Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1931

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The Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1931 was a by-election held on 30th April 1931 for the British House of Commons constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire. The by-election was triggered by the death of the town's Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Albert Bellamy.

The result was a victory for the Conservative candidate John Broadbent, who held the seat with a reduced majority.

This was the first election contested by Oswald Mosley's New Party. The furious crowd on the market ground by the town hall shouted down Mosley as he tried to speak after the declaration, calling him a traitor and blaming him for Labour's defeat. He is reputed to have said to his aide, John Lytton Strachey: "That is the crowd that has prevented anyone doing anything in England since the (First World) War." Strachey believed that it was at that point that British fascism was born.

During the campaign there were huge crowds to hear Mosley's wife, Lady Cynthia, speak. However, the Ashton Reporter felt that these were artificially swelled by the many girls who wanted to admire the clothes worn by the glamorous Lady Cynthia.

[edit] Votes

Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1931
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Broadbent 12,420 44.6 +11.6
Labour J. W. Gordon 11,005 39.4 −5.0
New Party Allan Young 4,472 16.0 N/A
Majority 1,415 5.2
Turnout 27,897 80.2 −5.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

[edit] References

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