The election was caused by the bankruptcy of Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne Cornelius Homan. Although Homan had only represented the constituency since the 1924 general election, Ashton had been represented by Conservatives for many years, and Labour had never taken the seat.
Cornelius Homan's bankruptcy as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne led to the election. Despite representing the constituency only since the 1924 general election, Ashton was consistently represented by Conservatives over many years, while Labour never secured the seat.