It was one a series of by-elections in World War II won by radical independent candidates.

The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Sir Edward Ruggles-Brise, had died on 12 May, aged 59.

Driberg was well known as the Daily Express columnist "William Hickey" and had a home in Bradwell-on-Sea – the only candidate who lived in the constituency.

[4] Matthews supported Churchill's Coalition government but felt that it was too dominated by the Conservatives and wanted it to be more progressive in nature.

The rejection of the government candidate was widely linked to the Axis capture of Tobruk only a few days beforehand, the latest in a string of British defeats, although Driberg denied that this had been a major factor.