1946 Kilmarnock by-election
The1946 Kilmarnock by-electionwas aby-electionheld on 5 December 1946 for theBritish House of CommonsconstituencyofKilmarnockinAyrshire.
Vacancy
[edit]The seat had become vacant on 2 October 1946 when theLabourMember of Parliament(MP),Clarice Shawhad resigned her seat. She died on 27 October at the age of 63.
Shaw had held the seat since thegeneral election in July 1945,but ill-health had prevented her from ever attending theHouse of Commons.
Candidates
[edit]TheLabour Partycandidate was 35-year-oldWillie Ross,a schoolteacher beforeWorld War IIwho was recently demobilised from theBritish Army,where he had risen to the rank ofMajor.At the 1945 general election he had unsuccessfully contested theAyr Burghsconstituency.
TheUnionistcandidate was Lieutenant-Colonel George E. O. Walker, who had also been the Unionist candidate at the general election. TheScottish National Partyfielded George Dott.
Result
[edit]The result was a victory for Ross, who held the seat with a fractionally increased share of the vote. He held the seat until he stepped down at the1979 general election,having beenSecretary of State for Scotlandfor two periods totalling 8 years.
Votes
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Willie Ross | 22,456 | 59.7 | +0.3 | |
Unionist | George E. O. Walker | 12,239 | 32.5 | −8.1 | |
SNP | George Dott | 2,932 | 7.8 | New | |
Majority | 10,217 | 27.2 | +8.4 | ||
Turnout | 37,627 | 68.4 | −7.7 | ||
Labourhold | Swing | +4.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Clarice Shaw | 23,837 | 59.4 | +26.0 | |
Unionist | G. E. O. Walker | 16,300 | 40.6 | New | |
Majority | 7,537 | 18.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 40,137 | 76.1 | −2.7 | ||
LabourgainfromNational Labour | Swing | N/A |
See also
[edit]- Kilmarnock (UK Parliament constituency)
- Kilmarnock
- 1929 Kilmarnock by-election
- 1933 Kilmarnock by-election
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1931–1950)
- Elections in Scotland
References
[edit]- ^"1946 By Election Results".Archived fromthe originalon 5 November 2013.Retrieved12 August2015.
Sources
[edit]- Craig, F. W. S.(1983) [1969].British parliamentary election results 1918-1949(3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services.ISBN0-900178-06-X.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs