 The seat was considered a marginal, having been won at the 1945 general election from the Conservatives, who had held it since the 1924 general election.Labour selected as its candidate Sir Richard Acland, a baronet and former Liberal MP for Barnstaple.He had left the Liberal Party in 1942 to found the socialist Common Wealth Party, which polled well in war-time by-elections, but won only one seat at the 1945 general election.