Created for the 1885 general election, Henley had been won by the Conservative candidate at every election except for 1906; when it was won by a Liberal. Liberal candidate Sir Henry Rew came very close to winning at both the 1922 and 1923 general elections. The Labour Party, had only ever run candidates at the two previous elections, 1929 and 1931, finishing in third place on both occasions. At the last election, the Conservative victory was comfortable.
