Stockport by-election, 1920
Encyclopedia
The Stockport by-election, 1920 was a parliamentary by-election
held on 27 March 1920 for the constituency of Stockport
, in Cheshire
.
It followed the death of Spencer Leigh Hughes and resignation of George Wardle
, the two Members of Parliament
(MPs) for Stockport. With the departure of both MPs, a single by-election was held for both seats. Always a rare occurrence in Britain, Stockport was the first such by-election since the Oldham by-election, 1899
, and proved to be the last such by-election held before the abolition of multi-member constituencies in 1950.
, the Lloyd George Coalition Government had won a large majority. The coalition included most of the Conservative
and Liberal
parties. Both Stockport MPs had been Coalition candidates, Hughes being a Liberal, but Wardle unusually being a Labour Party
supporter of the Coalition
. With this unusual level of cross-party agreement, they had not faced any opposition.
By 1920, the prospect of a merger of the Conservative and Liberal parties was being seriously considered. The local Conservative group considered that had it run candidates in 1918, it would have won both seats. As a result, when Hughes died, they considered it their turn to nominate a candidate for the constituency. Meanwhile, the Liberal group was determined to run a candidate to replace Hughes. Lloyd George and Andrew Bonar Law, national Liberal and Conservative leaders, had been considering merging their organisations to form a single party, and considered that it would be a disaster to have Conservative and Liberal candidates facing each other. In order to keep their local organisations happy, they convince Wardle to resign, enabling both to stand a candidate. The Liberals chose Henry Fildes
, and the Conservatives, William Greenwood.
The majority of the Labour Party were opposed to the Coalition, and determined to stand candidates outside it in an attempt to gain Wardle's seat. After some discussion, they decided to stand economist
and former Liberal MP Leo Chiozza Money
and to support the candidature of the national organiser of the Co-operative Party
, Samuel Perry
.
Horatio Bottomley
, a prominent right-wing independent politician
also assembled a slate
of two candidates on an "Anti-Waste" platform, foreshadowing the Anti-Waste League
he formed the following year.
The Irish War of Independence
had begun in 1919. While the Labour Party had a policy in favour of Irish self-determination, many Irish people considered that it had done little to act on it. A leading Irish
trade unionist and secretary of the Irish Labour Party, William X. O'Brien
, was interned by Britain for his role in the conflict, and he decided to stand in the by-election as a platform for his cause, and in an attempt to embarrass the British Labour Party into action. On the ballot, he insisted that he was described as the "Irish Republican Workers Party" candidate, even though no such organisation existed.
In Parliament, Joseph Kenworthy called for O'Brien release to contest the by-election, a call supported by Labour candidate Money, citing the example of John Maclean
. Home Secretary
Edward Shortt
rejected this option.
With a total of seven candidates, the Stockport by-election set a new record, not equalled until the South Dorset by-election, 1962
and not beaten until the Walsall North by-election, 1976
.
Labour were disappointed not to take a seat, particularly as O'Brien's intervention had not taken enough votes to explain their defeat. Perhaps in part as a result of the by-election, they moved their position to more actively support the Irish labour movement.
Greenwood and Fildes both held their seats at the 1922 general election
, while O'Brien was elected as TD for Dublin South the same year. Perry was eventually elected as MP for Kettering
at the 1923 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 on 27 March 1920 for the constituency of Stockport
Stockport (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport 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:...
, in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
.
It followed the death of Spencer Leigh Hughes and resignation of George Wardle
George Wardle
George James Wardle OCH was a British politician. He was editor of the Railway Review and in 1906 was elected a Labour Member of Parliament for Stockport...
, the two 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) for Stockport. With the departure of both MPs, a single by-election was held for both seats. Always a rare occurrence in Britain, Stockport was the first such by-election since the Oldham by-election, 1899
Oldham by-election, 1899
The Oldham by-election of 1899 occurred in the summer of that year, and involved a by-election to fill both seats in the two-member Oldham Parliamentary borough. The block voting method allowed each elector to vote for two candidates...
, and proved to be the last such by-election held before the abolition of multi-member constituencies in 1950.
Background
At the 1918 general electionUnited 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...
, the Lloyd George Coalition Government had won a large majority. The coalition included most of 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...
and Liberal
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...
parties. Both Stockport MPs had been Coalition candidates, Hughes being a Liberal, but Wardle unusually being a 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...
supporter of the Coalition
Coalition Labour
Coalition Labour was a description used by previously Labour Party supporting candidates in the 1918 General Election who supported the ruling coalition. Only two actually received a Coalition Coupon: J. R...
. With this unusual level of cross-party agreement, they had not faced any opposition.
By 1920, the prospect of a merger of the Conservative and Liberal parties was being seriously considered. The local Conservative group considered that had it run candidates in 1918, it would have won both seats. As a result, when Hughes died, they considered it their turn to nominate a candidate for the constituency. Meanwhile, the Liberal group was determined to run a candidate to replace Hughes. Lloyd George and Andrew Bonar Law, national Liberal and Conservative leaders, had been considering merging their organisations to form a single party, and considered that it would be a disaster to have Conservative and Liberal candidates facing each other. In order to keep their local organisations happy, they convince Wardle to resign, enabling both to stand a candidate. The Liberals chose Henry Fildes
Henry Fildes
Sir Henry Fildes was a Liberal Party, later National Liberal Party) and later still Liberal National Party politician in the United Kingdom...
