Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1923
Encyclopedia
The Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election of 31 May 1923 was a by-election
to the British House of Commons
which saw Mabel Philipson
become the third woman to take her seat in Parliament. The election was caused when her husband, Hilton Philipson
, was deprived of his seat due to corruption by his election agent. The result was formally a Conservative Party
gain as husband and wife fought as members of different parties. Mrs Philipson, a former actress, performed much better at the polls than her party had expected.
, the contest in the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency
had attracted some wider attention as the seat was fought between two candidates both representing strands of the same Liberal Party
. Former cabinet minister
Walter Runciman
was the official party nominee, selected at the last minute after the sitting MP stood down, while Hilton Philipson
was nominated as a 'National Liberal
' supported by David Lloyd George
. The local branch of the Conservative Party
, while initially hesitant, later "[flung] themselves wholeheartedly into the fight" supporting Philipson.
The result of the election on 15 November 1922 was:
was lodged challenging the election of Philipson on the grounds of excessive expenditure. The legal maximum spending by any candidate was £850, and Philipson returned spending totalling £985; he was entitled to exclude his personal expenses (amounting to £72) and an allowance of £75 towards his election agent from the legal maximum, which meant that the spending reported by Philipson was £838 and therefore within the legal limit. However, the petitioners (two Independent Liberals, Brigadier-General Widdrington and Professor Bosanquet) alleged that Philipson's election agent
had agreed with a local printer to lower the printing bill by £100 below market rate so that the campaign would not exceed the legal maximum.
The petition came to trial in April 1923, with the petitioners stressing that Captain Philipson was not accused of any wrongdoing, and nor was there any accusation of corruption or 'treating
'. On 2 May, the three Judges hearing the petition declared the election void, having found that the return of expenses was false. Philipson was given relief against the finding that his election campaign had been corrupt, but his election agent Thomas Boal was reported for corrupt and illegal practices.
Mrs Philipson was formerly Miss Mabel Russell, and a well-known actress, before her marriage. which included being the leading Lady in Gerald du Maurier
's play "London Pride". She was already known in the constituency for supporting her husband, and for having a genuine interest in farming; she and her husband ran a model farm in Esher
. The fact that she came from a relatively poor background helped her considerably. It was no secret that she was willing to stand in order to keep the seat ready for her husband's eventual return.
The committee of Berwick-upon-Tweed Liberal Association on 7 May recommended as their candidate Captain the Hon. Harold Robson, who was the son of former Liberal Minister Lord Robson
. Robson was educated at Eton
and Oxford
, had been called to the Bar
in 1910, and had been awarded the Croix de Guerre
during World War I
. Robson was formally adopted, unanimously, on 10 May.
It was known early on that the Labour Party
intended to stand a candidate, and the Berwick Labour Party adopted Councillor Gilbert Oliver as its candidate at a meeting in Alnwick
on 12 May. Oliver was originally from Wooler
, in the division, and had been a member of Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council for four years; he was 56 at the time of the election and a working tailor.
to elect a new Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed was moved in the House of Commons on 15 May. That night Mrs Philipson opened her campaign in Berwick with a "spirited" attack on the Labour attitude. She concentrated on building up personal contact with electors, especially the less fortunate, whom she told about the activities of Labour Members of Parliament such as Walton Newbold
"shrieking about making the streets run with blood".
The Liberals started the campaign optimistically, thinking that they could rely on the 7,000 votes obtained by Runciman the previous November as a base, while some of the National Liberal votes would not support a Conservative, and that the presence of a Labour candidate would harm the Conservatives. Robson conducted day-wide motor tours of the constituency, speaking on foreign affairs where he opposed the French occupation of the Ruhr
and called for an independent settlement with Germany.
Labour was thought to have a solid base in the constituency, in which there were 3,000 miners and 2,000 railwaymen, although the largest element in the workforce were 7,000 agricultural workers who were thought 'slow to change'. Oliver was reckoned to be the most fluent and politically knowledgeable of the candidates, and refuted claims of far left links, declaring "I am no Bolshevist, neither am I a patriotic tub-thumper" when he opened his campaign on 18 May. When Conservative Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law was taken ill, Oliver paid tribute to his "transparent honesty" and gave hopes for a speedy recovery.
All three candidates handed in their nominations on 23 May together, with the parties each producing multiple forms in order to demonstrate their support. Philipson had 44 nomination papers, Robson 35, and Oliver had 12. The candidates kept up a hectic schedule of public meetings in the towns and villages in the division; on Tuesday 29 May Robson addressed ten separate meetings, while Oliver addressed eight (for a total of 50 since the beginning of the campaign).
who accused the Liberals of having no policy. The Northumberland branch of the National Farmers Union sent Robson a questionnaire about his views, to which he replied with answers that The Times
correspondent considered would be thought unfavourable by the farmers. By contrast, Philipson confidently promoted Government policy as helping farmers.
The visit proved abortive with Robson distinctly cool about a Liberal reunion; he preferred to rely on a letter of support from the former Liberal MP for the division, Viscount Grey
.
