| Election name | 1936 Derby by-election |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Seats for election | Constituency of Derby |
| Ongoing | no |
| Previous election | 1935 United Kingdom general election |
| Previous year | 1935 |
| Next election | 1945 United Kingdom general election |
| Next year | 1945 |
| Election date | 9 July 1936 |
| Candidate 1 | Philip Noel-Baker |
| Party 1 | Labour Party (UK) |
| Popular vote 1 | 28,419 |
| Percentage 1 | 52.5% |
| Candidate 2 | Archibald Church |
| Party 2 | National Labour Organisation |
| Popular vote 2 | 25,666 |
| Percentage 2 | 47.5% |
| Before election | J. H. Thomas |
| Before party | National Labour Organisation |
| After election | Philip Noel-Baker |
| After party | Labour Party (UK) |
| Turnout | 65.5% |
The 1936 Derby by-election was held on 9 July 1936. It was held due to the resignation of the incumbent National Labour MP, J. H. Thomas, and the seat was gained by the Labour candidate Philip Noel-Baker.[1]
Background
Derby had been represented by J.H. Thomas since 1910, a seat he held jointly with several other people because Derby was a two-member constituency until 1950. In 1936, Thomas was forced to resign from the government after being caught giving away secrets in the budget through coded messages. That was uncovered after he shouted "tee up" whilst golfing, to indicate a rise in tea tax.[2] Thomas chose to step down from the House of Commons by being appointed as the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds, an office of profit under the Crown which disqualifies MPs and causes a vacancy in their constituency.[3]
Election
National Labour selected Archibald Church to follow on as the Derby candidate. Church had previously been an MP for Leyton East and Wandsworth Central.[1] Philip Noel-Baker was chosen to represent Labour and had the support of Liberal former Prime Minister David Lloyd George. The election was primarily fought on the issue of the British response to the Italian invasion of Abyssinia.[4] Church's campaign had been damaged by Lord Allen of Hurtwood stating that "the National Government is no longer fit to represent the nation".[4] Noel-Baker won the election and went on to represent Derby, and the successor constituency of Derby South, until 1970.[5]
References
- ^ "The Returning Officer: Derby". New Statesman. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
- ^ Blaxland, Gregory (1964). J.H. Thomas: A life for Unity. F. Muller. p. 285. ISBN 9780392079860.
- ^ "Appointments to the Chiltern Hundreds". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
- ^ Gildart, K. (2014). Dictionary of Labour Biography. Vol. XI. Springer. p. 30. ISBN 978-0230500181.
- ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 1959". Nobel. Retrieved 2020-03-27.