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3 unusual facts about resignation from the British House of Commons


Herbert Fisher

Fisher resigned his seat in parliament through appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds on 15 February 1926, retiring from politics to take up the post of warden of New College, Oxford, which he held until his death.

Richard Chaloner, 1st Baron Gisborough

He retained this seat until 18 June 1917, when he was made Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, a post that expelled him from the Commons, thus effectively resigning from the Commons.

Tom Williamson, Baron Williamson

He resigned his seat in 1948, and the resulting by-election was won by Labour's Lance Mallalieu.


Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977

The Birmingham Stechford by-election, in Birmingham, on 31 March 1977 was held after Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Jenkins resigned his seat following his appointment as President of the European Commission.

Cheltenham by-election, 1928

He held the seat until his resignation from the House of Commons in 1937, triggering another by-election in Chelternham.

Combined Scottish Universities by-election, 1945

The seat had become vacant on 6 March 1945 when the National Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) George Morrison had resigned by the procedural device of accepting the post of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, a notional 'office of profit under the crown' which is used as a procedural device to enable MPs to resign from the Commons.

David Davis by-election campaign, 2008

Davis formally stood down as an MP on 18 June 2008, by accepting the position of Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, which he immediately renounced in order to be able to stand for the by-election; this is the traditional method of resigning from Parliament, since MPs are not permitted to hold most positions in the gift of the Crown without approval from their constituencies.

Harry Morris, 1st Baron Morris of Kenwood

However, he resigned his seat four weeks later, on 20 March, (by taking the Stewardship of the Manor of Northstead) to make way for the former Solicitor General Sir Frank Soskice, whose Birkenhead East constituency had been abolished.

Inverness by-election, 1954

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton, by his application for the Chiltern Hundreds.

Kensington South by-election, 1968

The election was to fill a vacancy in the seat formerly held by Conservative MP William Roots, who resigned from Parliament in 1968 due to ill health.

Liverpool Abercromby by-election, 1917

The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Chaloner had taken the post of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds on 18 June 1917, thus effectively resigning from the Commons.

Sir Thomas Worsfold, 1st Baronet

He resigned from the House of Commons on 13 February 1923 by appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds.


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