Oldham by-election, 1925
Encyclopedia
The Oldham by-election, 1925 was a by-election
held on 24 June 1925 for the House of Commons
constituency of Oldham
. Oldham was at that time a two member constituency. The other seat was held by the Conservative
Duff Cooper
.
MP, Edward Grigg
, a former private secretary to David Lloyd George
, on appointment to be Governor of Kenya.
, a 54-year-old cotton manufacturer and former Mayor
of Middleton
in Lancashire
as their candidate. Wiggins had previously contested Oldham
as a Liberal. He fought the 1923 general election
alongside Grigg but came third and was not elected.
They had held one of the Oldham seats from 1922
to 1924
when their MP, William Tout, lost to Duff Cooper and they re-selected Tout for the by-election contest.
the Labour Party had for the first time stood two candidates in Oldham. The response from Unionists
and the Liberals was to put up only one candidate each to avoid splitting the vote against what was widely seen as a common socialist enemy. Edward Grigg openly allied with the Conservatives in what has been described as a ‘crusade against Labour’. The Unionists therefore had to decide whether to chance splitting the anti-Labour vote at the by-election by running their own candidate in opposition to Wiggins and they chose not to run the risk .
When Wiggins’ nomination papers were submitted it was noted that all his sponsors were known Liberals. They included Father Ivory of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and a number of Irish assenters. The Catholic community remained a strong source of support for the Liberal Party throughout this campaign. They were said to be susceptible to appeals against socialism because of the dangers inherent under a socialist regime to special religious interests. The Liberals made use of a statement by Cardinal Bourne
condemning class warfare in their campaign literature.
At this stage the Unionists were careful not to be formally associated with Wiggins’ nomination or to say publicly how they would advise their supporters to vote but leading local Conservatives were making no secret of their belief that normally Conservative voters would, in the circumstances of this by-election, support Wiggins as the anti-socialist candidate. Once the election was under way however the Unionists did issue a manifesto urging their supporters to give their unstinting support to the Liberal candidate.
, a central point of his campaign. This was consistent with his declared position as a Free Trader
but was also designed to help the Oldham Unionist Association with their decision on whether to run a candidate or not. Like Wiggins, many local Conservatives were prominent in the cotton trade and were against having to pay duties on silk and artificial silk. He also told the Oldham Liberals that he was would vote against any proposed expansion of the Safeguarding of Industries Act
another pledge which he knew would find support amongst both traditional Liberal free traders and Conservatives.
For Wiggins however, the essential battleground of the election was the struggle between what he and the Conservatives regarded as Constitutional government and socialism. Wiggins argued that Tout believed in the nationalisation of railways, mines and land, policies which went far beyond any Liberal approach and which amounted to socialism. David Lloyd George
speaking in support of Wiggins at Oldham on 20 June 1925 said that socialism was the plain issue in the election. He pointed out that when in Parliament Tout had voted for the nationalisation of all mills, factories and every shop of every description, including the co-operative stores. Now he had added land, mines and railways. The issue for Oldham, said Lloyd George, was whether they were in favour of taking all private property and the means of production and distribution and running it as a great department of State.
, as he did for example on the issue of the Gold Standard
and to point out to the electorate the inconsistency in Wiggins’ position as a Liberal fighting side by side with the Conservative Party yet seeking to go into opposition if elected. There was a concerted effort by Tout and other Labour politicians supporting him to make clear the contradictions in Wiggins’ position as a Free Trader reliant on the votes of supporters of a Conservative government which generally favoured tariff reform
. They did their best to make Wiggins' honesty and sincerity an election issue. Labour also urged working class voters to support the industrial and economic policies of the party to bring about positive and material improvements in their working conditions and social surroundings.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 24 June 1925 for the 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 of Oldham
Oldham (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. Oldham was at that time a two member constituency. The other seat was held by the 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...
Duff Cooper
Duff Cooper
Alfred Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich GCMG, DSO, PC , known as Duff Cooper, was a British Conservative Party politician, diplomat and author. He wrote six books, including an autobiography, Old Men Forget, and a biography of Talleyrand...
.
Vacancy
The election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting LiberalLiberal 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...
MP, Edward Grigg
Edward Grigg, 1st Baron Altrincham
Edward William Macleay Grigg, 1st Baron Altrincham, KCMG, KCVO, DSO, MC, PC was a British colonial administrator and politician.-Early years:...
, a former private secretary to David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, on appointment to be Governor of Kenya.
Liberals
The Liberals selected William WigginsWilliam Wiggins
William Martin Wiggins was a British Liberal politician and cotton manufacturer.-Birth and private life:Wiggins was born in Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, the son of the Reverend William Wiggins. He was educated privately. In 1896 he married Flora Coleman of Oldham in Lancashire...
