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1937 Holland with Boston by-election
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UK parliamentary by-election
April 2022
The 1937 Holland with Boston by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 24 June 1937 for the British House of Commons constituency of Holland with Boston.
Previous MP
The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Liberal National Party Member of Parliament (MP), Sir James Blindell (1884 – 10 May 1937) died.
He was first elected as the constituency's MP at the 1929 Holland with Boston by-election, caused by the death of the Conservative MP Arthur Dean. Blindell, standing as a Liberal, overturned a Conservative majority of nearly 5,000 to win with a majority of 3,706. His victory was the last Liberal by-election gain until Torrington in 1958.
Blindell was re-elected as a Liberal at the 1929 general election, but in 1931 he was one of the Liberal MPs who broke with their party to support Ramsay MacDonald's National Government, eventually forming the Liberal National Party.
He was re-elected as a Liberal National at the 1931 general election and at the 1935 general election. In both elections, the Conservatives (who also supported the National Government) did not field a candidate against him, and he was returned with large majorities.
Candidates
Two candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.
1. The Liberal National Party candidate, supporting the National government, was Herbert Walter Butcher (12 June 1901 - 11 May 1966). After winning the by-election34413
29 June 1937
4174
he retained the seat until he retired in 1966, shortly before he died.
2. Representing the Labour Party was E.E. Reynolds. He had previously contested Holland with Boston in the 1935 general election.
Result
The Liberal National Party held the seat with a reduced majority.
1937 by-election: Holland with Boston
Liberal National Party (UK, 1931)
Herbert Butcher
21,846
60.0
-5.5
Labour Party (UK)
E.E. Reynolds
14,556
40.0
+5.5
7,290
20.0
-11.0
36,396
59.4
-4.2
61,333
Liberal National Party (UK, 1931)
-5.5
See also
Holland with Boston constituency
List of United Kingdom by-elections
United Kingdom by-election records
References
Sources
British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
Category:1937 in England
Holland
Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Lincolnshire constituencies
Category:June 1937 in the United Kingdom