1934 Basingstoke by-election

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Conservative MP, Gerard Wallop. He resigned suddenly on 14 February 1934. He had been MP here since holding the seat in 1929.

Basingstoke had been won by the Conservatives at every election since 1885 apart from 1923 when the Liberals won. The result at the last General election was as follows;

{{Election box begin | title=1931 general election: Basingstoke F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Gerard Wallop

|votes = 23,523

|percentage = 69.7

|change = +19.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = Frances Josephy

|votes = 6,106

|percentage = 18.1

|change = -17.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = C A Goatcher

|votes = 4,124

|percentage = 12.2

|change = -2.0

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 17,417

|percentage = 51.6

|change = +36.6

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 33,753

|percentage = 67.44

|change = -6.8

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing =

}}

{{Election box end}}

• The local Conservatives selected 34-year-old Henry Drummond-Wolff as candidate to defend the seat. He was the grandson of former Conservative MP, Sir Henry Drummond-Wolff. He had contested the 1933 Rotherham by-election without success.'DRUMMOND-WOLFF, Henry', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U163707, accessed 14 Dec 2013]
• The Liberal candidate from the last election, Frances Josephy had been selected as prospective candidate for Devizes, so the Liberals had to look for a new candidate. On 27 February they selected 25-year-old John Foot as candidate. He was a son of the Liberal MP Isaac Foot and a younger brother of the Liberal MP Dingle Foot. He was educated at Forres School, Swanage and then Bembridge School on the Isle of Wight. He went on to read jurisprudence at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was President of the Oxford Union in 1931, following in the steps of his elder brother Dingle (1928). After graduation he joined the family law firm. He was standing for parliament for the first time.
• The local Labour party selected year-old James William Barker as candidate.

Polling Day was set for 19 April 1934, some two months after the vacancy first became known. Nominations closed on 9 April 1934.

Foreign Affairs dominated the campaign, particularly the Conservative dominated National Government's isolationist approach.

The Conservative campaign leaned heavily on the support of their National Government partners. On 5 April, leading Liberal National MP, Ernest Brown, the Minister for Mines, spoke in support of Drummond Wolff.Aberdeen Journal, 6 April 1934 Liberal National Leader Sir John Simon, the Foreign Secretary sent a public letter of support to the Conservative candidate which called on Liberals to vote Conservative.Dundee Courier, 16 April 1934

On the Eve of poll, the Liberal Party Leader, Sir Herbert Samuel visited the constituency and spoke at a public meeting in support of Foot.Western Morning News, 19 April 1934

Despite a large swing against the National Government, the Conservatives managed to hold onto the seat.

{{Election box begin |

|title=1934 Basingstoke by-electionF W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Henry Drummond Wolff

|votes = 16,147

|percentage = 53.7

|change =-16.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = John Foot

|votes = 9,262

|percentage = 30.8

|change =+12.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = James William Barker

|votes = 4,663

|percentage = 15.5

|change =+3.3

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 6,885

|percentage = 22.9

|change = -28.7

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 30,072

|percentage = 64.4

|change = -3.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = -14.4

}}

{{Election box end}}

A Peace Ballot was launched in 1934 to ascertain public support for the League of Nations and collective security. As a result, just before the 1935 general election, the National Government agreed to the Liberal policy of working through the League of Nations. Drummond-Wolff chose not to defend his seat at the following General Election. Foot stood here again. The result at the following General election;

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1935: Basingstoke}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Patrick Donner

|votes = 18,549

|percentage = 57.8

|change =+4.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Party (UK)

|candidate = John Foot

|votes = 10,317

|percentage = 32.2

|change =+1.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = J.S. Whybrew

|votes = 3,207

|percentage = 10.0

|change = -5.5

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 8,232

|percentage = 25.7

|change = +2.8

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 32,073

|percentage = 67.4

|change = +3.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing =

}}

{{Election box end}}

• Lists of United Kingdom by-elections
• United Kingdom by-election records

{{Reflist}}

{{By-elections to the 36th UK Parliament}}

Category:1934 elections in the United Kingdom

Category:1934 in England

Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Hampshire constituencies

Category:Basingstoke

Category:20th century in Hampshire