The1940 Birmingham Edgbaston by-election was a parliamentaryby-election held for theBritish House of Commonsconstituency ofBirmingham Edgbaston on 18 December 1940. The seat had become vacant whenNeville Chamberlain, the constituency'sConservative PartyMember of Parliament had died fromstomach cancer on 9 November. Chamberlain had beenprime minister until May 1940, and had held the Edgbaston seat since the1929 general election.
The Conservative candidate,Peter Bennett, was returned unopposed.[1] DuringWorld War II, unopposed by-elections were common, since the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties; contests occurred only when independent candidates or minor parties chose to stand, and theCommon Wealth Party was formed in 1942 with the specific aim of contesting war-time by-elections.