Arfon by-election, 1911
Encyclopedia
The Arfon by-election, 1911 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 11 February 1911 for the Arfon division of Caernarvonshire
in North Wales
, a constituency
of the British House of Commons
. It was the first by-election to be held after the December 1910 general election.
The by-election was held because the sitting Liberal
Member of Parliament (MP) William Jones
had been appointed as a Junior Lord of the Treasury in H. H. Asquith
's Liberal government
, and until the 1920s MPs appointed to positions in government had to seek re-election. Jones had held the seat since the 1895 general election
, and at the by-election he was re-elected unopposed.
Jones died in 1915, triggering another by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 11 February 1911 for the Arfon division of Caernarvonshire
Arfon (UK Parliament constituency)
Arfon is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Although the constituency is relatively large by geographical area, it is a predominantly urban rather than rural seat, with the majority of the population living in the two towns on which the constituency is...
in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, a constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. It was the first by-election to be held after the December 1910 general election.
The by-election was held because the sitting Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Member of Parliament (MP) William Jones
William Jones (Liberal politician)
William Jones was a British Liberal Party politician.-Early history:Jones was born in 1857 at Ceint Bach near Llangefni in Wales to Richard and Alice Jones...
had been appointed as a Junior Lord of the Treasury in H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
's Liberal government
First Asquith ministry
-The Cabinet:Changes*September 1908 - Lord Wolverhampton succeeds Lord Tweedmouth as Lord President. Lord FitzMaurice succeeds Lord Wolverhampton as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster....
, and until the 1920s MPs appointed to positions in government had to seek re-election. Jones had held the seat since the 1895 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
, and at the by-election he was re-elected unopposed.
Jones died in 1915, triggering another by-election
Arfon by-election, 1915
The Arfon by-election, 1915 was a parliamentary by-election held on 6 July 1915 for the Arfon division of Caernarvonshire in North Wales, a constituency of the British House of Commons....
See also
- Arfon (UK Parliament constituency)Arfon (UK Parliament constituency)Arfon is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Although the constituency is relatively large by geographical area, it is a predominantly urban rather than rural seat, with the majority of the population living in the two towns on which the constituency is...
- Arfon by-election, 1915Arfon by-election, 1915The Arfon by-election, 1915 was a parliamentary by-election held on 6 July 1915 for the Arfon division of Caernarvonshire in North Wales, a constituency of the British House of Commons....
- Caernarvonshire
- List of United Kingdom by-elections