, and the Conservatives, William Greenwood.
The majority of the Labour Party were opposed to the Coalition, and determined to stand candidates outside it in an attempt to gain Wardle's seat. After some discussion, they decided to stand economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and former Liberal MP Leo Chiozza Money
Leo Chiozza Money
Sir Leo George Chiozza Money , born Leone Giorgio Chiozza, was an Italian-born economic theorist who moved to Britain in the 1890s, where he made his name as a politician, journalist and author. In the early years of the 20th century his views attracted the interest of two future Prime Ministers,...
and to support the candidature of the national organiser of the Co-operative Party
Co-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...
, Samuel Perry
Samuel Perry
Samuel Frederick Perry , was a Labour Co-operative politician in the United Kingdom. He was the father of the British tennis and table tennis champion Fred Perry....
.
Horatio Bottomley
Horatio Bottomley
Horatio William Bottomley was a British financier, swindler, journalist, newspaper proprietor, populist politician and Member of Parliament .-Early life:...
, a prominent right-wing independent politician
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
also assembled a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
of two candidates on an "Anti-Waste" platform, foreshadowing the Anti-Waste League
Anti-Waste League
The Anti-Waste League was a political party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1921 by Lord Rothermere.The formation of the League was announced in a January 1921 edition of the Sunday Pictorial with Rothermere attacking what he saw as government waste during a time of recession. As such the party...
he formed the following year.
The Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
had begun in 1919. While the Labour Party had a policy in favour of Irish self-determination, many Irish people considered that it had done little to act on it. A leading Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
trade unionist and secretary of the Irish Labour Party, William X. O'Brien
William X. O'Brien
William X. O'Brien was a politician and trade unionist in Ireland.Born in Clonakilty, County Cork, O'Brien moved with his family to Dublin in 1897, and quickly became involved in the Irish Socialist Republican Party...
, was interned by Britain for his role in the conflict, and he decided to stand in the by-election as a platform for his cause, and in an attempt to embarrass the British Labour Party into action. On the ballot, he insisted that he was described as the "Irish Republican Workers Party" candidate, even though no such organisation existed.
In Parliament, Joseph Kenworthy called for O'Brien release to contest the by-election, a call supported by Labour candidate Money, citing the example of John Maclean
John MacLean
John MacLean may refer to:* John MacLean , US musician, formerly of Six Finger Satellite, now of The Juan MacLean* John MacLean , professional ice hockey player and coach...
. Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Edward Shortt
Edward Shortt
Edward Shortt PC KC was a British lawyer and Liberal Party politician. He served as a member of David Lloyd George's cabinet, notably as Home Secretary from 1919 to 1922.-Background and education:...
rejected this option.
With a total of seven candidates, the Stockport by-election set a new record, not equalled until the South Dorset by-election, 1962
South Dorset by-election, 1962
The South Dorset by-election, 1962 occurred following the death of George Montagu, 9th Earl of Sandwich on 15 June 1962. His son Viscount Hinchingbrooke, the incumbent MP for the constituency of South Dorset, was subsequently elevated to the peerage becoming the 10th Earl of Sandwich...
and not beaten until the Walsall North by-election, 1976
Walsall North by-election, 1976
The Walsall North by-election on 4 November 1976 was held after the resignation of sitting Member of Parliament John Stonehouse. Elected as a Labour candidate, Stonehouse was a member of the English National Party when he resigned, after an interlude in which he faked his own death...
.
Results
Greenwood and Fildes achieved a clear victory, their similar tally of votes suggesting that most coalition supporters had indeed voted for both candidates. Money's profile enabled him to take third place, some six thousand votes behind, with Perry further back. The difference in their votes was around 1,500, much of this being explained by the 1,000 voters who had supported Money and O'Brien – very few opting for O'Brien and any other candidate. The Anti-Waste candidates attracted little support, but both were able to beat O'Brien.Labour were disappointed not to take a seat, particularly as O'Brien's intervention had not taken enough votes to explain their defeat. Perhaps in part as a result of the by-election, they moved their position to more actively support the Irish labour movement.
Greenwood and Fildes both held their seats at the 1922 general election
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...
, while O'Brien was elected as TD for Dublin South the same year. Perry was eventually elected as MP for Kettering
Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)
Kettering is a county constituency in Northamptonshire which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
Votes
See also
- Stockport constituencyStockport (UK Parliament constituency)Stockport 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:...
- StockportStockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
- Stockport by-election, 1925Stockport by-election, 1925The Stockport by-election, 1925 was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Stockport in Cheshire on 17 September 1925. The by-election was won by the Labour Party candidate Arnold Townend.- Vacancy :...
- List of United Kingdom by-elections (1918–1931)