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Constituency ofBerwick-upon-Tweed | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 24.5% | ||||||||||||||||||
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The1944 Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election was aparliamentary by-election held on 17 October 1944 for the UKHouse of Commonsconstituency ofBerwick-upon-Tweed.
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The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Member of Parliament (MP),George Charles Grey, was killed in action. Grey (2 December 1918 – 30 July 1944), the son of a major-general, had joined the British Army in 1938 before the outbreak of the Second World War the following year.
Grey had become the Liberal MP for the constituency, when he was returned unopposed at aby-election on 18 August 1941, to fill a vacancy caused by the elevation to the peerage of the previous Liberal MP.
Between his election and his death, he was theyoungest member of theHouse of Commons, having been elected at the age of 22 years 259 days.
A captain in the 4th BattalionGrenadier Guards, Grey was killed atLe Repas inNormandy,France, on the first day ofOperation Bluecoat. He was buried on the battlefield by his men, on the site of which his family later erected a memorial. The site is now recognised as awar grave, designated the Livry Isolated Grave.
The election took place during the Second World War. Under an agreement between the Conservative, Labour and Liberal parties; who were participating in a wartime coalition, the party holding a seat would not be opposed by the other two at a by-election. Accordingly, the Liberal Party nominated a candidate, but no Labour or Conservative representative was put forward.
Two candidates were nominated. The list below is set out in descending order of the number of votes received at the by-election.
1. The Liberal Party candidate was SirWilliam Henry Beveridge (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963), who was a Britisheconomist and social reformer. He is perhaps best known for his 1942 reportSocial Insurance and Allied Services (known as theBeveridge Report[1]) which served as the basis for the post-World War II Labour government'sWelfare State, including especially theNational Health Service.
Beveridge was defeated by a Conservative candidate in the1945 general election. He was created the 1st Baron Beveridge in 1946.
2. William D. Clark, a local farmer, was an Independent candidate.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | William Beveridge | 8,792 | 87.4 | +36.4 | |
| Independent politics | W.D. Clark | 1,269 | 12.6 | New | |
| Majority | 7,523 | 74.8 | +72.8 | ||
| Turnout | 10,061 | 24.5 | −51.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 41,068 | ||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | ||||
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