# Gerald Bailey

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{{Short description|British politician}}
'''Vernon Gerald Bailey''' (1903 – 12 May 1975), was a prominent British peace campaigner and [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_(UK)) politician who was an early pioneer of a [Popular Front](/source/Popular_Front_(UK)) later advocated by [Sir Stafford Cripps](/source/Sir_Stafford_Cripps).

He was the son of Vernon Bailey of [Clitheroe](/source/Clitheroe), [Lancashire](/source/Lancashire). He was educated at Bootham School, [York](/source/York) and [Clare College, Cambridge](/source/Clare_College%2C_Cambridge).<ref>The Times House of Commons, 1929</ref>

He was the Liberal candidate for the [Petersfield](/source/Petersfield_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) Division of Hampshire at the 1929 General Election.
{{Election box begin| 
  |title=[General Election 1929](/source/1929_United_Kingdom_general_election): Petersfield<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S.</ref>
Electorate 41,587
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [Rt Hon. William Graham Nicholson](/source/William_Graham_Nicholson)
  |votes      = 15,605
  |percentage = 55.0
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Party (UK)
  |candidate  = '''Vernon Gerald Bailey'''
  |votes      = 9,334
  |percentage = 32.9
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Getrude Speedwell Massingham
  |votes      = 3,418
  |percentage = 12.1
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      = 6,271
  |percentage = 22.1
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      = 
  |percentage = 68.2
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}
He was a [Quaker](/source/Quaker) and a committed pacifist. In 1930 he was appointed the Directing Secretary of the [National Peace Council](/source/National_Peace_Council_(United_Kingdom)).
Bailey was re-selected by Petersfield Liberals to contest the next General Election. Following the formation of the National Government in September 1931 a general election was called. Bailey started his campaign, but when it became clear that his Conservative opponent was being endorsed by not only the Conservative leader [Stanley Baldwin](/source/Stanley_Baldwin) but also the Prime Minister [Ramsay MacDonald](/source/Ramsay_MacDonald), Bailey withdrew on 14 October.<ref>Hull Daily Mail, 14 Oct 1931</ref> 
Bailey believed that the Conservative dominated National Government could only be defeated if supporters of the Liberal and Labour parties came together locally to support a single candidate. To this end he stood as an [Independent Progressive](/source/Independent_Progressive) candidate for the [Aldershot](/source/Aldershot_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) Division of Hampshire at the 1935 General Election. His candidature had the support of both local Liberal and Labour parties. 
{{Election box begin| 
  |title=[General Election 1935](/source/1935_United_Kingdom_general_election): Aldershot<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S.</ref>
Electorate 41,376
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [Rt Hon. Viscount Wolmer](/source/Roundell_Palmer%2C_Viscount_Wolmer)
  |votes      = 17,730
  |percentage = 73.4
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Independent Progressive
  |candidate  = '''Vernon Gerald Bailey'''
  |votes      = 6,421
  |percentage = 26.6
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      = 11,309
  |percentage = 46.8
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      = 
  |percentage = 58.4
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}
In 1948 he played a leading role at Geneva in the formation of the World Union of Peace Organisations. In 1949 he resigned from his position at the National Peace Council. Bailey was the author of a number of books on Peace, including ''Peace with Russia?'' (1950), ''The Politics of Peace'' (1963) and ''Problems of peace'' (1970).

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Vernon Gerald}}
Category:1903 births
Category:1975 deaths
Category:Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
Category:Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gerald Bailey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bailey) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bailey?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.