1927 Stourbridge by-election

This was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Stourbridge. Stourbridge was one of the Worcestershire constituencies, bordering Bewdley, where the Conservative Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin sat.

Vacancy

Douglas Pielou who had been the Unionist MP here since 1922, died on 9 January 1927, at the age of 39, causing the by-election.

Electoral history

Pielou had gained the seat in 1922 from the Liberals. Since then, Labour had emerged as the main challenger, finishing a close second at the last General election in 1924;

General election, 29 October 1924: Stourbridge[1] Electorate: 48,466

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Douglas Pielou	16,023	39.5
	Labour	Wilfred Wellock	14,113	34.8
	Liberal	Geoffrey Mander	10,418	25.7
Majority			1,910	4.7
Turnout			40,554
	Unionist hold		Swing

Candidates

Henry Hogbin

• The Unionist candidate chosen to defend the seat was 47-year-old Henry Hogbin. He had served briefly as the Liberal MP for Battersea South from 1923-24. At the 1924 election he had been defeated standing as a Constitutionalist despite the support of both Unionist and Liberal local Associations.
• The Labour candidate was 50-year-old pacifist Wilfred Wellock. He was contesting the seat for the third time, having lost on the previous two occasions. He was imprisoned as a conscientious objector in the First World War.
• The local Liberal association selected 41 year-old Aneurin John Glyn Edwards as their candidate. Edwards had traveled the country as a Factory Inspector. He then worked as a Barrister on the North Wales and Chester circuits.[2] He was standing as a Liberal candidate for parliament for the fourth time, having contested; West Bromwich in 1922 and 1923 and Cardiff Central in 1924.

Campaign

Polling day was set for 23 February 1927, forty-five days after the death of Pielou, allowing for a reasonably lengthy campaign.

Result

Labour gained the seat from the Unionists;

Stourbridge by-election, 23 February 1927[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Wilfred Wellock	16,561	41.9	+7.1
	Unionist	Henry Hogbin	13,462	34.0	-5.5
	Liberal	Aneurin John Glyn Edwards	9,535	24.1	-1.6
Majority			3,099	7.9	N/A
Turnout			39,558
	Labour gain from Unionist		Swing

Aftermath

Wellock stood again here at the next General Election and was re-elected. Hogbin did not stand again. Edwards contested Burnley and finished third.

General election, 30 May 1929: Stourbridge[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Wilfred Wellock	21,343	38.4	-3.5
	Unionist	Stanley Reed	17,675	31.8	-2.2
	Liberal	Donald Finnemore	16,537	29.8	+5.7
Majority			3,668	6.6	-1.3
Turnout			55,555
	Labour hold		Swing

References

1. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F.W.S.
2. The Times House of Commons, 1929
3. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F.W.S.
4. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F.W.S.