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1945 Combined Scottish Universities by-election

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1945 Combined Scottish Universities by-election

← 1938 9–13 April 1945 July 1945 →

Constituency of Combined Scottish Universities
Turnout44.6% (Decrease7.5%)
  First party Second party
 
LNP
Candidate John Boyd Orr R. M. Munro
Party Independent National Liberal
Popular vote 20,197 8,177
Percentage 71.2% 28.8%

MP before election

George Morrison
National Liberal

Subsequent MP

John Boyd Orr
Independent

The 1945 Combined Scottish Universities by-election was a by-election held from 9 to 13 April 1945 for the Combined Scottish Universities, a university constituency of the British House of Commons.

Vacancy

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The seat had become vacant on 6 March 1945 when the National Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) George Morrison had resigned by the procedural device of accepting the post of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, a notional 'office of profit under the crown' which is used as a procedural device to enable MPs to resign from the Commons.

Candidates

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Two candidates contested the by-election. The Rector of the University of Glasgow, Sir John Boyd Orr, stood as an independent. He was a doctor and biologist, and founder of the Rowett Research Institute.

The other candidate was R. M. Munro of the National Liberal Party.

Result

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The result was a victory for Boyd Orr, who won over 70% of the votes. He held the seat until 1946, when he resigned to take up the post of Director of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Votes

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Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 9–13 April 1945 [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John Boyd Orr 20,197 71.2 N/A
National Liberal R. M.Munro 8,177 28.8 N/A
Majority 12,020 42.4 N/A
Turnout 28,374 44.6 −7.5
Independent gain from National Liberal Swing

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Universities' New M.P. Sir John Orr's Victory". The Glasgow Herald. 14 April 1945. p. 10. Retrieved 24 March 2017.

Sources

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