Ministerial by-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster were held from 1801 to the 1920s when a Member of Parliament (MP) was appointed as a minister in the government. Unlike most Westminster by-elections, ministerial by-elections were often a formality, uncontested by opposition parties. Re-election was required under the Succession to the Crown Act 1707.[1] This was in line with the principle established in 1624 that accepting an office of profit from the Crown would precipitate resignation from the House, with the option of standing for re-election.[2] Typically a minister sought re-election in the constituency he had just vacated, but occasionally contested another seat which was also vacant. In 1910 The Times newspaper noted that the relevant Act had been passed in the reign of Queen Anne "to prevent the Court from swamping the House of Commons with placemen and pensioners", and described the process as "anomalous" and "indefensible" in the 20th century.[3] The Re-Election of Ministers Act 1919 ended the necessity to seek re-election within nine months of a general election, and the Re-Election of Ministers Act (1919) Amendment Act 1926 ended the practice in all other cases.[1]
By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Position | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Renfrewshire | 29 January 1926 | Alexander Munro MacRobert | Alexander Munro MacRobert | Solicitor General for Scotland | ||||
Bury St Edmunds | 1 December 1925 | Walter Guinness | Walter Guinness | Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries |
Date | Constituency | c/u | Former incumbent | Winner | Position | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 July 1832 | Winchelsea | u | James Brougham | James Brougham | Clerk of Patents and Registrar of Affidavits at the Court of Chancery | |
16 June 1832 | Cricklade | u | Robert Gordon | Robert Gordon | Commissioner of the Board of Control | |
13 June 1832 | Calne | u | Thomas Babington Macaulay | Thomas Babington Macaulay | Commissioner of the Board of Control | |
12 June 1832 | Taunton | u | Henry Labouchere | Henry Labouchere | Civil Lord of the Admiralty | |
5 March 1832 | Ayr Burghs | u | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Thomas Francis Kennedy | Clerk of the Ordnance | |
8 February 1832 | Westminster | u | Sir John Hobhouse | Sir John Hobhouse | Secretary at War |
Date | Constituency | c/u | Former incumbent | Winner | Position | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 July 1806 | u | President of the Board of Control | ||||
17 June 1806 | c | Teller of the Exchequer of Ireland | ||||
10 May 1806 | u | Muster Master General in Ireland | ||||
18 April 1806 | u | Lord of the Irish Treasury | ||||
17 April 1806 | u | Lord of the Irish Treasury | ||||
25 February 1806 | u | Clerk of the Ordnance | ||||
25 February 1806 | u | Joint-Paymaster of the Forces | ||||
27 February 1806 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
28 February 1806 | u | Treasurer of the Navy | ||||
14 March 1806 | u | Resignation pending appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland | ||||
15 March 1806 | u | Judge Advocate General | ||||
11 April 1806 | u | Chief Secretary for Ireland | ||||
24 February 1806 | u | Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
24 February 1806 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
22 February 1806 | u | Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
21 February 1806 | u | Treasurer of the Household | ||||
21 February 1806 | u | First Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
20 February 1806 | u | Clerk of the Ordnance | ||||
19 February 1806 | u | Secretary of State for War and the Colonies | ||||
19 February 1806 | u | Naval Lord | ||||
18 February 1806 | u | Joint-Paymaster of the Forces | ||||
17 February 1806 | u | Resignation pending appointment as Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases | ||||
u | Secretary at War | |||||
17 February 1806 | u | Naval Lord | ||||
17 February 1806 | u | Commissioner of the Board of Control for India | ||||
17 February 1806 | u | Chancellor of the Exchequer[121] | ||||
15 February 1806 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
15 February 1806 | u | Commissioner of the Board of Control for India | ||||
13 February 1806 | u | Foreign Secretary | ||||
8 February 1806 | u | Chief Secretary for Ireland | ||||
27 January 1806 | u | Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer | ||||
27 July 1805 | c | Secretary of State for War and the Colonies | ||||
6 April 1805 | u | Lord of the Irish Treasury | ||||
1 April 1805 | u | Chief Secretary for Ireland | ||||
28 March 1805 | c | Lord of the Irish Treasury | ||||
27 February 1805 | u | King's Counsel | ||||
11 February 1805 | u | Chief Justice of Chester[122] | ||||
8 February 1805 | u | Solicitor General for England and Wales | ||||
4 February 1805 | u | Lord Advocate | ||||
14 August 1804 | u | Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
6 August 1804 | u | Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland | ||||
4 August 1804 | u | Second Justice of the South Wales circuit | ||||
4 August 1804 | u | Paymaster of the Forces | ||||
28 July 1804 | u | Prothonotary of common pleas, county of Lancaster | ||||
20 July 1804 | u | Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | ||||
5 July 1804 | u | Paymaster of the Forces | ||||
4 June 1804 | u | Commissioner of the Board of Control for India | ||||
4 June 1804 | u | Secretary at War | ||||
4 June 1804 | u | Treasurer of the Navy | ||||
26 May 1804 | u | Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
26 May 1804 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury[123] | ||||
26 May 1804 | u | Vice-President of the Board of Trade | ||||
22 May 1804 | u | Comptroller of the Household | ||||
22 May 1804 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
19 May 1804 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
17 May 1804 | u | First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer | ||||
17 February 1804 | u | Chief Secretary for Ireland | ||||
8 February 1804 | u | Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
30 December 1803 | u | Clerk of the Deliveries of the Ordnance | ||||
3 December 1803 | c | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
10 September 1803 | u | Commissioner of the Board of Control for India | ||||
22 August 1803 | u | Resignation pending appointment as Home Secretary | ||||
19 August 1803 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
16 August 1803 | u | Resignation pending appointment as Secretary at War | ||||
29 June 1803 | c | Treasurer of the Navy | ||||
11 February 1803 | u | Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases |
Date | Constituency | c/u | Former incumbent | Winner | Position | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 May 1802 | u | Solicitor General for England and Wales | ||||
19 April 1802 | u | Attorney General for England and Wales | ||||
23 November 1801 | u | Treasurer of the Navy | ||||
15 June 1801 | u | Master of the Rolls | ||||
9 June 1801 | u | Groom of the Bedchamber | ||||
22 May 1801 | u | Chief Secretary for Ireland | ||||
12 May 1801 | u | Sought re-election due to holding an Admiralty contract | ||||
24 March 1801 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
23 March 1801 | u | Junior Lord of the Treasury | ||||
21 March 1801 | u | First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer | ||||
5 March 1801 | u | Lord of the Irish Treasury | ||||
3 March 1801 | u | Secretary at War | ||||
2 March 1801 | u | Commissioner of Union Compensation | ||||
27 February 1801 | u | Master of the Mint | ||||
25 February 1801 | u | Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
25 February 1801 | u | Foreign Secretary | ||||
25 February 1801 | u | Lord of the Admiralty | ||||
21 February 1801 | u | Solicitor General for England and Wales | ||||
20 February 1801 | u | Commissioner of Irish Revenue | ||||
9 February 1801 | u | Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal |