1936 East Grinstead by-election facts for kids
The East Grinstead by-election of 1936 was a special election held on 23 July 1936. This election took place in the East Grinstead area of England. It was needed because the local Member of Parliament (MP), Henry Cautley, became a "peer." This means he was given a special title and a seat in the House of Lords, so he could no longer be an MP in the House of Commons.
The by-election was won by the Conservative Party candidate, Ralph Clarke.
Contents
What is a By-election?
A by-election is a special election held to choose a new Member of Parliament (MP) for a specific area. These elections happen when an MP leaves their job before the next general election. MPs can leave their job for many reasons. For example, they might retire, resign, or, like in this case, be given a special title.
Why Did This Election Happen?
The East Grinstead by-election happened because the MP for the area, Henry Cautley, was made a "peer." Being made a peer means someone is given a special title, like a Lord or Baron. This title gives them a seat in the House of Lords. The House of Lords is one part of the UK Parliament. However, you cannot be an MP in the House of Commons and a peer in the House of Lords at the same time. So, when Henry Cautley became a peer, he had to leave his MP job. This created a vacant spot, leading to the by-election.
Who Ran in the Election?
In the East Grinstead by-election, two main candidates competed for the MP position.
The Conservative Candidate
The Conservative Party chose Ralph Clarke as their candidate. He was hoping to keep the seat for his party. The Conservatives had held this seat before.
The Labour Candidate
The Labour Party put forward Albert Edward Millett. He was trying to win the seat for his party.
What Were the Results?
The results of the by-election showed a clear winner.
| East Grinstead by-election, 1936 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Ralph Clarke | 22,207 | 79.6 | +1.2 | |
| Labour | Albert Edward Millett | 5,708 | 20.4 | -1.2 | |
| Majority | 16,499 | 59.2 | +2.4 | ||
| Turnout | 27,915 | 45.5 | -15.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |||
Understanding the Numbers
- Votes: Ralph Clarke received 22,207 votes. Albert Edward Millett received 5,708 votes.
- Percentage: Ralph Clarke won with 79.6% of all the votes. Albert Edward Millett got 20.4%.
- Majority: The difference between the winner's votes and the second-place candidate's votes is called the majority. Ralph Clarke had a majority of 16,499 votes. This was a very large lead.
- Turnout: The turnout was 45.5%. This means that 45.5% of all the people who could vote actually did vote.
Ralph Clarke, the Conservative candidate, won the by-election. This meant the Conservative Party kept the seat in East Grinstead.
