Rotherham by-election, 1910
Encyclopedia
The Rotherham by-election, 1910 was a parliamentary by-election
held for the House of Commons
constituency of Rotherham
in what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire
on 1 March 1910.
MP, Sir William Holland
.
Holland, who held his seat in Rotherham
with a majority of 7,558 agreed to resign to make way for J A Pease to return to Parliament. Pease had been government Chief Whip
but had lost his seat at Saffron Walden
in the general election of January 1910. The Prime Minister, H H Asquith, had intended to appoint Pease to the Cabinet
as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
and was therefore keen to identify a seat at which room could be made for Pease at a by-election. Asquith had taken Pease’s defeat quite hard and had sent him a telegram on 12 January 1910 saying: ‘This is the worst incident of the election and grieves me more than I can say...’
In return for his resignation Holland was rewarded with a peerage
in the King’s birthday honours list in June 1910.
, the Unionists
had put up a candidate against him in January 1910. However the Conservatives were apparently faced with the difficulty of raising the necessary funds to fight a by-election so soon after the general election but they indicated they would put up a candidate if the Labour Party
made it a three-cornered contest.
was discussed. Macpherson was an official of the British Steel Smelters, Mill, Iron and Tin-plate Workers’ Union
and the union was said to be strong in the Rotherham constituency and willing to pay for his deposit
and other expenses. The strongest local trade union
however was the Yorkshire Miners' Association
and the officials of the Federation were traditionally supporters of the Liberals. Although the local Labour Party had decided to recommend a candidate be adopted, many moderate members of the party, who had traditionally been prepared to vote Liberal, were urging that Pease be unopposed. It was proposed that a deputation of Labour people meet with the executive of the Yorkshire Miners’ Federation at Barnsley
to see if a miners’ candidate could be found. In the end the pro-Liberal voices prevailed and another strong factor was the influence of Ramsay MacDonald
who argued against putting a candidate up because the time available for the campaign was so short , although recommending the time be used to organise in the constituency in support of a candidate against all-comers at the next general election.
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 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 Rotherham
Rotherham (UK Parliament constituency)
Rotherham is a borough constituency covering the town of Rotherham in South Yorkshire. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
in what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
on 1 March 1910.
Vacancy
The by-election was caused 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, Sir William Holland
William Holland, 1st Baron Rotherham
William Henry Holland, 1st Baron Rotherham was a British industrialist and Liberal politician.He was the second son of William Holland, a cotton spinner of Higher Broughton, near Manchester. In 1872 he became a partner in the family business Messrs William Holland and Sons...
.
Holland, who held his seat in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
with a majority of 7,558 agreed to resign to make way for J A Pease to return to Parliament. Pease had been government Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
but had lost his seat at Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden (UK Parliament constituency)
Saffron Walden is a parliamentary 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 :...
in the general election of January 1910. The Prime Minister, H H Asquith, had intended to appoint Pease to the Cabinet
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 :...
as 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...
and was therefore keen to identify a seat at which room could be made for Pease at a by-election. Asquith had taken Pease’s defeat quite hard and had sent him a telegram on 12 January 1910 saying: ‘This is the worst incident of the election and grieves me more than I can say...’
In return for his resignation Holland was rewarded with a peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in the King’s birthday honours list in June 1910.
Liberals
Pease addressed a meeting of the Rotherham Liberal Federation on 21 February and they agreed to support his candidature. The meeting heard from Sir William Holland that he had been asked by the Prime Minister to stand aside in favour of Pease and he read a letter from Asquith urging that Pease be returned to his Parliamentary duties as soon as possible.Conservatives
Although Holland had been MP for Rotherham since 1899 and had been unopposed in 1906United 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**...
, 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...
had put up a candidate against him in January 1910. However the Conservatives were apparently faced with the difficulty of raising the necessary funds to fight a by-election so soon after the general election but they indicated they would put up a candidate if 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...
made it a three-cornered contest.
Labour
The local Labour Party was apparently very keen to stand a candidate. At a meeting of the Trades Council on 22 February a resolution in favour of running a candidate was passed. The name of John Thomas Macpherson, the former Labour MP for PrestonPreston (UK Parliament constituency)
Preston 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.-Boundaries:...
was discussed. Macpherson was an official of the British Steel Smelters, Mill, Iron and Tin-plate Workers’ Union
Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation was a British trade union for metal-workers and allied groups. It was formed on 1 January 1917 as a merger of existing steel-workers' unions and it is now part of Community.- History :...
and the union was said to be strong in the Rotherham constituency and willing to pay for his deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
and other expenses. The strongest local trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
however was the Yorkshire Miners' Association
Yorkshire Miners' Association
The Yorkshire Miners' Association was a British trade union.The union was founded in 1881 with the merger of the South Yorkshire Miners' Association, and the West Yorkshire Miners' Association, agreed only because both organisations were weakened by unsuccessful disputes...
and the officials of the Federation were traditionally supporters of the Liberals. Although the local Labour Party had decided to recommend a candidate be adopted, many moderate members of the party, who had traditionally been prepared to vote Liberal, were urging that Pease be unopposed. It was proposed that a deputation of Labour people meet with the executive of the Yorkshire Miners’ Federation at Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
to see if a miners’ candidate could be found. In the end the pro-Liberal voices prevailed and another strong factor was the influence of Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
who argued against putting a candidate up because the time available for the campaign was so short , although recommending the time be used to organise in the constituency in support of a candidate against all-comers at the next general election.
The result
There being no other candidates putting themselves forward, Pease was returned unopposed.See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...