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1929 Tamworth by-election

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The 1929 Tamworth by-election was held on 2 December 1929. The by-election was held due to the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP, Sir Edward Iliffe. It was won by the Conservative candidate Arthur Steel-Maitland.[1]

Background

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Sir Edward Iliffe had been MP for Tamworth since 1923.[2] In the general elections of both 1923 and 1924 Iliffe had been returned unopposed. In the general election a few months earlier he had been challenged by Labour candidate George Horwill, but had been easily re-elected, with Horwill polling only 14,402 votes against Iliffe's total of 29,807.[2]

Horwill, an ex-railway clerk who held a BSc degree from the University of London, was again the Labour candidate in the by-election.[2] The new Conservative candidate was Arthur Steel-Maitland, a former cabinet minister who had been a member of parliament from 1910, but who had lost narrowly lost his Birmingham Erdington seat at the recent general election.[3]

Result

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The Unionist Party held the seat comfortably.

Tamworth by-election, 2 December 1929[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Arthur Steel-Maitland 23,495 64.8 −2.6
Labour George Horwill 12,759 35.2 +2.6
Majority 10,736 29.6 −5.2
Turnout 36,254 60.3 −13.3
Registered electors 60,087
Unionist hold Swing −2.6

Aftermath

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At the next election Steel-Maitland substantially increased his majority to over 34,000 votes.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
  2. ^ a b c The Times House of Commons 1929. London: The Times Office. 1929. p. 106.
  3. ^ a b The Times House of Commons 1931. London: The Times Office. 1931. p. 96.
  4. ^ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 492. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.