Constituency : Dorset East 1929-31
Alec took Dorset East from the Tories at the second attempt. He won by 277 votes in a three-cornered contest.
Alec was a Congregationalist minister's son from Yorkshire. He was educated at Penistone Grammar School. He became an elocution tutor .He served in World War One and was mentioned in despatches. He stood in East Dorset in 1924 and raised the Liberal vote against the trend in a three-cornered contest. He campaigned on Lloyd George's plans to develop the energy industries. He was a lay preacher. He had inherited wealth from potteries around Poole.
Alec supported a Ministry of Defence as a stepping stone towards disarmament. He was appointed a government whip in 1931.
Alec wanted to stand as a National candidate in the general election without reference to party. Macdonald supported him. He made a late decision to join the Liberal Nationals in the hope the Tories would step down but the previous MP wanted his seat back and Alec was fairly narrowly defeated in a three -cornered contest.
Alec immediately rejoined the official Liberals after his defeat.
Alec held high office in the Congregational church nationally.
Alec was one of the tallest MPs.
Alec suffered from blindness in later years.
He died in 1970 aged 82. He was John le Carre's uncle; his nephew described him as " a pompous arse" and "a vain and natty dresser with a great sense of his social importance".
That concludes our look at the victors of 1929. The Liberals won no by-elections in the 1929-31 Parliament so we move to the winners in 1931.
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