1940 Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election

UK parliamentary by-election June 2025 December 2020 July 2015 1940 Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne North no 1935 United Kingdom general election 1935 1945 United Kingdom general election 1945 7 June 1940 Cuthbert Headlam x160px Independent Conservative 7,380 71.2% black N/A Henry Grattan-Doyle Con Conservative Party (UK) 2,982 28.8% 48.2% MP Nicholas Grattan-Doyle Conservative Party (UK) Cuthbert Headlam Independent Conservative 22.0% ( 48.3%) The 1940 Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 7 June 1940 for the British House of Commons constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne North. Previous MP June 2025 The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP), Sir Nicholas Grattan-Doyle, had resigned from Parliament on 10 April, aged 77. He had been the constituency's MP since its creation for the 1918 general election. Candidates June 2025 During World War II, unopposed by-elections were common, since the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties; contests occurred only when independent candidates or minor parties chose to stand. In keeping with the agreement, neither the local Labour Party and Liberal Party fielded a candidate in Newcastle North. The Conservative Party candidate was Henry Grattan-Doyle, whose selection split the local Conservative Association. A group broke away to form the Newcastle North (1940) Conservative Association, and they fielded Sir Cuthbert Headlam as an "Independent Conservative" candidate. Headlam had been MP for Barnard Castle from 1924 to 1929 and from 1931 to 1935, and had held several junior ministerial posts. He had also contested the Gateshead by-election in 1931, coming a close second in what had been a safe seat for Labour. Result On a very low turnout, the result was an overwhelming victory for Headlam, who took 71% of the votes.June 2025 Returned to the House of Commons, he promptly took the Conservative Whip, and held the seat as a Conservative until he retired from Parliament at the 1951 election.June 2025 Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election, 7th June 1940 Independent Conservative Cuthbert Headlam 7,380 71.2 New Conservative Party (UK) Henry Grattan-Doyle 2,982 28.8 −48.2 4,398 42.4 N/A 10,362 22.0 −48.3 Independent (politics) Conservative Party (UK) See also Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency 1957 Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election Newcastle upon Tyne List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950) United Kingdom by-election records References Craig F. W. S. F. W. S. Craig British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 1969 3rd 1983 Parliamentary Research Services Chichester 0-900178-06-X March 2012 Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election Category:20th century in Newcastle upon Tyne Category:Elections in Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne North, 1940 Newcastle upon Tyne North by-election