1948 Wigan by-election
Appearance
The 1948 Wigan by-election of 4 March 1948 was held after the death of the incumbent Labour MP, William Foster.
The by-election was contested by four candidates: Ronald Williams (Labour), Harold Dowling (Conservative), Thomas Rowlandson (Communist), and Owen L Roberts (King's Cavalier). Roberts was an ex-RAF Pathfinder observer fighting the election "for the peace and prosperity of the country."[1]
The result was a hold for the Labour Party, with Williams gaining 59.1% of the vote, in spite of a 6.5% swing to the Conservative Party.
Result of the by-election
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ronald Williams | 28,941 | 59.1 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Harold Dowling | 17,466 | 35.6 | ![]() | |
Communist | Thomas Rowlandson | 1,647 | 3.7 | New | |
King's Cavalier | Owen L Roberts | 932 | 1.6 | New | |
Majority | 11,475 | 23.4 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 48,986 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Result of the previous General Election
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Foster | 31,392 | 68.2 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Evelyn Charles Lacy Hulbert-Powell | 14,666 | 31.8 | ![]() | |
Majority | 16,726 | 36.4 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 46,058 | 80.4 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
References
[edit]- ^ Goole News search The Glasgow Herald Archives
- ^ "1948 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1945. Politics Resources. 5 July 1945. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
Further reading
[edit]- Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd edition ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
Categories:
- By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Greater Manchester constituencies
- 1948 elections in the United Kingdom
- 1948 in England
- 1940s in Lancashire
- Elections in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
- By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Lancashire constituencies
- March 1948 events in the United Kingdom