Mrs Philipson therefore became the third woman MP. Her election had been expected but the majority had not; the Conservatives were said to have underestimated her vote, and overestimated the Liberal vote, by 2,000. Labour was reckoned to have performed adequately in a constituency it had not previously fought and where conducting an election campaign was very difficult.
So large was the crowd welcoming the Mrs Philipson back to her hotel in Berwick after the close of poll, that she had difficulty making her way through and received a black eye
from an accidental blow from a policeman's elbow while he was trying to clear a way for her. The strain of the campaign caused her to lose her voice, and she delayed taking her seat until Thursday 7 June. When she did, the public gallery was crowded with "a wonderful collection of young women" said to be "gaily apparelled".
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to 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...
which saw Mabel Philipson
Mabel Philipson
Mabel Philipson was a British actress and politician. She was the third female member to serve in the House of Commons after this became legally possible in 1918, representing Berwick-upon-Tweed....
become the third woman to take her seat in Parliament. The election was caused when her husband, Hilton Philipson
Hilton Philipson
Hilton Philipson was a politician in the United Kingdom.Standing as a National Liberal Party candidate, he was elected at the 1922 general election as Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed, but the election was overturned on petition. At the resulting by-election, his wife Mabel stood as...
, was deprived of his seat due to corruption by his election agent. The result was formally a Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
gain as husband and wife fought as members of different parties. Mrs Philipson, a former actress, performed much better at the polls than her party had expected.
Previous election
At the 1922 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, the contest in the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency
Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
had attracted some wider attention as the seat was fought between two candidates both representing strands of the same Liberal Party
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...
. Former cabinet minister
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
Walter Runciman
Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford
Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford PC was a prominent Liberal, later National Liberal politician in the United Kingdom from the 1900s until the 1930s.-Background:...
was the official party nominee, selected at the last minute after the sitting MP stood down, while Hilton Philipson
Hilton Philipson
Hilton Philipson was a politician in the United Kingdom.Standing as a National Liberal Party candidate, he was elected at the 1922 general election as Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed, but the election was overturned on petition. At the resulting by-election, his wife Mabel stood as...
was nominated as a 'National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
' supported by David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
. The local branch of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, while initially hesitant, later "[flung] themselves wholeheartedly into the fight" supporting Philipson.
The result of the election on 15 November 1922 was:
Election petition
On 6 January 1923, an election petitionElection petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
was lodged challenging the election of Philipson on the grounds of excessive expenditure. The legal maximum spending by any candidate was £850, and Philipson returned spending totalling £985; he was entitled to exclude his personal expenses (amounting to £72) and an allowance of £75 towards his election agent from the legal maximum, which meant that the spending reported by Philipson was £838 and therefore within the legal limit. However, the petitioners (two Independent Liberals, Brigadier-General Widdrington and Professor Bosanquet) alleged that Philipson's election agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
had agreed with a local printer to lower the printing bill by £100 below market rate so that the campaign would not exceed the legal maximum.
The petition came to trial in April 1923, with the petitioners stressing that Captain Philipson was not accused of any wrongdoing, and nor was there any accusation of corruption or 'treating
Treating
Treating, in law, is the act of serving food, drink, and other refreshments as a method of influencing people for political gain. In various countries, treating is considered a form of corruption, and is illegal as such....
'. On 2 May, the three Judges hearing the petition declared the election void, having found that the return of expenses was false. Philipson was given relief against the finding that his election campaign had been corrupt, but his election agent Thomas Boal was reported for corrupt and illegal practices.
Candidates
The law provided that, even if given relief, a candidate who had been elected through corruption was disqualified for seven years in the constituency. Immediately the result was known, it was speculated in Berwick that Mrs Philipson might stand for the seat vacated by her husband; however she insisted that she would only stand as a Conservative. On Saturday 5 May, the Central Council of the Berwick-upon-Tweed Unionist Association unanimously adopted her as their candidate for the forthcoming by-election. Mrs Philipson arrived in Berwick on 9 May to meet members of the Unionist club, telling them that although not brilliant at making a speech, she could fight in a good cause.Mrs Philipson was formerly Miss Mabel Russell, and a well-known actress, before her marriage. which included being the leading Lady in Gerald du Maurier
Gerald du Maurier
Sir Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier was an English actor and manager. He was the son of the writer George du Maurier and brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies. In 1902, he married the actress Muriel Beaumont with whom he had three daughters: Angela du Maurier , Daphne du Maurier and Jeanne...
's play "London Pride". She was already known in the constituency for supporting her husband, and for having a genuine interest in farming; she and her husband ran a model farm in Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
. The fact that she came from a relatively poor background helped her considerably. It was no secret that she was willing to stand in order to keep the seat ready for her husband's eventual return.
The committee of Berwick-upon-Tweed Liberal Association on 7 May recommended as their candidate Captain the Hon. Harold Robson, who was the son of former Liberal Minister Lord Robson
William Robson, Baron Robson
William Snowdon Robson, Baron Robson PC was an English lawyer, judge and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1885 and 1910....
. Robson was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, had been called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in 1910, and had been awarded the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France)
The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 is a French military decoration.-Creation:Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Robson was formally adopted, unanimously, on 10 May.
