1938 Combined Scottish Universities by-election

1938 UK Parliamentary by-election May 2020 November 2013 1938 Combined Scottish Universities by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Constituency of Combined Scottish Universities no 1936 Combined Scottish Universities by-election 1936 1945 United Kingdom general election 1945 21–25 February 1938 John Anderson National Government (United Kingdom) 14,042 48.8% 7.7% Frances Melville x160px Independent (politician) 5,618 19.5% grey New Andrew Dewar Gibb SNP Scottish National Party 5,246 18.2% 12.9% Peter Chalmers Mitchell x160px Independent Progressive 3,868 13.5% grey New MP Ramsay MacDonald National Labour Organisation John Anderson National Government (United Kingdom) 52.1% (2.7%)The 1938 Combined Scottish Universities by-election was a by-election held from 21 to 25 February 1938 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons. Vacancy The seat had become vacant when the National Labour Member of Parliament (MP) (and former Prime Minister), Ramsay MacDonald had died on 9 November 1937, aged 71. He had held the seat since the by-election in 1936, having held several other seats since he was first elected to Parliament at the 1906 general election. Candidates The parties in the National Government did not usually stand candidates against each other, and since in this case the seat was held by National Labour, there was no Unionist or Liberal National candidate. The National Government supported a "National" candidate Sir John Anderson, a former civil servant who had been Governor of Bengal from 1932 to 1937. The Scottish National Party candidate was Andrew Dewar Gibb, the Regius Professor of Law at Glasgow University who had also contested the by-election in 1936. Two other candidates stood as independents. Result The result was a victory for Anderson (the National candidate), won nearly 50% of the votes, the remainder being quite evenly between the other candidates.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IYJDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2379%2C23545 Universities By-election. Sir J. Anderson's Success The Glasgow Herald 1 March 1938 3 19 March 2017 He held the seat until the university constituencies were abolished for the 1950 general election. Votes Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 21-25 February 1938 National Government (United Kingdom) John Anderson 14,042 48.8 −7.7 Independent (politician) Frances Melville 5,618 19.5 New Scottish National Party Andrew Dewar Gibb 5,246 18.2 −12.9 Independent Progressive Peter Chalmers Mitchell 3,868 13.5 New 8,424 29.3 -8.1 29,134 52.1 −2.7 National Government (United Kingdom) See also Combined Scottish Universities (UK Parliament constituency) 1927 Combined Scottish Universities by-election 1934 Combined Scottish Universities by-election 1935 Combined Scottish Universities by-election 1936 Combined Scottish Universities by-election 1945 Combined Scottish Universities by-election 1946 Combined Scottish Universities by-election List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950) References Sources 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 Category:1938 in Scotland Category:1930s elections in Scotland Category:1938 elections in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in the Combined Scottish Universities Category:Higher education in Scotland Category:February 1938 in the United Kingdom