February: St Pancras North
* Manchester Gorton
* Oxford University
* Richmond-upon-Thames
* March: Combined English Universities
* Tonbridge
* Farnham
* April: Stalybridge and Hyde
* Wandsworth Central
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* May: York
* June: Glasgow Hillhead
* Buckingham
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* July: Kingston-upon-Thames
* Chertsey
* North Dorset
* September: Glasgow Springburn
* October: Islington North
* November: Hastings

1938|

* January: Farnworth
* February: Pontypridd
* Ipswich
* Combined Scottish Universities
* April: City of London
* Fulham West
* May: Lichfield
* Aylesbury
* June: West Derbyshire
* Stafford
* Barnsley
* July: Willesden East
* October: Oxford
* November: Dartford
* Walsall
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* Doncaster
* Lewisham West
* Fylde
* December: Kinross and Western Perthshire

1939|

* January: East Norfolk
* February: Holderness
* Ripon
* March: Batley and Morley
* Kincardineshire and Western Aberdeenshire
* April: South Ayrshire
* May: Down
* Sheffield Hallam
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* High Peak
* Clackmannanshire and East Stirlingshire
* Ormskirk
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* November: Macclesfield
* December: Streatham
* Stretford
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1940|

* February: Southampton
* City of London
* Swansea East
* Belfast East
* Southwark Central
* Silvertown
* Cambridge University
* March: Kettering
* City of Chester
* Leeds North East
* April: Argyllshire
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* May: Brighton
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* June: Spen Valley
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* Wandsworth Central
* Bournemouth
* July: Newcastle West
* Montrose Burghs
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* Rochdale
* Wansbeck
* August: Middlesbrough West
* Mitcham
* Heywood and Radcliffe
* September: Bolton
* Manchester Exchange
* Preston
* November: Queen's University of Belfast
* Aldershot
* Southampton
* December: Northampton
* Birmingham Edgbaston

1941|

* February: Doncaster
* South Dorset
* Petersfield
* Dunbartonshire
* March: Hitchin
* Bodmin
* Carmarthen
* April: Great Yarmouth
* West Bromwich
* Mansfield
* May: Birmingham King's Norton
* Hornsey
* June: West Dorset
* July: Greenock
* Edinburgh West
* Dudley
* Pontefract
* August: Berwick-upon-Tweed
* September: Scarborough and Whitby
* The Wrekin
* October: Lancaster
* November: Brighton
* Hampstead
* December: Harrow
* Edinburgh Central

1942|

* February: North East Derbyshire
* Keighley
* March: Nuneaton
* Manchester Gorton
* Newcastle-under-Lyme
* Wigan
* Grantham
* April: Tavistock
* Cardiff East
* Glasgow Cathcart
* Wallasey
* Rugby
* May: Putney
* Chichester
* June: Llandaff and Barry
* Maldon
* Windsor
* July: Salisbury
* Spennymoor
* August: Rothwell
* Whitechapel and St Georges
* Poplar South
* Sheffield Park
* October: Manchester Clayton
* Ince

1943|

* January: Hamilton
* University of Wales
* February: Belfast West
* Ashford
* Antrim
* Midlothian and Peebles
* King's Lynn
* Portsmouth North
* Bristol Central
* Watford
* April: Buckingham
* Eddisbury
* Daventry
* June: The Hartlepools
* Newark
* Birmingham Aston
* July: Burton-on-Trent
* August: Chippenham
* October: St Albans
* Peterborough
* November: Woolwich West
* December: Consett
* Darwen
* Acton

1944|

* January: Skipton
* February: Brighton
* West Derbyshire
* Kirkcaldy Burghs
* Sheffield Attercliffe
* Bury St Edmunds
* March: Camberwell North
* April: Clay Cross
* July: Manchester Rusholme
* September: Bilston
* October: Chelsea
* Berwick-upon-Tweed

1945|

* April: Motherwell
* Combined Scottish Universities
* Chelmsford
* Caernarvon Boroughs
* May: Middlesbrough West
* Neath
* Newport

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