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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |