1929 Battersea South by-election
← 1924 7 February 1929 1929 →
 
Candidate Bennett Selley Albu
Party Labour Unionist Liberal
Popular vote 11,789 11,213 2,858
Percentage 46.13 43.87 10.00
MP before election

Viscount Curzon
Unionist

Subsequent MP

William Bennett
Labour

The 1929 Battersea South by-election was held on 7 February 1929. The by-election was held when the incumbent Conservative MP, Francis Curzon, succeeded to the peerage as Earl Howe. It was won by the Labour candidate William Bennett in a three-way contest.[1][2]

Candidates

The local Liberal association selected 40 year-old Vivian Claude Albu as their candidate. Albu had stood for the Liberals in the 1922 general election at Battersea North.[3] Labour selected William Bennett, who had been their candidate in Guildford in three general elections between 1918 and 1923. The Conservative Party selected Harry Selley, a builder and member of the London County Council for Battersea South.[4]

Result

Battersea South by-election, 1929
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Bennett 11,789 46.13
Conservative Harry Selley 11,213 43.87
Liberal Vivian Claude Albu 2,858 10.00
Majority 576 2.25
Turnout 25,557
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Aftermath

A few months later at the next general election Bennett again defeated Selley, this time by 418 votes in a much increased poll. The Liberals were again third, though with a new candidate, the former Mayor of Battersea, Captain William J. West.[4][5] In 1931 Selley won the seat at the third attempt, defeating Bennett with a majority of over 15,000 votes.[5]

References

  1. ^ "British By-Election". The Mercury (Hobart). 9 February 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
  3. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1926
  4. ^ a b The Times House of Commons 1929. London: The Times Office. 1929. pp. 17–18.
  5. ^ a b The Times House of Commons 1931. London: The Times Office. 1931. p. 17.


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