1940 Cambridge University by-election

UK parliamentary by-election April 2022 June 2025 1940 Cambridge University by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Constituency of Cambridge University no 1935 United Kingdom general election 1935 1945 United Kingdom general election 1945 19–23 February Archibald Hill x160px Independent Conservative 9,840 64.6% John Ryle x160px Independent Progressive 5,387 35.4% MP Sir John James Withers Conservative Party (UK) Archibald Hill Independent Conservative 38.9%The 1940 Cambridge University by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Cambridge University on 23 February 1940. Cambridge University was a two-member constituency. Vacancy The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Conservative MP, Sir John James Withers on 29 December 1939 at the age of 76. He had been one of the MPs here since holding the seat in the 1926 Cambridge University by-election. Election history In the 1935 general election it elected two Conservative MPs. Cambridge University had been won by Conservatives at every election since 1922 when an Independent Liberal won one of the seats. The result at the last General election was as follows; 1935 general election Electorate 33,617F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949 Conservative Party (UK) John James Withers 7,602 42.3 N/A Conservative Party (UK) Kenneth Pickthorn 6,917 38.5 N/A Labour Party (UK) Lionel Elvin 3,453 19.2 New 3,464 19.3 N/A 17,972 53.5 N/A Conservative Party (UK) Candidates Due to the wartime electoral truce, the party who were defending the seat were assured of not facing an official candidate from the other political parties. However, the Conservative Party, who were defending the seat, did not put forward an official candidate. thumb|right|John Maynard Keynes in 1933 In 1939, before Withers had died, his health was not good and it was expected that a by-election would need to take place. The Master of Magdalene College, Allen Beville Ramsay had obtained agreement that none of the major parties would field a candidate if prominent economist, John Maynard Keynes chose to stand. Keynes was a Liberal Party member and so unlikely to win the seat if a Conservative was standing. Keynes declined the invitation as he felt he would wield greater influence on events if he remained a free agent.Clarke, Peter (2009). Keynes : The Twentieth Century's Most Influential Economist. thumb|right|Dr. Archibald Hill in 1922 Eventually, Keynes brother in law, 54-year-old Prof. Archibald Hill became a candidate, standing as an Independent Conservative. He was professor of physiology at University College, London. In 1933, he became a founder member and vice-president of the Academic Assistance Council (which became the Society for the Protection of Science and Learning in 1936). By the start of the Second World War, the organisation had saved 900 academics from the Nazi persecution. Fifty-one-year-old Prof. John Ryle came forward to stand as an Independent Progressive. He was appointed in 1935 Regius Professor of Physic at the University of Cambridge. Ryle was politically active at Cambridge, helping Jewish scholars emigrate from Germany and Austria before World War II. During the early stages of the war, he was working at Guy's Hospital to help them prepare for the Blitz. Result Polling took place over four days from 19 to 23 February. Hill took the seat from the Conservatives as an Independent Conservative Cambridge University by-election, 1940 Electorate 39,171 Independent Conservative Archibald Hill 9,840 64.6 New Independent Progressive John Ryle 5,387 35.4 New 4,453 29.2 N/A 39,171 38.9 N/A Independent Conservative Conservative Party (UK) Aftermath Hill did not contest the 1945 general election, in which the two seats were won by one Conservative and one Independent; General Election 1945: Cambridge University (2 seats) 4 Kenneth Pickthorn Conservative Party (UK) 46.2 10,202       Wilson Harris Independent (politician) 16.2 3,574 4,709 5,185 6,556 J. B. Priestley Independent Progressive 22.8 5,041 5,128 5,238 5,745 Charles Hill Independent Conservative 10.1 2,238 3,092 3,595 eliminated E.L. Howard-Williams National Independent 4.7 1,036 1,798 eliminated - 4 42,012 22,091 7,364 52.6 References See also List of United Kingdom by-elections United Kingdom by-election records Cambridge University by-election Cambridge University by-election Category:20th century in Cambridge Cambridge University by-election Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Cambridge University