, a 54-year-old cotton manufacturer and former Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Middleton
Middleton, Greater Manchester
Middleton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Irk, south-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
as their candidate. Wiggins had previously contested Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
as a Liberal. He fought the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
alongside Grigg but came third and was not elected.
Labour
Labour were keen to fight the by-election.They had held one of the Oldham seats from 1922
United 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...
to 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
when their MP, William Tout, lost to Duff Cooper and they re-selected Tout for the by-election contest.
Conservatives
At the 1924 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
the Labour Party had for the first time stood two candidates in Oldham. The response from Unionists
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...
and the Liberals was to put up only one candidate each to avoid splitting the vote against what was widely seen as a common socialist enemy. Edward Grigg openly allied with the Conservatives in what has been described as a ‘crusade against Labour’. The Unionists therefore had to decide whether to chance splitting the anti-Labour vote at the by-election by running their own candidate in opposition to Wiggins and they chose not to run the risk .
Lib-Con Pact?
The Liberals and the Conservatives insisted that no formal pact existed between them to stand only one candidate from each party in the two-member Oldham seat. But there clearly was a tacit understanding between them. In deciding not to run an candidate at the by-election, the Oldham Conservatives explained that “ ... in view of the attitude adopted by our party at the last election, we do not propose to nominate candidate at the forthcoming [by]-election ... ” There was a formal, written, arrangement between the parties concerning the standing of rival candidates in local elections and it is evident that Grigg and Cooper received a large measure of support from each other’s core supporters.When Wiggins’ nomination papers were submitted it was noted that all his sponsors were known Liberals. They included Father Ivory of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and a number of Irish assenters. The Catholic community remained a strong source of support for the Liberal Party throughout this campaign. They were said to be susceptible to appeals against socialism because of the dangers inherent under a socialist regime to special religious interests. The Liberals made use of a statement by Cardinal Bourne
Francis Bourne
Francis Alphonsus Bourne was an English prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Westminster from 1903 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.-Early life:...
condemning class warfare in their campaign literature.
At this stage the Unionists were careful not to be formally associated with Wiggins’ nomination or to say publicly how they would advise their supporters to vote but leading local Conservatives were making no secret of their belief that normally Conservative voters would, in the circumstances of this by-election, support Wiggins as the anti-socialist candidate. Once the election was under way however the Unionists did issue a manifesto urging their supporters to give their unstinting support to the Liberal candidate.
Wiggins
Wiggins said before the election writ was issued that he wished to make finance, particularly the government’s duties on silkSilk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, a central point of his campaign. This was consistent with his declared position as a Free Trader
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
but was also designed to help the Oldham Unionist Association with their decision on whether to run a candidate or not. Like Wiggins, many local Conservatives were prominent in the cotton trade and were against having to pay duties on silk and artificial silk. He also told the Oldham Liberals that he was would vote against any proposed expansion of the Safeguarding of Industries Act
Safeguarding of Industries Act 1921
The Safeguarding of Industries Act 1921 was an Act passed by the British Parliament which safeguarded certain key industries....
another pledge which he knew would find support amongst both traditional Liberal free traders and Conservatives.
For Wiggins however, the essential battleground of the election was the struggle between what he and the Conservatives regarded as Constitutional government and socialism. Wiggins argued that Tout believed in the nationalisation of railways, mines and land, policies which went far beyond any Liberal approach and which amounted to socialism. David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
speaking in support of Wiggins at Oldham on 20 June 1925 said that socialism was the plain issue in the election. He pointed out that when in Parliament Tout had voted for the nationalisation of all mills, factories and every shop of every description, including the co-operative stores. Now he had added land, mines and railways. The issue for Oldham, said Lloyd George, was whether they were in favour of taking all private property and the means of production and distribution and running it as a great department of State.
Tout
Tout’s job as an opposition candidate was to attack the government of Stanley BaldwinStanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
, as he did for example on the issue of the Gold Standard
Gold standard
The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
and to point out to the electorate the inconsistency in Wiggins’ position as a Liberal fighting side by side with the Conservative Party yet seeking to go into opposition if elected. There was a concerted effort by Tout and other Labour politicians supporting him to make clear the contradictions in Wiggins’ position as a Free Trader reliant on the votes of supporters of a Conservative government which generally favoured tariff reform
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
. They did their best to make Wiggins' honesty and sincerity an election issue. Labour also urged working class voters to support the industrial and economic policies of the party to bring about positive and material improvements in their working conditions and social surroundings.