William Preston (British politician)

William Preston (February 1874 - 22 November 1941) was a British industrialist and Conservative politician.

Born in 1874, Preston was educated at Walsall Grammar School and Weston School, Bath.^[1] 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.^[2] He played cricket for Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship,^[3] making one appearance in 1901 against Northamptonshire and another in 1911, against Lincolnshire.^[4]

At the 1924 general election, Preston was chosen as Conservative candidate for the Walsall constituency. He unseated the sitting Liberal MP, Patrick Collins.^[5] 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.^[6]

Having overcome his legal difficulties, Preston was selected as Conservative candidate at the ensuing by-election.^[7] The poll was held on 27 February, and Preston was elected ahead of Liberal and Labour candidates, with a similar majority to that gained at the 1924 election.^[8]

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 the party's candidate John James McShane. He retired from politics. William Preston died after a long illness at his home, Gorway, Walsall in November 1941, aged 67.^[9]

References

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs