Bootle by-election, 1911
Encyclopedia
The Bootle by-election, 1911 was a by-election
held for the British House of Commons
constituency
of Bootle
in Merseyside
on 27 March 1911. It was won by the Conservative Party
candidate Andrew Bonar Law.
Member of Parliament (MP), 73-year-old Thomas Myles Sandys
had resigned
from the House of Commons by the procedural device of accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Northstead, a notional 'office of profit under the crown'. He had held the seat since the 1885 general election
, and died on 18 October 1911.
constituency of Dulwich
until December 1910. The Liberal Party
candidate was Max Muspratt
, a 39-year-old chemist
who had been MP for Liverpool Exchange
from January 1910 until his defeat at the December 1910 election.
, and was elected in the Glasgow Central
constituency.
Later in 1911, Bonar Law was elected as Leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons
, and went on to hold a series of ministerial positions before becoming Prime Minister
for seven months from 1922 to 1923
In the General Election December 1910, Thomas Myles Sandys
, Conservative
was elected unopposed.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held for 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...
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 Bootle
Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)
Bootle is a borough 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. Since 1990 the MP has been Joe Benton of the Labour Party...
in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
on 27 March 1911. It was won by 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...
candidate Andrew Bonar Law.
Vacancy
The seat had become vacant on 13 March 1911 when the sitting ConservativeConservative 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...
Member of Parliament (MP), 73-year-old Thomas Myles Sandys
Thomas Myles Sandys
Colonel Thomas Myles Sandys was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911....
had resigned
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
from the House of Commons by the procedural device of accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Northstead, a notional 'office of profit under the crown'. He had held the seat since the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, and died on 18 October 1911.
Candidates
The Conservative candidate was 52-year-old Andrew Bonar Law, who had been MP for the South LondonSouth London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
constituency of Dulwich
Dulwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Dulwich was a borough constituency in the Dulwich area of South London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
until December 1910. The 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...
candidate was Max Muspratt
Max Muspratt
Sir Max Muspratt, 1st Baronet was a British chemist and a politician in the city of Liverpool, England.He was born at Seaforth Hall, Liverpool, the son of Edmund Knowles Muspratt and his wife Frances...
, a 39-year-old chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who had been MP for Liverpool Exchange
Liverpool Exchange (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Exchange was a borough constituency within the city of Liverpool in England, centred around Liverpool Exchange railway station. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.The...
from January 1910 until his defeat at the December 1910 election.
Result
The result was a victory for the Conservative candidate, Andrew Bonar Law, who won the seat with 56% of the votes. He did not contest Bootle in 1918United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, and was elected in the Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Central is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . In its current form, the constituency was first used in the general election of 2005, but there was also a Glasgow Central constituency from 1885 to 1997.- Boundaries :The Redistribution of Seats Act...
constituency.
Later in 1911, Bonar Law was elected as Leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons
Leaders of the Conservative Party
The Leader of the Conservative Party is the most senior politician within the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. The post is currently held by David Cameron, who s eeded Michael Howard in 2005, and who since 2010 is also the serving Prime Minister....
, and went on to hold a series of ministerial positions before becoming Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
for seven months from 1922 to 1923
Votes
General election of December 1910In the General Election December 1910, Thomas Myles Sandys
Thomas Myles Sandys
Colonel Thomas Myles Sandys was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911....
, Conservative
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...
was elected unopposed.
See also
- Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)Bootle is a borough 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. Since 1990 the MP has been Joe Benton of the Labour Party...
- BootleBootleBootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
- Bootle by-elections, 1990Bootle by-elections, 1990The two Bootle by-elections were held during 1990, for the British House of Commons constituency of Bootle in Merseyside.Bootle was one of Labour's safest seats, held by the party since 1945.-May by-election:...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections