Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935

The Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935 was a by-election held in England for the House of Commons constituency of Liverpool Wavertree on 6 February 1935. It was won by the Labour Party candidate Joseph Jackson Cleary.

Vacancy

The seat had become vacant when the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Ronald Nall-Cain had succeeded to the peerage as Baron Brocket. He had held the seat since a by-election in 1931.

Candidates

The Conservative candidate was James Platt, but Randolph Churchill (son the future Prime Minister Winston Churchill) stood as an "independent Conservative". The Labour Party candidate was 32-year-old Joseph Jackson Cleary, a local magistrate.

Result

With the Conservative vote split between the official candidate and the independent Churchill, the result was a victory for the Labour candidate, Joseph Jackson Cleary, who took the seat on a swing of 30%.

However, he was unseated at the 1935 general election by the Conservative Peter Shaw, who held the seat until he stood down at the 1945 general election .

Votes

Liverpool Wavertree by-election, 1935
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joseph Jackson Cleary 15,611 35.3 +13.2
Conservative James Platt 13,711 31.2 −46.7
Independent Conservative Randolph Churchill 10,575 23.9 N/A
Liberal A. Morris 4,208 9.5 N/A
Majority 1,840 4.1
Turnout 44,165 72.3 −2.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing −30.0
General Election October 1931: Liverpool Wavertree
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ronald Nall-Cain 33,476 77.9 +12.9
Labour C. G. Clark 9,504 22.1 −12.9
Majority 23,972 55.8 +25.8
Turnout 42,980 75.2
Conservative hold Swing +12.9

See also

Sources