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1948 Croydon North by-election

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The 1948 Croydon North by-election was a parliamentary by-election held in the British House of Commons constituency of Croydon North on 11 March 1948. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament Henry Willink had resigned, having held the seat since a by-election in 1940.

The Labour Party candidate was the British politician, diplomat, historian, diarist, novelist, lecturer, journalist, broadcaster, and gardener Harold Nicolson. Formerly a political ally of Sir Oswald Mosley in the New Party before the later turned to Fascism, Nicolson had previously sat in the 1935-1945 parliament as a National Labour MP. These were the followers of former British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald who had been expelled from the Labour Party for forming the first National Government with Conservatives and Liberals without consulting them.

The Conservative candidate Fred Harris held the seat for his party with a much increased majority. The seat had only been marginally Conservative in the 1945 election.

Election results

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1948 Croydon North by-election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Fred Harris 36,200 54.0 +13.9
Labour Harold Nicolson 24,536 36.6 −3.5
Liberal Don Bennett 6,321 9.4 −9.4
Majority 11,664 17.4 +16.3
Turnout 67,057 74.8 +1.4
Registered electors
Conservative hold Swing +8.7
General election 1945: Croydon North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Willink 23,417 41.1 −26.0
Labour Marion Billson 22,810 40.1 +7.2
Liberal John Howard 10,714 18.8 New
Majority 607 1.0 −33.1
Turnout 56,941 73.4 +8.8
Registered electors 77,594
Conservative hold Swing -16.6

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1948 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2015.