View source for 1934 Merthyr by-election

{{Short description|UK parliamentary by-election}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2021}}

{{Infobox election
  |election_name      = 1934 Merthyr by-election
  |type               = parliamentary
  |country            = United Kingdom
  |seats_for_election = Constituency of [[Merthyr (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr]]
  |ongoing            = no
  |previous_election  = 1931 United Kingdom general election
  |previous_year      = 1931
  |election_date      = 5 June 1934
  |candidate1         = '''[[S. O. Davies]]'''
  |image1             = [[File:S.O. Davies portrait (3x4 crop).jpg|x160px]]
  |party1             = Welsh Labour
  |popular_vote1      = '''18,645'''
  |percentage1        = '''51.8%'''
  |swing1             = {{color|black|''N/A''}}
  |candidate2         = J. Victor Evans
  |image2             = <div style="width:120px;"><span style="line-height:160px; vertical-align:center; text-align:center; color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}; font-size:35px;"> '''Lib'''</span></div>
  |party2             = Liberal Party (UK)
  |popular_vote2      = 10,376
  |percentage2        = 28.9%
  |swing2             = {{color|black|''New''}}
  |candidate4         = [[Campbell Stephen]]
  |image4             = <div style="width:120px;"><span style="line-height:160px; vertical-align:center; text-align:center; color:{{party color|Independent Labour Party}}; font-size:35px;"> '''ILP'''</span></div>
  |party4             = Independent Labour Party
  |popular_vote4      = 3,508
  |percentage4        = 9.8
  |swing4             = {{decrease}} 59.6%
  |candidate5         = [[Wal Hannington]]
  |image5             = [[File:Wal Hannington (3x4 crop).jpeg|x160px]]
  |party5             = Communist Party of Great Britain
  |popular_vote5      = 3,409
  |percentage5        = 9.5%
  |swing5             = {{color|black|''New''}}
  |title              = MP
  |posttitle          = Subsequent MP
  |before_election    = [[R. C. Wallhead]]
  |before_party       = Welsh Labour
  |after_election     = [[S. O. Davies]]
  |after_party        = Welsh Labour
  |turnout            = 81.1% ({{increase}} 0.3%)
  |next_election      = 1935 United Kingdom general election
  |next_year          = 1935
}}

The '''1934 Merthyr by-election''' was a [[by-election|parliamentary by-election]] held on 5 June 1934 for the [[British House of Commons]] [[United Kingdom constituencies|constituency]] of [[Merthyr (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr]] in [[Wales]].

The seat had become vacant when the [[Welsh Labour|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) [[Richard Wallhead]] had died on 27 April 1934, aged 64.  He had won the seat at the [[1922 United Kingdom general election|1922 general election]] as a Labour candidate.  At the [[1931 United Kingdom general election|1931 general election]], he had been returned as an [[Independent Labour Party (UK)|Independent Labour Party]] (ILP) candidate, but had rejoined the Labour Party in 1933.

The Labour candidate, [[S. O. Davies]], held the seat for his party.

==Result==
{{Election box begin|title=1934 Merthyr by-election<ref name="Craig, F. W. S. 1918-49">Craig, F. W. S. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (1 ed.). Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. {{ISBN|0-900178-019}}. Page 538</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Welsh Labour
  |candidate  = [[S. O. Davies]]
  |votes      = 18,645
  |percentage = 51.8
  |change     = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Party (UK)
  |candidate  = J. Victor Evans
  |votes      = 10,376
  |percentage = 28.9
  |change     = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Independent Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [[Campbell Stephen]]
  |votes      = 3,508
  |percentage = 9.8
  |change     = -59.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Communist Party of Great Britain
  |candidate  = [[Wal Hannington]]
  |votes      = 3,409
  |percentage = 9.5
  |change     = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      = 8,269
  |percentage = 22.9
  |change     = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      = 35,938
  |percentage = 81.1
  |change     = +0.3
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
  |reg. electors = 44,286
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
  |winner     = Welsh Labour
  |loser      = Independent Labour Party (UK)
  |swing      = +55.7
}}
{{Election box end}}

==See also==
* [[Merthyr (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr constituency]]
* [[Merthyr Tydfil]]
* [[Lists of United Kingdom by-elections]]
* [[United Kingdom by-election records]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |author-link= F. W. S. Craig  |title=British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 |orig-year=1969 |edition= 3rd |year=1983 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-06-X}}
* {{Rayment|external links=y|date=February 2012}}

{{By-elections to the 36th UK Parliament}}
{{Westminster by-elections in Wales 1900–1949}}

[[Category:1930s in Glamorgan]]
[[Category:1934 elections in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1934 in Wales]]
[[Category:1930s elections in Wales]]
[[Category:June 1934 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Politics of Merthyr Tydfil]]
[[Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Welsh constituencies]]