Results of prewar UK general election?

[RogueBeaver]

In 1935 the Tories had a safe majority of 180 seats, but were apparently being cleaned in by-elections until the war broke out. That accounts for Chamberlain's leftward turns on domestic policy. Let's say Chamberlain dissolves Parliament in October 1939 for a November election. Would it be a minority government of either party, a reduced Tory majority, or a Lab majority?

 

[Wozza]

Erm the Conservatives won the 1935 General Election with a majority of about 180 seats, the National Government as a whole with one of over 200...

I'm not really sure what you mean by a shift to the left in policy, Chamberlain advanced long-standing agendas. The key by-elections were also fought around policy.

I've never seen any serious case suggesting the National Government wouldn't have won in 1940.

 

[El Pip]

Never judge anything by British by-elections, for a large variety of reasons (local issues, safe way to 'kick' the government, etc) they very rarely reflect the national result.

 

[Thande]

I've been interested by this possibility also. I think in the long run it could reduce Labour's landslide in 1945 - one reason people reflexively voted for the opposition (even though they had been part of the National Government, but no-one ever said voters were rational) was because they had essentially enjoyed no more right to vote for their leaders than the Axis for ten years.

 

[RogueBeaver]

I thought it was because the Tories domestic program wasn't good enough for veterans among other things? Here in Canada, Mackenzie King kept the lid on the CCF in June 1945 by diluting their program (essentially the same as Lab, without overt socialism) with tax cuts and free trade.

 

[alt_historian]

I thought it was because the Tories domestic program wasn't good enough for veterans among other things? Here in Canada, Mackenzie King kept the lid on the CCF in June 1945 by diluting their program (essentially the same as Lab, without overt socialism) with tax cuts and free trade.

Probably some of that, if you replace 'veterans' with 'everyone'. People wanted to fix things at home after fighting so hard, and Labour looked like the best bet to do that. Well, I say 'people' - in terms of vote percentage, the result was relatively close.

I'd agree with Thande that it might reduce the Labour landslide - given a pre-war or start-of-war election, the existing government would have more democratic legitimacy.