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1939 Colne Valley by-election

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The 1939 Colne Valley by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 July 1939 for the British House of Commons constituency of Colne Valley.

Previous MP

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Ernest Marklew, who had been a Councillor in Grimsby, was first elected as MP for Colne Valley in 1935 when he gained the seat from the Liberal party. He died on 14 June 1939, forcing a by-election on the Labour party.

Previous Result

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General election, 14 November 1935
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ernest Marklew 16,725 42.3
Liberal Lance Mallalieu 12,946 30.6
Conservative M.G. Crofton 10,917 25.8
Independent W.G. Bagnall 1,754 4.1
Majority 3,779 11.7 N/A
Turnout 40,588
Labour gain from Liberal Swing

Candidates

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The Labour party selected 52-year-old Glenvil Hall to defend the seat. He had been Labour MP for Portsmouth Central from 1929 to 1931. The Liberal party selected 34-year-old Lance Mallalieu to fight the seat. He had been the MP for the seat from 1931 until defeated by Marklew at the last General Election in 1935. The Conservative party selected 41-year-old Cecil Pike as their new candidate. He had been Conservative MP for Sheffield Attercliffe from 1931 to 1935.

Result

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Colne Valley by-election, 1939
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Glenvil Hall 17,277 48.6 +6.3
Liberal Lance Mallalieu 9,228 26.0 −4.6
Conservative Cecil Frederick Pike 9,012 25.4 −0.4
Majority 8,049 22.6 +10.9
Turnout 35,517
Labour hold Swing

Aftermath

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Hall continued as MP for Colne Valley until his death in 1962. He served as Financial Secretary to the Treasury in the 1945-50 Labour government. Mallalieu left the Liberal party for Labour before being elected Labour MP for Brigg in 1948. Pike did not contest another election.

General election, 5 July 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Glenvil Hall 23,488 54.7
Conservative S. Smith 11,593 27.0
Liberal G. K. Lawrence 7,890 18.3
Majority 11,895 27.7
Turnout 42,971
Labour hold Swing

References

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  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1979)