The 1942 Salisbury by-election was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Salisbury in Wiltshire on 8 July 1942. It was won by the Conservative Party candidate John Morrison, later Baron Margadale.
The seat had become vacant on the death of the 55-year-old sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) James Despencer-Robertson. He had won the seat at a by-election in 1931, having previously been MP for Islington West from 1922 to 1923.
The Conservative candidate was 36-year-old John Morrison.
During World War II, most by-elections were unopposed, since the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties; contests occurred only when independent candidates or minor parties chose to stand, and the Common Wealth Party was formed with the specific aim of contesting war-time by-elections.
In Salisbury, there were two independent candidates: William Reginald Hipwell, editor of Reveille, a " barrack room newspaper for the fighting forces",[1] stood as an Independent Progressive and J. D. Monro as an "Independent Democrat".
On a greatly reduced turnout, Morrison held the seat for the Conservatives, with more than two-thirds of the votes and a majority of 8,858. He held the seat until his elevation to the peerage in 1965.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Morrison | 12,076 | 67.8 | −3.7 | |
| Independent Progressive | William Reginald Hipwell | 3,218 | 18.1 | New | |
| Independent Democrat | J. D. Monro | 2,519 | 14.1 | New | |
| Majority | 8,858 | 49.7 | +6.7 | ||
| Turnout | 17,813 | 39.7 | −26.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Despencer-Robertson | 20,707 | 71.5 | −5.4 | |
| Labour | E. J. Plaisted | 8,259 | 28.5 | +5.4 | |
| Majority | 12,448 | 43.0 | −10.8 | ||
| Turnout | 28,966 | 66.2 | −5.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −5.4 | |||