The 1931 Bristol East by-election was held on 16 January 1931. The by-election was held due to the death of the incumbent Labour MP, Walter John Baker. It was won by the Labour candidate Stafford Cripps.[1]

Electoral history

General election 1929: Bristol East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Baker 24,197 65.8 +7.6
Liberal Charles Gordon-Spencer 12,576 34.2 -7.6
Majority 11,621 31.6 +15.2
Turnout 36,773 78.2 -1.6
Labour hold Swing +7.6

Candidates

The Liberal Party ran 56 year-old Edward Baker.[2] Baker owned an engineering business in East London. He had previously contested Manchester Platting for the Liberal Party at the 1924 general election and Howdenshire for the Liberal Party at the 1929 general election.[3]

Result

Bristol East by-election January 1931[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stafford Cripps 19,261 61.7
Conservative Peter Chapman-Walker 7,937 25.4
Liberal Edward Baker 4,010 12.8
Majority 11,324 36.3
Turnout 31,208
Labour hold Swing

Aftermath

Following the formation of the National Government, the Liberals in Bristol East chose not to run a candidate at the 1931 general election. Baker was chosen again to contest Howdenshire but withdrew to support the incumbent National Government candidate. He fought Howdenshire again in 1935 without success.[5]

References

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
  2. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1928
  3. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1929
  4. ^ Cooke, Colin (1957) The Life of Richard Stafford Cripps, p.119
  5. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1935


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