1928 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election

1928 election in Great Britain November 2019 June 2025 1928 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Ashton-under-Lyne (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1920s 1924 Ashton-under-Lyne (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1920s 1929 29 October 1928 Albert Bellamy 65px Labour Party (UK) 9,567 40.6% 7.8% Gordon Touche 65px Unionist Party (UK) 7,161 30.3% 9.2% William G. Greenwood 65px Liberal Party (UK) 6,874 29.1% 1.4% 250px MP Subsequent MP Cornelius Homan Unionist Party (UK) Albert Bellamy Labour Party (UK) The 1928 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election was held on 29 October 1928. It was notable for having the highest turnout of any Parliamentary by-election in Great Britain. The election was caused by the bankruptcy of Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne Cornelius Homan. Although Homan had only represented the constituency since the 1924 general election, Ashton had been represented by Conservatives for many years, and Labour had never taken the seat. However, the Conservatives had never achieved a large majority in the seat, and as both Labour and the Liberal Party had gained several seats in recent by-elections, it was thought that both would mount a strong challenge. As a result, interest in the by-election was high. Labour stood Albert Bellamy, while the Conservatives stood Gordon Touche, and the Liberals put up William Gilbert Greenwood, an accountant. Result The Mayor of Ashton arranged for coloured rockets to be fired from the roof of the town hall when the result was announced, the colour to correspond to that of the winning party. After the fastest ever count – a record which stands to the present day, he did so.Election results night on the BBC This led to some confusion, as their colour was not obvious to all observers, but it soon became apparent that they were yellow – the local Labour Party colour. Most unusually, the turnout for the by-election was higher than that for the previous general election in the seat, at 89.1% of the electorate. The Liberals picked up a few votes, but Labour gained many more, at the expense of the Conservatives who only just avoided falling into third place. Bellamy held the seat in the 1929 general election, but he died in 1931, precipitating another by-election, won by the Conservatives. Labour won the seat back in 1935 and have held it ever since. Touche took the safe Conservative constituency of Reigate in 1931, and remained an MP for many years. Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1928 Labour Party (UK) Albert Bellamy 9,567 40.6 +7.8 Conservative Party (UK) Gordon Touche 7,161 30.3 -9.2 Liberal Party (UK) William Gilbert Greenwood 6,874 29.1 +1.4 2,406 10.3 N/A 23,602 89.1 +0.8 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +8.5 References Chris Cook and John Ramsden, By-Elections in British Politics 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 See also Ashton-under-Lyne (UK Parliament constituency) 1920 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election 1931 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election 1939 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election 1945 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election List of United Kingdom by-elections (1918–1931) Ashton-under-Lyne by-election Ashton-under-Lyne by-election Ashton-under-Lyne by-election 1920 Ashton-under-Lyne 1928 Ashton-under-Lyne 1928 Category:Ashton-under-Lyne Ashton-under-Lyne 1928 Ashton-under-Lyne by-election