Buckrose by-election, 1926

The Buckrose by-election, 1926 was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Buckrose, Yorkshire on 5 May 1926. This was the first by-election to take place during the General Strike.

Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Unionist MP, Sir Guy Gaunt on 20 February 1926. He was cited as co-respondent in the divorce case between Sir Richard Cruise and his wife. He had been MP here since winning the seat in 1922.

Election history

The constituency was created in 1885 and had been in the hands of the Liberal Party for most of the time before the Unionists won in 1922. The Labour Party had only ever stood here once before, in 1918. The result at the last General Election was

General Election 1924: Buckrose^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Unionist	Sir Guy Reginald Archer Gaunt	13,966	56.0	+5.6
	Liberal	Harry Anson Briggs	10,962	44.0	-5.6
Majority			3,004	12.0	11.2
Turnout
	Unionist hold		Swing	+5.6

Candidates

• On 12 April, the Buckrose Unionist Association chose 33-year-old Albert Braithwaite DSO, MC as their candidate to defend the seat. He was the son of Albert Braithwaite, one time Lord Mayor of Leeds and Patti Braithwaite. He was educated at Woodhouse Grove School, Leeds Grammar School and the University of Leeds. He served in the Yorkshire Hussars during World War I and was appointed a member of the British Military Commission to the USA. He was awarded a DSO in 1918.
• The Buckrose Liberal Association adopted 45-year-old Sir Harry Verney as their candidate to challenge for the seat. Verney succeeded in the baronetcy in May 1910. In the December general election of the same year he was returned to Parliament for Buckingham, a seat he held until 1918. He served under H. H. Asquith as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1914 to 1915. Verney married Rachel Gwenyfyr Catherine, daughter of Victor Alexander Bruce, 13th Earl of Kincardine, in 1911.
• The Buckrose Constituency Labour Party had selected Lt. Herbert Cecil Laycock MC as their prospective candidate back in February 1926. He came from Leeds.

Campaign

Nominations closed on 27 April. Polling Day was set for 5 May 1926.

Result

Buckrose by-election, 1926^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Unionist	Albert Newby Braithwaite	12,098	48.7	-7.3
	Liberal	Sir Harry Calvert Williams Verney	10,537	42.5	-1.5
	Labour	Herbert Cecil Laycock	2,191	8.8	n/a
Majority			1,552	6.2	-5.8
Turnout
	Unionist hold		Swing	-2.9

Aftermath

The result at the following General Election;

General Election 1929: Buckrose^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Unionist	Albert Newby Braithwaite	15,625	50.0	+1.3
	Liberal	Sidney Streatfield Lamert	13,825	44.4	+1.9
	Labour	H H Vickers	1,766	5.6	-3.2
Majority			1,800	5.6	-0.6
Turnout
	Unionist hold		Swing	-0.3

See also

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

References

1. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-49, F W S Craig
2. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-49, F W S Craig
3. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-49, F W S Craig