City of London by-election, 1922
Encyclopedia
The City of London by-election, 1922 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 19 May 1922 for the British House of Commons
constituency
of City of London
, which covered the "Square Mile
" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district.
The seat had become vacant on the elevation to the peerage of one of the constituency's two Conservative
Members of Parliament
(MPs), Arthur James Balfour, as the Earl of Balfour
.
Balfour had held the seat since a by-election in 1906
, following his defeat at Manchester East
in the 1906 general election
. He had also been Prime Minister
between 1902 and 1905.
, who had been Lord Mayor of London
in 1913, stood as an Independent Conservative
.
Curiously, Bowater would go on to be elected as the official Conservative candidate at a by-election in 1924
, and he and Grenfell would share the representation of the City until 1935.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 19 May 1922 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 City of London
City of London (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
, which covered the "Square Mile
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district.
The seat had become vacant on the elevation to the peerage of one of the constituency's two 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...
Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs), Arthur James Balfour, as the Earl of Balfour
Earl of Balfour
Earl of Balfour is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1922 for the prominent Conservative politician Arthur Balfour. He was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905 and Foreign Secretary from 1916 to 1919...
.
Balfour had held the seat since a by-election in 1906
City of London by-election, February 1906
The City of London by-election, February 1906 was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 February 1906 for the British House of Commons constituency of City of London, which covered the "Square Mile" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district....
, following his defeat at Manchester East
Manchester East (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester East was one of six single-member parliamentary constituencies created in 1885 by the division of the existing three-member Parliamentary Borough of Manchester...
in the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. He had also been 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...
between 1902 and 1905.
Candidates
The Conservative Party selected as its candidate Edward Charles Grenfell, who was a director of the Bank of England. Sir Thomas Vansittart BowaterThomas Vansittart Bowater
Sir Thomas Vansittart Bowater, 1st Baronet DL was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1913 to 1914 and as one of the City's Members of Parliament from 1924 to 1938.-Career:...
, who had been Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1913, stood as an Independent Conservative
Independent Conservative
Independent Conservative is a description allowed in British politics to denote party affiliation. It is used to designate a politician is conservative, yet independent of any political party, particularly of the Conservative Party....
.
Results
Turnout was unsurprisingly low in the first contested election in the City since the first 1910 general election. Grenfell won the seat by a convincing margin.Curiously, Bowater would go on to be elected as the official Conservative candidate at a by-election in 1924
City of London by-election, 1924
The City of London by-election, 1924 was a parliamentary by-election held on 1 February 1924 for the British House of Commons constituency of City of London, which covered the "Square Mile" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district....
, and he and Grenfell would share the representation of the City until 1935.
Votes
See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- City of London constituencyCity of London (UK Parliament constituency)The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
- City of London by-election, 1904City of London by-election, 1904The City of London by-election, 1904 was a parliamentary by-election held in England on 9 February 1904 for the House of Commons constituency of City of London....
- City of London by-election, February 1906City of London by-election, February 1906The City of London by-election, February 1906 was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 February 1906 for the British House of Commons constituency of City of London, which covered the "Square Mile" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district....
- City of London by-election, June 1906
- City of London by-election, 1924City of London by-election, 1924The City of London by-election, 1924 was a parliamentary by-election held on 1 February 1924 for the British House of Commons constituency of City of London, which covered the "Square Mile" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district....
- City of London by-election, 1935
- City of London by-election, 1938City of London by-election, 1938The City of London by-election, 1938 was a by-election held on 6 April 1938 for the British House of Commons constituency of City of London, which covered the "Square Mile" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district....
- City of London by-election, 1940City of London by-election, 1940The City of London by-election, 1940 was a by-election held on 5 February 1940 for the British House of Commons constituency of City of London, which covered the "Square Mile" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district....
- City of London by-election, 1945