University of Wales (UK Parliament constituency)

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University of Wales
Former university constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–1950

University of Wales was a university constituency electing one member to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1918 to 1950. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP), elected under the first-past-the-post voting system.

This university constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918. It was abolished in 1950 by the Representation of the People Act 1948.

The constituency was not a physical area. Its electorate consisted of the graduates of the University of Wales.

Unlike many other university constituencies, University of Wales never elected a Conservative MP, instead regularly electing Liberal MPs.

The constituency returned one Member of Parliament.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[1] Party Notes
1918 Herbert Lewis Coalition Liberal
Jan 1922 National Liberal
1922 Thomas Arthur Lewis National Liberal died 18 July 1923
1923 George Davies Christian Pacifist/Labour
1924 Ernest Evans Liberal appointed County Court Judge in 1943
1943 by-election William John Gruffydd Liberal
1950 University constituencies abolished

Elections

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system. In university seats, in this period, the polls were open for five days and voting did not take place on the polling day for the territorial constituencies.

Elections of the 1910s

Herbert Lewis
General election 1918: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes %
C Coalition Liberal Herbert Lewis 739 80.8
Labour Millicent Mackenzie 176 19.2
Majority 563 61.6
Turnout 915 85.8
National Liberal win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections of the 1920s

T.A. Lewis
General election 1922: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Thomas Arthur Lewis 487 39.5 –41.3
Liberal Ellis Ellis-Griffith 451 35.9 New
Labour Olive Wheeler 309 24.8 +5.6
Majority 46 3.6 −58.0
Turnout 1,247 87.2 +1.4
National Liberal hold Swing
  • Seat vacant at the dissolution of Parliament, following the death of Lewis on 18 July 1923
General election 1923: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Christian Pacifist (Labour) George Davies 570 35.7 +10.9
Liberal Joseph Jones 560 35.1 −0.8
Independent Liberal John Edwards 467 29.2 New
Majority 10 0.6 N/A
Turnout 1.597 83.1 −4.1
Christian Pacifist gain from Liberal
Ernest Evans
General election 1924: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest Evans 1,057 59.4 +24.3
Christian Pacifist (Labour) George Davies 721 40.6 +4.9
Majority 336 18.6 N/A
Turnout 1,778
Liberal gain from Christian Pacifist Swing
General election 1929: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest Evans 1,712 63.5 +4.1
Labour David W. Richards 671 24.9 New
Unionist Courtenay Mansel 314 11.6 New
Majority 1,041 38.6 +20.0
Turnout 2,697 74.4
Liberal hold Swing

Elections of the 1930s

General election 1931: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest Evans 2,229 75.4 +11.9
Plaid Cymru Saunders Lewis 914 24.6 New
Majority 1,315 50.8 +12.2
Turnout 3,143 61.4 −13.0
Liberal hold Swing
General election 1935: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ernest Evans 2,796 61.3 −14.1
Labour Ithel Davies 1,768 38.7 New
Majority 1,028 22.6 −28.2
Turnout 4,564 62.3 +0.9
Liberal hold Swing

Elections of the 1940s

General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

University of Wales by-election, 1943
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William John Gruffydd 3,098 52.3 −9.0
Plaid Cymru Saunders Lewis 1,330 22.5 New
Independent Alun Talfan Davies 755 12.8 New
Independent Labour Evan Davies 634 10.7 New
Independent Labour Neville Lawrence Evans 101 1.7 New
Majority 1,768 29.8 +7.2
Turnout 5,918 53.4 −8.9
Liberal hold Swing
General election 1945: University of Wales
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William John Gruffydd 5,239 75.5 +14.2
Plaid Cymru Gwenan Jones 1,696 24.5 N/A
Majority 3,543 51.0 +27.4
Turnout 6,935 58.5 −3.8
Liberal hold Swing

See also

References

Sources

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