1939 Westminster Abbey by-election

UK parliamentary by-election April 2022 June 2025 The 1939 Westminster Abbey by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 17 May 1939 for the British House of Commons constituency of Westminster Abbey in London. Previous MP The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Sir Sidney Herbert had died on 22 March 1939.June 2025 Herbert had held the seat since an unopposed 1932 by-election.June 2025 Previous result General election, 14 November 1935: Westminster Abbey Conservative Party (UK) Sidney Herbert 18,117 77.5 N/A Labour Party (UK) William S. Kennedy 5,255 22.5 New 12,862 55.0 N/A 23,372 49.2 N/A Conservative Party (UK) N/A Candidates June 2025 The Conservative candidate was Harold Webbe. The Labour candidate in 1935, William Kennedy, had been reselected to contest the next General Election; however, the Labour party decided not to contest the by-election. The Communist party, who had not contested the seat before, chose Dr Bill Carritt. In an attempt to revive the Popular Front strategy, Carritt stood as an Independent Progressive. Campaign Carritt's campaign chairman was Liberal MP, Richard Acland. Both the constituency Liberal and Labour parties actively supported his campaign. Those who came to speak for him in the constituency included Liberal MP Wilfrid Roberts, expelled Labour MPs Sir Stafford Cripps and George Strauss and other public figures such as J.B. Priestley."By-Elections In London." Times [London, England] 16 May 1939: 8. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 July 2016. Result Westminster Abbey by-election, 1939 Conservative Party (UK) Harold Webbe 9,678 67.4 -10.1 Independent Progressive Bill Carritt 4,674 32.6 New 5,004 34.8 -20.2 14,352 30.3 -18.9 Conservative Party (UK) Carritt attracted the highest ever percentage poll of any anti-Conservative candidate in this seat. The performance revived interest nationally in electoral co-operation to defeat National Government candidates at a General Election, expected to take place later in the year.June 2025 Aftermath In the 1945 general election, Carritt stood in Westminster Abbey as a Communist.June 2025 General election, 5 July 1945: Westminster Abbey Conservative Party (UK) Harold Webbe 9,160 54.4 -13.0 Labour Party (UK) Jeremy Hutchinson 4,408 26.1 N/A Communist Party of Great Britain G. Billy Carritt 2,964 17.6 New Democratic Party (UK, 1942) Norman Leith-Hay-Clark 326 1.9 New 4,752 28.3 -6.5 16,858 58.5 +28.2 Conservative Party (UK) Webbe remained its MP until the constituency was abolished for the 1950 general election, when he became MP for the new Cities of London and Westminster constituency.June 2025 References February 2012 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1979) Category:1939 elections in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in London constituencies Category:Elections in the City of Westminster Category:1939 in London Category:1930s in the City of Westminster Category:May 1939 in the United Kingdom