Prestwich by-election, January 1918
Encyclopedia
The Prestwich by-election, January 1918 was a by-election
held on 31 January 1918 for the British House of Commons
constituency of Prestwich
in Lancashire
.
MP, Sir Frederick Cawley
. Cawley had been Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
in the wartime coalition
of David Lloyd George
.
, the youngest son of the sitting member. Cawley was a Lieutenant in the Yeomanry serving in Palestine
. Cawley’s candidacy was supported by the Unionists
in Prestwich
as they were part of the wartime coalition.
of which he was the secretary. May was also secretary of the International Cooperative Alliance. This was the first parliamentary by-election fought by the Co-operative Parliamentary Representation Committee. Although May was expected to gain the support of Labour
voters, the Labour Party itself was unable to offer formal assistance because of the wartime electoral truce.
May tried to appeal on the food question and by extolling the virtues of cooperation as the purest democratic movement and anticipating the triumph of the working –class once the war was over. May also argued that because Lt Cawley was serving abroad this amounted to a virtual disenfranchisement of the electors of the division.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 31 January 1918 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 of Prestwich
Prestwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Prestwich was a constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was represented by one Member of Parliament...
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...
.
Vacancy
The election was caused by the elevation to the peerage 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, Sir Frederick Cawley
Frederick Cawley, 1st Baron Cawley
Frederick Cawley, 1st Baron Cawley PC, JP , known as Sir Frederick Cawley, Bt, between 1906 and 1918, was a British businessman and Liberal Party politician. A wealthy cotton merchant, he represented Prestwich in parliament between 1895 and 1918 and served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster...
. Cawley had been Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
in the wartime coalition
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
of David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
.
Government
The Liberals selected the Honourable Oswald CawleyOswald Cawley
Oswald Cawley , styled The Honourable from January 1918, was a British soldier and Liberal Party politician....
, the youngest son of the sitting member. Cawley was a Lieutenant in the Yeomanry serving in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. Cawley’s candidacy was supported by the 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...
in Prestwich
Prestwich
Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury....
as they were part of the wartime coalition.
Cooperators
Cawley was opposed by Harry May for the newly formed Central Co-operative Parliamentary Representation CommitteeCo-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
of which he was the secretary. May was also secretary of the International Cooperative Alliance. This was the first parliamentary by-election fought by the Co-operative Parliamentary Representation Committee. Although May was expected to gain the support of Labour
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...
voters, the Labour Party itself was unable to offer formal assistance because of the wartime electoral truce.
Issues
For the government the principal issue was the continuing prosecution of the war and it sought the support of the voters for that end. There was a strong danger that Cawley’s election would be seen as inevitable, given his father’s position and former majority and as he was actively serving his country in the field. So the government supporters concentrated on organisation rather than policy to try and counter voter apathy.May tried to appeal on the food question and by extolling the virtues of cooperation as the purest democratic movement and anticipating the triumph of the working –class once the war was over. May also argued that because Lt Cawley was serving abroad this amounted to a virtual disenfranchisement of the electors of the division.
Result
Cawley held the seat for the Liberals by a large majority. It was estimated that of the approximately 26,000 electors on the register, which was now three years old, only about 16,000 remained eligible to vote. In the end the total poll was just over 10,000. Cawley only held the seat for a few months however as he was killed in action in France in August 1918.The votes
See also
- Prestwich by-election, October 1918Prestwich by-election, October 1918The Prestwich by-election, 1918 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Prestwich on 24 October 1918. The seat had become vacant upon the death in action near Merville of the sitting Liberal MP, the Hon...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1900–1918)