The Times'' reported, "With the forthcoming fusion of the Caithness and Sutherland Conservative Associations it is certain that there will be no by-election in this constituency. Backed by the unanimous support of both associations, Mr. E.L. Gandar Dower, the Conservative MP for Caithness and Sutherland, will hold his seat probably until the next General Election." At a 15 September 1948 meeting of his local Conservative Association, Gandar Dower attempted to bring matters to a head by calling on the association to renominate him as the Conservative candidate for a by-election that he now intended to trigger. He was overwhelmingly defeated, with only 8 members voting for him to follow through with this course of action and numerous members expressing their dissatisfaction. In response to this, he declared that he would be standing at the next general election as an Independent, and from 3 October 1948, he withdrew from the Conservative whip. On 12 December 1948, the Caithness and Sutherland Conservatives selected David Robertson to replace Gandar Dower. In the event, Gandar Dower decided not to seek re-election at all, and he retired at the 1950 general election. Family Gandar Dower's brother, Alan, also served as a Conservative member of parliament, while another, Kenneth, was a leading explorer and navigator. They used different versions of their surname: Gandar Dower, Dower and Gandar-Dower respectively. References External links Audio clip of BBC interview with Gandar Dower 1894 births 1987 deaths Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs UK MPs 1945–1950 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II 20th-century Scottish businesspeople Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Alumni of RADA People educated at Brighton College Royal Air Force officers