1929 Battersea South by-election
UK Parliamentary by-election
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The 1929 Battersea South by-election was held on 7 February 1929. The by-election was held when the incumbent Conservative MP, Francis Curzon, succeeded to the peerage as Earl Howe. It was won by the Labour candidate William Bennett in a three-way contest.[1][2]
Candidates
The local Liberal association selected 40 year-old Vivian Claude Albu as their candidate. Albu had stood for the Liberals in the 1922 general election at Battersea North.[3] Labour selected William Bennett, who had been their candidate in Guildford in three general elections between 1918 and 1923. The Conservative Party selected Harry Selley, a builder and member of the London County Council for Battersea South.[4]
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | William Bennett | 11,789 | 46.13 | ||
| Conservative | Harry Selley | 11,213 | 43.87 | ||
| Liberal | Vivian Claude Albu | 2,858 | 10.00 | New | |
| Majority | 576 | 2.25 | |||
| Turnout | 25,557 | 57.7 | â18.8 | ||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.8 | |||
Aftermath
A few months later at the next general election Bennett again defeated Selley, this time by 418 votes in a much increased poll. The Liberals were again third, though with a new candidate, the former Mayor of Battersea, Captain William J. West.[4][5] In 1931 Selley won the seat at the third attempt, defeating Bennett with a majority of over 15,000 votes.[5]
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