It was known early on that the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
intended to stand a candidate, and the Berwick Labour Party adopted Councillor Gilbert Oliver as its candidate at a meeting in Alnwick
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
on 12 May. Oliver was originally from Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
, in the division, and had been a member of Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council for four years; he was 56 at the time of the election and a working tailor.
Campaign
The writ instructing the Returning OfficerReturning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
to elect a new Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed was moved in the House of Commons on 15 May. That night Mrs Philipson opened her campaign in Berwick with a "spirited" attack on the Labour attitude. She concentrated on building up personal contact with electors, especially the less fortunate, whom she told about the activities of Labour Members of Parliament such as Walton Newbold
Walton Newbold
John Turner Walton Newbold , known as Walton Newbold, was the first Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom to be elected as a Communist.-Early years:...
"shrieking about making the streets run with blood".
The Liberals started the campaign optimistically, thinking that they could rely on the 7,000 votes obtained by Runciman the previous November as a base, while some of the National Liberal votes would not support a Conservative, and that the presence of a Labour candidate would harm the Conservatives. Robson conducted day-wide motor tours of the constituency, speaking on foreign affairs where he opposed the French occupation of the Ruhr
Occupation of the Ruhr
The Occupation of the Ruhr between 1923 and 1925, by troops from France and Belgium, was a response to the failure of the German Weimar Republic under Chancellor Cuno to pay reparations in the aftermath of World War I.-Background:...
and called for an independent settlement with Germany.
Labour was thought to have a solid base in the constituency, in which there were 3,000 miners and 2,000 railwaymen, although the largest element in the workforce were 7,000 agricultural workers who were thought 'slow to change'. Oliver was reckoned to be the most fluent and politically knowledgeable of the candidates, and refuted claims of far left links, declaring "I am no Bolshevist, neither am I a patriotic tub-thumper" when he opened his campaign on 18 May. When Conservative Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law was taken ill, Oliver paid tribute to his "transparent honesty" and gave hopes for a speedy recovery.
All three candidates handed in their nominations on 23 May together, with the parties each producing multiple forms in order to demonstrate their support. Philipson had 44 nomination papers, Robson 35, and Oliver had 12. The candidates kept up a hectic schedule of public meetings in the towns and villages in the division; on Tuesday 29 May Robson addressed ten separate meetings, while Oliver addressed eight (for a total of 50 since the beginning of the campaign).
Agriculture
While Philipson was supported by many of the largest farmers in the division, and Oliver appealed for the votes of agricultural workers by calling for a wages board to increase their pay, Robson's manifesto did not mention agriculture at all. This omission was seized on by visiting speaker Sir Thomas InskipThomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote
Thomas Walker Hobart Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote CBE, PC, KC was a British politician who served in many legal posts, culminating in serving as Lord Chancellor from 1939 until 1940...
who accused the Liberals of having no policy. The Northumberland branch of the National Farmers Union sent Robson a questionnaire about his views, to which he replied with answers that The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
correspondent considered would be thought unfavourable by the farmers. By contrast, Philipson confidently promoted Government policy as helping farmers.
Liberal reunion
Because of her husband's involvement with the National Liberal Party, many National Liberals supported Philipson over Robson in the byelection; local National Liberals appeared on her platform and the local branch passed a resolution expressing support. This move was not encouraged by the national headquarters of the party, which had an eye on the eventual reunion of the Liberal Party. National Liberal MPs decided to offer Robson any assistance he might require. When a delegation of National Liberals turned up on 23 May to support Robson, the local National Liberals protested at the intrusion into their affairs.The visit proved abortive with Robson distinctly cool about a Liberal reunion; he preferred to rely on a letter of support from the former Liberal MP for the division, Viscount Grey
Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon
Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon KG, PC, FZL, DL , better known as Sir Edward Grey, Bt, was a British Liberal statesman. He served as Foreign Secretary from 1905 to 1916, the longest continuous tenure of any person in that office...
.
Result
The result was declared on 1 June:Mrs Philipson therefore became the third woman MP. Her election had been expected but the majority had not; the Conservatives were said to have underestimated her vote, and overestimated the Liberal vote, by 2,000. Labour was reckoned to have performed adequately in a constituency it had not previously fought and where conducting an election campaign was very difficult.
So large was the crowd welcoming the Mrs Philipson back to her hotel in Berwick after the close of poll, that she had difficulty making her way through and received a black eye
Black eye
A black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
from an accidental blow from a policeman's elbow while he was trying to clear a way for her. The strain of the campaign caused her to lose her voice, and she delayed taking her seat until Thursday 7 June. When she did, the public gallery was crowded with "a wonderful collection of young women" said to be "gaily apparelled".
See also
- Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1941Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1941The Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1941 was a parliamentary by-election held on 18 August 1941 for the British House of Commons constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed.- Previous MP :...
- Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1944Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1944The Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1944 was a parliamentary by-election held on 17 October 1944 for the British House of Commons constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed.- Previous MP :...
- Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1973Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1973The Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1973 was a parliamentary by-election held on 8 November 1973 for the British House of Commons constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed. It was one of four UK by-elections held on the same day....