1931 Westminster St George's by-election

The seat had become vacant on 14 February when the constituency's Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, died aged 62.

He had sat for the constituency since the 1929 general election, having previously been MP for Colchester since 1910; he had served in the cabinets of David Lloyd George and Stanley Baldwin during the 1920s.

The split in the right-wing vote between Conservative and UEP candidates at the Islington East by-election in February 1931 had allowed Labour to hold a seat they had been expected to lose.

However the same evening William Bridgeman urged Baldwin to remain as leader and suggested he contest the by-election.

[2] The eventual Conservative candidate was Alfred Duff Cooper, who had been MP for Oldham from 1924 until his defeat in 1929.

Cannadine who has highlighted the significance of the speech in the relationship between politicians and the press argued that comparing the press with a harlot was "devastating" especially "coming from Baldwin, whose public persona was that of an honest, decent Christian gentleman of unimpeachable character and integrity.