# 1937 North Dorset by-election

The 1937 North Dorset by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of North Dorset on 13 July 1937.

## Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Cecil Hanbury, on 10 June 1937. He had been MP here since gaining the seat in 1924.

## Electoral history

The constituency had been won by the Conservatives at every election since they gained it from the Liberals in 1924. The result had always been close between the two parties since the Liberals won comfortably in 1906. The Labour party had only twice before fought the seat, in 1929 and at the last election in 1935. At that election, an Independent 'Agriculture' candidate from a longstanding local Conservative family pushed Labour into fourth place.
General election 1935: North Dorset Electorate 32,714 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Cecil Hanbury | 13,055 | 50.1 | −9.1 |
| | Liberal | William Borthwick | 9,871 | 37.9 | −2.9 |
| | Agriculture | George Pitt-Rivers | 1,771 | 6.8 | New |
| | Labour | M M Whitehead | 1,360 | 5.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,184 | 12.2 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,057 | 79.7 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.1 | |

## Candidates

The Conservative candidate was 54-year-old Captain Angus Hambro. He was Member of Parliament for South Dorset from 1910 to 1922. He became High Sheriff of Dorset in 1934.
The Liberal candidate was 58-year-old the Hon. William Borthwick, who was standing here for the fourth time having contested the General Elections of 1929, 1931 and 1935. He had been an army captain before practising as a barrister. Borthwick was described by a party colleague as "an excellent and able man, but a weak candidate."

## Campaign

Polling Day was set for 13 July 1937, 33 days after the death of the previous member.
On 30 June, the Liberal campaign received early encouragement when it was announced that the party had narrowly won the 1937 St Ives by-election.
Nominations closed on 5 July. This time there was no Labour or Independent candidates.

## Result

Once again, the Conservatives narrowly won the seat.
North Dorset by-election, 1937 Electorate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Angus Hambro | 12,247 | 51.1 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal | William Borthwick | 11,704 | 48.9 | +11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 543 | 2.2 | −10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,951 | 73.4 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.0 | |

## Aftermath

Hambro did not contest the seat again, choosing to retire at the 1945 general election when his successor was defeated by a new Liberal candidate. Borthwick also did not contest another election.
General election 1945: Dorset North Electorate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frank Byers | 14,444 | 53.7 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | Richard Glyn | 12,479 | 46.3 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,965 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,923 | 75.0 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.8 | |