1925 Walsall by-election

UK parliamentary by-election November 2019 1925 Walsall by-election presidential United Kingdom Walsall no 1924 United Kingdom general election 1924 1929 United Kingdom general election 1929 27 February 1925 William Preston 75px Unionist Party (UK) 14,793 38.2% Thomas Macnamara 106px Liberal Party (UK) 12,300 31.8% Lothian Small 75px Labour Party (UK) 11,610 30.0% MP Subsequent MP William Preston Unionist Party (UK) William Preston Unionist Party (UK) The 1925 Walsall by-election was held on 27 February 1925. The by-election was held due to the disqualification of the incumbent Unionist MP, William Preston. It was retained by Preston.May 2021 Vacancy The by-election was caused by the disqualification of the sitting Unionist MP, William Preston. He had only been an MP since the General Election of 1924. However, following his election, it was discovered that Preston had received payments for two small contracts to supply electrical fittings to the Post Office Stores Department. As a government contractor, Preston was ineligible to stand for parliament, and his election was declared void.M.P.'s Government Contract. By-Election Likely At Walsall, Legal Penalties The Times 9 31 January 1925 Electoral history The constituency was created for the 1832 general election. Over the years, the seat frequently changed hands between Liberal and Conservative. The Labour Party first ran a candidate in 1918. The Liberal Pat Collins had won in both 1922 and 1923 before Preston won in 1924; General election 1924: Walsall British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig Unionist Party (UK) William Preston 15,168 37.9 +0.1 Liberal Party (UK) Pat Collins 12,734 31.8 -11.7 Labour Party (UK) Lothian Small 11,474 28.7 +10.0 Independent (politician) J J Lynch 622 1.6 New 2,434 6.1 N/A 39,398 Unionist Party (UK) Liberal Party (UK) Candidates Having overcome his legal difficulties, the Walsall Unionist Association re-selected 51-year-old William Preston as their candidate. He was educated at Walsall Grammar School and Weston School, Bath.Obituaries The Times 6 24 November 1941 In 1907 he married Lilly Swinton Sanders, and he became managing director of William Sanders & Co (Wednesbury) Limited, a major manufacturer of electrical switching equipment.http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/Wednesbury/Industry.htm A History of Wednesbury 2009-03-01 Wolverhampton History & Heritage University of Wolverhampton https://web.archive.org/web/20100509121938/http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/Wednesbury/Industry.htm 2010-05-09 dead Pat Collins who had sat as Liberal MP for Walsall until losing to Preston in the void election, seemed the obvious candidate. However Collins chose to withdraw due to ill-health. On 13 February 1925 the Executive Council of the Walsall Liberal Association adopted 64-year-old Rt Hon. Thomas Macnamara as their candidate.Dr. Macnamara 1861-1931 by Robin Betts He had been Liberal MP in Camberwell, London from 1900 until his defeat at the 1924 general election. He had served as Minister of Labour under Prime Minister David Lloyd George. The Walsall Constituency Labour Party re-selected 41-year-old trade unionist Lothian Small who had been their candidate in 1924. He came from Glasgow where he attended the University. During World War I, Small served as an officer with the South Staffordshire Regiment. He had also contested Exeter at the 1923 general election. Campaign The confidence within Liberal Party ranks was not high following the 1924 general election when they were reduced to just 40 MPs. Among the defeated was their leader H.H. Asquith. Lloyd George had been elected the Chairman of the Liberal Parliamentary party. On 21 February, although suffering illness, Lloyd George spoke at Walsall Town Hall in front of 2,500 people, in support of Macnamara.Dr. Macnamara 1861-1931 by Robin Betts Result The result was almost identical to the result at the 1924 general election, with little change in the vote share of the three parties; Walsall by-election, 1925British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig Unionist Party (UK) William Preston 14,793 38.2 +0.3 Liberal Party (UK) Thomas James Macnamara 12,300 31.8 0.0 Labour Party (UK) Lothian Small 11,610 30.0 +1.3 2,493 6.4 +0.3 38,703 83.4 Unionist Party (UK) Liberal Party (UK) +0.1 Aftermath Preston was only a member of the House of Commons for one term. At the 1929 general election there was a swing to Labour, and he was defeated by that party's candidate; General election 1929: Walsall British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig Labour Party (UK) John James McShane 20,524 39.6 +9.6 Unionist Party (UK) William Preston 15,818 30.6 -7.6 Liberal Party (UK) Thomas James Macnamara 15,425 29.8 -2.0 4,706 9.0 N/A 51,767 85.9 +2.5 Labour Party (UK) Unionist Party (UK) +8.6 References Walsall by-election Category:Politics of Walsall Walsall by-election Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Staffordshire constituencies Category:20th century in Staffordshire Walsall by-election