Philip Guedalla
Politics
Politics
--------

Guedalla was a parliamentary candidate for the [Liberal Party](/wiki/Liberal_Party_%28UK%29 "Liberal Party (UK)") five times, always unsuccessfully.
He first stood for Parliament as a Liberal at the [1922 general election](/wiki/1922_United_Kingdom_general_election "1922 United Kingdom general election") in [Hackney North](/wiki/Hackney_North_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29 "Hackney North (UK Parliament constituency)") in a straight fight with the incumbent [Conservative](/wiki/Conservative_Party_%28UK%29 "Conservative Party (UK)") [Sir Walter Greene](/wiki/Sir_Walter_Greene%2C_2nd_Baronet "Sir Walter Greene, 2nd Baronet"), MP. Greene held the seat with a majority of 4,615 votes.[F W S Craig](/wiki/F_W_S_Craig "F W S Craig"), *British Parliamentary Election Results 1918\-1949*; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p. 21

At the [1923 general election](/wiki/1923_United_Kingdom_general_election "1923 United Kingdom general election") Guedalla was adopted as Liberal candidate for the [Derbyshire North East](/wiki/North_East_Derbyshire_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29 "North East Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)") constituency. This looked as if it might be a winnable seat for the Liberals as at the [general election of 1922](/wiki/1922_United_Kingdom_general_election "1922 United Kingdom general election") the Liberal candidate [Stanley Holmes](/wiki/Stanley_Holmes%2C_1st_Baron_Dovercourt "Stanley Holmes, 1st Baron Dovercourt") had come within 15 votes of taking the seat from [Labour](/wiki/Labour_Party_%28UK%29 "Labour Party (UK)") in a three\-cornered contest. Despite the boost the Liberals had received in the run\-up to the 1923 general election with the reunion of the [Lloyd George](/wiki/David_Lloyd_George "David Lloyd George") and [Asquithian](/wiki/H_H_Asquith "H H Asquith") wings of the party, Guedalla was unable to gain Derbyshire North East and fell to the foot of the poll behind the Conservatives. 

He tried again in Derbyshire North East at the [1924 general election](/wiki/1924_United_Kingdom_general_election "1924 United Kingdom general election") but again came third behind the [Tories](/wiki/Conservative_Party_%28UK%29 "Conservative Party (UK)") in a three\-cornered fight.F W S Craig, op cit p. 324

Guedalla next attempted to enter the [House of Commons](/wiki/House_of_Commons_%28United_Kingdom%29 "House of Commons (United Kingdom)") as Liberal candidate for [Manchester Rusholme](/wiki/Manchester_Rusholme_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29 "Manchester Rusholme (UK Parliament constituency)") at the [1929 general election](/wiki/1929_United_Kingdom_general_election "1929 United Kingdom general election"). This had been a Liberal seat between 1923 and 1924 having been held by [Charles Masterman](/wiki/Charles_Masterman "Charles Masterman") a former Liberal [Cabinet minister](/wiki/Cabinet_%28government%29 "Cabinet (government)"). Guedalla maintained second place behind the sitting Tory MP Sir [Frank Boyd Merriman](/wiki/Frank_Boyd_Merriman "Frank Boyd Merriman") but was unable to regain the seat.F W S Craig, op cit p. 192 

At the [1931 general election](/wiki/1931_United_Kingdom_general_election "1931 United Kingdom general election") Guedalla moved constituencies again, this time to nearby [Manchester Withington](/wiki/Manchester_Withington_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29 "Manchester Withington (UK Parliament constituency)"). This was a Liberal seat, held between 1923–1924 and 1929\-1931 by [Ernest Simon](/wiki/Ernest_Simon%2C_1st_Baron_Simon_of_Wythenshawe "Ernest Simon, 1st Baron Simon of Wythenshawe"). However, in the summer of 1931 an economic crisis led to the formation of a [National Government](/wiki/National_Government_%28UK%29 "National Government (UK)") led by [prime minister](/wiki/Prime_minister "Prime minister") [Ramsay MacDonald](/wiki/Ramsay_MacDonald "Ramsay MacDonald") supported by a small number of [National Labour](/wiki/National_Labour_Organisation "National Labour Organisation") MPs and initially backed by the Conservative and Liberal parties. In many constituencies the main opposition party to Labour simply assumed the mantle of the Coalition government but in Manchester the Conservative and Liberal parties could not work together to agree an electoral pact, even in the unique circumstances of the national emergency.*The Times*, 14 October 1931 p. 6 So Guedalla found himself opposed by [Edward Fleming](/wiki/Edward_Fleming "Edward Fleming") for the Conservatives who won the seat comfortably with a majority of 14,718\.F W S Craig, op cit p. 194

In 1936 he was elected to serve on the Liberal Party Council.*The Liberal Magazine*, 1936


What were the consequences of Guedalla's repeated unsuccessful attempts to enter Parliament?