1948 Wigan by-election
The 1948 Wigan by-election of 4 March 1948 was held after the death of the incumbent Labour MP, William Foster.
The by-election was contested by four candidates: Ronald Williams (Labour), Harold Dowling (Conservative), Thomas Rowlandson (Communist), and Owen L Roberts (King's Cavalier). Roberts was an ex-RAF Pathfinder observer fighting the election "for the peace and prosperity of the country."[1]
The result was a hold for the Labour Party, with Williams gaining 59.1% of the vote, in spite of a 6.5% swing to the Conservative Party.
Result of the by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ronald Williams | 28,941 | 59.1 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Harold Dowling | 17,466 | 35.6 | ![]() | |
Communist | Thomas Rowlandson | 1,647 | 3.7 | New | |
King's Cavalier | Owen L Roberts | 932 | 1.6 | New | |
Majority | 11,475 | 23.4 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 48,986 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Result of the previous General Election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Foster | 31,392 | 68.2 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Evelyn Charles Lacy Hulbert-Powell | 14,666 | 31.8 | ![]() | |
Majority | 16,726 | 36.4 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 46,058 | 80.4 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
References
Further reading
- Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd edition ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
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