John Boyd Orr Independent Walter Elliot Unionist

The seat had become vacant on 16 October 1946 when the independent Member of Parliament (MP) Sir John Boyd Orr had resigned by the procedural device of accepting the post of Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds, a notional 'office of profit under the crown' which is used as a procedural device to enable MPs to resign from the Commons.

After his resignation, Boyd took up the position of Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

The Unionist candidate was Walter Elliot, who had been MP for Glasgow Kelvingrove for more than 20 years, until his narrow defeat at the 1945 general election.

Elliot held the seat until the university constituencies were abolished for the 1950 general election.