1925 Ripon by-election

The 1925 Ripon by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 5 December 1925 for the British House of Commons constituency of Ripon.

Vacancy

The by-election was a consequence of the sitting MP Edward Wood – later the 3rd Viscount Halifax and the 1st Earl of Halifax – being elevated to the peerage as Baron Irwin in order to serve as Viceroy of India.

Election history

Wood had served Ripon as a Conservative since 1910. At every election since 1918, Wood was returned unopposed.

Candidates

Two candidates were nominated. The Conservative candidate was the John Waller Hills, who had represented the City of Durham until he was defeated in the 1922 general election. He was opposed in the by-election by the Liberal candidate John Murray, another former MP who had lost his seat in the 1923 general election in Leeds West. Murray had subsequently fought unsuccessfully in the Kirkcaldy Burghs constituency in the 1924 general election. There was no Labour candidate.

Main issues and campaign

During the campaign Murray openly disagreed with his own leader Lloyd George's plans for nationalization of land and the coal industry.

Result

The Conservatives held the seat;

Ripon by-election, 1925 Electorate 37,338

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Waller Hills	16,433	59.0	N/A
	Liberal	John Murray	11,422	41.0	New
Majority			5,011	18.0	N/A
Turnout			27,855	74.6	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing

Aftermath

After his defeat, Murray did not stand for parliament again while Hills sought to defend Ripon at the General election. The result at the following General election;

1929 general election Electorate 55,191

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Waller Hills	23,173	55.1	N/A
	Liberal	Frederick L Boult	14,542	34.6	N/A
	Labour	Arthur Godfrey	4,339	10.3	New
Majority			8,631	20.5	N/A
Turnout			42,054	76.2	N/A
	Conservative hold		Swing

Hills was to remain MP for Ripon until his death in 1939.

External links

• Results
• Announcement of candidates