1922 Wolverhampton West by-election

By-election to the British House of Commons December 2020 December 2016 June 2025 The 1922 Wolverhampton West by-election was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Wolverhampton West in Wolverhampton on 7 March 1922. It was won by the Coalition Conservative candidate Sir Robert Bird. Vacancy The seat had become vacant on when the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Sir Alfred Bird had died at the age of 72 on 7 February 1922. He had held the seat since the January 1910 general election. Candidates The Conservative candidate was 45-year-old Sir Robert Bird, son of Sir Alfred. The Labour Party candidate was 49-year-old Alexander Walkden, who had contested the seat in 1918. The Liberal Party, did not field a candidate at the last general election and decided not to do so again for the by-election. George Thorne, the Liberal MP for Wolverhampton East supported the Labour Party candidate."Wolverhampton By-Election." Times [London, England] 2 March 1922: 9. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 7 June 2016. Result On an increased turnout, the result was a victory for the Coalition Conservative candidate, Sir Robert Bird, although his majority was somewhat reduced from that won by his father in 1918. He held the seat until 1929, regained it in 1931, and stepped down at the 1945 general election. Walkden stood again (unsuccessfully) at the November 1922 general election, and after contesting Heywood and Radcliffe in 1924, was elected as MP for Bristol South in 1929. Wolverhampton West by-election, 1922 Unionist Party (UK) Robert Bird 16,790 54.9 −1.9 Labour Party (UK) Alexander Walkden 13,799 45.1 +1.9 2,991 9.8 −3.8 30,589 80.0 +16.7 Unionist Party (UK) −1.9 Previous result General election 1918: Wolverhampton West Unionist Party (UK) Alfred Bird 13,329 58.8 Labour Party (UK) Alexander Walkden 10,158 42.2 3,171 13.6 23,487 63.3 Unionist Party (UK) See also Wolverhampton West (UK Parliament constituency) Wolverhampton Lists of United Kingdom by-elections 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 https://archive.today/20120527083342/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Wcommons5.htm Historical list of MPs: W Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Staffordshire constituencies Category:1922 in England Category:1922 elections in the United Kingdom Category:Elections in Wolverhampton Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in West Midlands (county) constituencies Category:20th century in Staffordshire