1950 Abertillery by-election

Background

At the 1950 general election, George Daggar held his seat for the Labour Party. He defeated the challenger from the Conservative Party, O.J. Lewis, with a majority of 25,206.{{cite news|title=Abertillery By-Election|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19501123/103/0003|accessdate=1 May 2016|work= The Scotsman|date=23 November 1950|page=3|url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} By September that year, Dagger was too ill to attend votes at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, including one on the steel debate opened by Winston Churchill; the largest opposition vote since 1924. Dagger was one of only two MPs not to be present, alongside Harold Roberts for the Conservative Party. Although around the same time, Dagger was said to be showing signs of improvement.{{cite news|title=M.P. Slightly Better|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000332/19500918/008/0001|accessdate=1 May 2016|work= Lincolnshire Echo|date=18 September 1950|page=1|url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} Following his death, the seat was re-contested.

Candidates

The candidates put forward by the parties were the Rev. Llywelyn Williams for Labour, and Richard Body for the Conservative Party. Williams resigned his ministry of the Welsh Congregational Church at Abertillery in order to contest the seat. Body did not have any local links, and had contested the Rotherham constituency at the 1950 general election.{{cite news|title=Labour Hold Abertillery by 20,783|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19501201/015/0001|accessdate=1 May 2016|work= Hull Daily Mail|date=1 December 1950|page=1|url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}

Result

The by-election was held on 30 November, with the result announced the following day. It was the same day as the by-election in the Bristol South East constituency. Williams held the seat for the Labour Party, with 26,622 votes and a share increase by just over half of one per cent, while Body received 3,839 and saw his share decrease by the same amount.

|reg. electors = 40,011

References

References

1. (20 September 1950). "Govt. win by Six in Censure Division". Weston Daily Press.
2. (1 December 1950). "Labour Votes Show Slump". Portsmouth Evening News.
3. (1 July 2003). "UK election statistics 1945-2003". Parliament.UK.
4. (1987). "Chronology Of British Parliamentary By-Elections 1833-1987". Parliamentary Research Services.
5. Craig, F. W. S. (1971). British parliamentary election results 1950-1970 (1 ed.). Chichester: Political Reference Publications. {{ISBN. 9780900178023. Page 584