1925 Walsall by-election

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1925 Walsall by-election

| type = presidential

| country = United Kingdom

| seats_for_election = Walsall

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1924 United Kingdom general election

| previous_year = 1924

| next_election = 1929 United Kingdom general election

| next_year = 1929

| election_date = 27 February 1925

| candidate1 = William Preston

| image1 =75px

| party1 = Unionist Party (UK)

| last_election1 =

| popular_vote1 = 14,793

| percentage1 = 38.2%

| candidate2 = Thomas Macnamara

| image2 = 106px

| party2 = Liberal Party (UK)

| last_election2 =

| popular_vote2 = 12,300

| percentage2 = 31.8%

| candidate3 = Lothian Small

| image3 = 75px

| party3 = Labour Party (UK)

| last_election3 =

| popular_vote3 = 11,610

| percentage3 = 30.0%

| title = MP

| posttitle = Subsequent MP

| before_election = William Preston

| before_party = Unionist Party (UK)

| after_election = William Preston

| after_party = Unionist Party (UK)

}}

The 1925 Walsall by-election was held on 27 February 1925. The by-election was held due to the disqualification of the incumbent Unionist MP, William Preston. It was retained by Preston.{{Rayment-hc|date=May 2021}}

Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the disqualification of the sitting Unionist MP, William Preston. He had only been an MP since the General Election of 1924. 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.{{cite news |title=M.P.'s Government Contract. By-Election Likely At Walsall, Legal Penalties |work=The Times |page=9 |date=31 January 1925 }}

Electoral history

The constituency was created for the 1832 general election. Over the years, the seat frequently changed hands between Liberal and Conservative. The Labour Party first ran a candidate in 1918. The Liberal Pat Collins had won in both 1922 and 1923 before Preston won in 1924;

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1924: Walsall British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Unionist Party (UK)

|candidate = William Preston

|votes = 15,168

|percentage = 37.9

|change = +0.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Pat Collins

|votes = 12,734

|percentage = 31.8

|change = -11.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Lothian Small

|votes = 11,474

|percentage = 28.7

|change = +10.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = J J Lynch

|votes = 622

|percentage = 1.6

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 2,434

|percentage = 6.1

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 39,398

|percentage =

|change =

}}

{{Election box gain with party link|

|winner = Unionist Party (UK)

|loser = Liberal Party (UK)

|swing =

}}

Candidates

Having overcome his legal difficulties, the Walsall Unionist Association re-selected 51-year-old William Preston as their candidate. He was educated at Walsall Grammar School and Weston School, Bath.{{cite news |title=Obituaries |work=The Times |page=6 |date=24 November 1941 }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/Wednesbury/Industry.htm |title=A History of Wednesbury |accessdate=2009-03-01 |work=Wolverhampton History & Heritage |publisher=University of Wolverhampton |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509121938/http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/Wednesbury/Industry.htm |archive-date=2010-05-09 |url-status=dead }}
Pat Collins who had sat as Liberal MP for Walsall until losing to Preston in the void election, seemed the obvious candidate. However Collins chose to withdraw due to ill-health. On 13 February 1925 the Executive Council of the Walsall Liberal Association adopted 64-year-old Rt Hon. Thomas Macnamara as their candidate.Dr. Macnamara 1861-1931 by Robin Betts He had been Liberal MP in Camberwell, London from 1900 until his defeat at the 1924 general election. He had served as Minister of Labour under Prime Minister David Lloyd George.
The Walsall Constituency Labour Party re-selected 41-year-old trade unionist Lothian Small who had been their candidate in 1924. He came from Glasgow where he attended the University. During World War I, Small served as an officer with the South Staffordshire Regiment. He had also contested Exeter at the 1923 general election.

Campaign

The confidence within Liberal Party ranks was not high following the 1924 general election when they were reduced to just 40 MPs. Among the defeated was their leader H.H. Asquith. Lloyd George had been elected the Chairman of the Liberal Parliamentary party. On 21 February, although suffering illness, Lloyd George

spoke at Walsall Town Hall in front of 2,500 people, in support of Macnamara.Dr. Macnamara 1861-1931 by Robin Betts

Result

The result was almost identical to the result at the 1924 general election, with little change in the vote share of the three parties;

{{Election box begin |

|title=Walsall by-election, 1925British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Unionist Party (UK)

|candidate = William Preston

|votes = 14,793

|percentage = 38.2

|change = +0.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Thomas James Macnamara

|votes = 12,300

|percentage = 31.8

|change = 0.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Lothian Small

|votes = 11,610

|percentage = 30.0

|change = +1.3

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 2,493

|percentage = 6.4

|change = +0.3

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 38,703

|percentage = 83.4

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Unionist Party (UK)

|loser = Liberal Party (UK)

|swing = +0.1

}}

Aftermath

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 that party's candidate;

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1929: Walsall British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = John James McShane

|votes = 20,524

|percentage = 39.6

|change = +9.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Unionist Party (UK)