1939 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election

UK parliamentary by-election October 2020 March 2022 The 1939 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election, was a parliamentary by-election held on 1 August 1939 for the British House of Commons constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire, in South Wales. Vacancy The by-election was caused by the sitting member, Ivor Guest, succeeding to a title that gave him a seat in the House of Lords. He had been MP for the constituency since winning the seat in 1935. Election history Ivor Guest was elected as a National Government candidate, supported by both local Conservative and Liberal Associations. Guest came from a political family that had in the past had a foot in both party camps, so his selection had been a natural choice. The local Liberal Association had not put forward a candidate for election since the 1929 general election and last won the seat in 1923. The Conservatives had won the seat in 1931, and the Labour party won the seat in 1929. When all three parties had fielded candidates, the election had been a close three-way contest. The result at the last General election was: General election 1935: Brecon and RadnorCraig, F. W. S. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (1 ed.). Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. 0-900178-019. Page 525 National Government (UK) Ivor Guest 22,079 52.6 N/A Welsh Labour Leslie Haden-Guest 19,910 47.4 +7.2 2,169 5.2 N/A 41,989 84.3 -2.8 49,827 National Government (UK) Candidates The local Conservative and Liberal parties could not agree on a joint candidate to succeed Guest as MP. The Conservatives wanted Hanning Philipps, and put him forward as candidate without consulting the Liberals. As a result, the local Liberal Association, which was affiliated to Sir John Simon's Liberal National organisation, formally decided to take no part in the by-election campaign. Philipps was the 35-year-old Eton-educated second son of Lord Milford. The local Labour party needed to find a new candidate, as their last, Leslie Haden Guest, had been elected in a 1937 by-election in the London constituency of Islington North. They chose as their new candidate, William Jackson, who was a farmer from the neighbouring Hereford constituency. Jackson had been a Liberal up until 1931, and was thus a more attractive option to Liberal voters than the Conservative Philipps. Main Issues and Campaign The nature of the constituency meant that issues relating to agriculture would be foremost in the campaign. This placed the Labour campaign at an advantage as Jackson was a farmer and Hanning Philipps admitted at his adoption meeting that he knew nothing about farming. Jackson concentrated his campaign on the policy of guaranteed prices for farmers. The absence of a Liberal candidate also allowed the Jackson campaign to appeal to those who favoured a Popular Front opposition to the Government that had been advocated by the likes of Sir Stafford Cripps. Result The Labour party gained the seat from the National Government. 1939 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election Welsh Labour William Jackson 20,679 53.4 +6.0 Welsh Conservatives Richard Hanning Philipps 18,043 46.6 N/A 2,636 6.8 N/A 38,722 79.9 -4.4 48,486 Welsh Labour National Government (UK) This was the last by-election to take place before the outbreak of war, and the last to take place for nearly two months as Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain toyed with the idea of calling a General Election. Aftermath The loss of Brecon and Radnorshire for the National Government would have contributed to Chamberlain's decision not to call a General Election for the Autumn. William Jackson chose not to defend his seat at the 1945 general election and instead accepted a seat in the House of Lords. The local Conservatives, more mindful of the concerns of the local Liberals, chose as their candidate, another member of the Guest family, who had previously sat in the House of Commons as a Liberal. However, by now, the local Liberal Association had ceased being supporters of the National Government and put up their own candidate. General election 1945: Brecon and Radnor Welsh Labour Tudor Watkins 19,725 46.8 -0.6 Welsh Conservatives Oscar Guest 14,089 33.4 N/A Liberal Party (UK) David Lewis 8,335 19.8 N/A 5,636 13.4 N/A 42,149 80.0 -4.3 52,689 Welsh Labour N/A References Who's Who: www.ukwhoswho.com By-Elections in British Politics by Cook and Ramsden Manchester Guardian, 1 August 1939 Labour and the Countryside: The Politics of Rural Britain 1918–1939 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1979) See also 2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election 1985 Brecon and Radnor by-election Brecon and Radnorshire constituency List of United Kingdom by-elections United Kingdom by-election records Category:1939 elections in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Welsh constituencies Category:Brecknockshire Category:Radnorshire Category:1939 in Wales Category:1930s elections in Wales Category:August 1939 in the United Kingdom