1908 Newcastle-upon-Tyne by-election

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1908 Newcastle-upon-Tyne by-election
← 1906 25 September 1908 Jan. 1910 →
 
Candidate Renwick Shortt Hartley
Party Conservative Liberal Social Democratic Federation
Popular vote 13,863 11,720 2,971
Percentage 48.5% 41.1% 10.4%
MP before election

Thomas Cairns
Liberal

Subsequent MP

Edward Shortt
Liberal

The 1908

first past the post
voting system.

Vacancy

Thomas Cairns had been Liberal MP for the seat of Newcastle-upon-Tyne since the 1906 general election. He died on 3 September 1908.

Electoral history

The seat had been Liberal since they gained it in 1906;

General election January 1906[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Repr. Cmte. Green tickY Walter Hudson 18,869 31.1 New
Liberal Green tickY Thomas Cairns 18,423 30.5 +9.8
Conservative
Walter Richard Plummer
 11,942 19.8 -9.9
Conservative George Renwick 11,223 18.6 -10.4
Majority 6,927 11.3 N/A
Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative Swing
Majority 6,481 10.7 N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +9.9
Turnout 50,457 84.6 +10.5

Candidates

Edward Shortt

The local Liberal Association selected 46-year-old

Sunderland since 1907.[3]

The Conservatives retained 58-year-old

Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd in 1903.[3]

Una Duval, suffragette, campaigning at the by-election

The Newcastle Independent Labour Party selected J. J. Stephenson as a candidate. This was in conflict with the electoral alliance that had existed between the Liberal and Labour parties. However, the Labour Party National Executive persuaded the Labour candidate to withdraw. The Social Democratic Federation, with the support of some local Independent Labour Party branches, then nominated their own candidate, 53-year-old Bradford man, Edward Hartley.[4] Hartley had fought Bradford East at the last general election, finishing third. Before that he had fought Dewsbury at the 1895 general election and then the 1902 Dewsbury by-election.

Campaign

Polling day was fixed for the 25 September 1908, just 22 days after the death of the previous MP.

The constituency included at least 2,000 Irish voters, mainly Roman Catholics, who could normally be relied upon to vote Liberal. However, the Liberals banned the carrying of the Host in the

Eucharistic Congress Procession in London earlier in the month, which was expected to cost them votes in Newcastle.[4]

The SDF candidate antagonised the ILP and the local suffragists by refusing to pledge himself to oppose any future franchise reform restricted to manhood suffrage.[4]

Result

The Conservatives gained the seat;

Newcastle-upon-Tyne by-election, 1908[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Renwick 13,863 48.5 +7.1
Liberal Edward Shortt 11,720 41.1 +10.6
Social Democratic Federation Edward Hartley 2,971 10.4 New
Majority 2,143 7.4 N/A
Turnout 28,554 76.4 -8.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing -1.8

Aftermath

Shortt re-gained the seat from Renwick at the following general election. Hartley returned to Bradford where he was again defeated at Bradford East;

General election January 1910[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Green tickY Edward Shortt 18,779 28.9 -1.6
Labour Green tickY Walter Hudson 18,241 28.0 -3.1
Conservative
Walter Richard Plummer
 14,067 21.6 +1.8
Conservative George Renwick 13,928 21.4 +2.8
Majority 4,712 7.3 N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing -1.7
Majority 4,313 6.6 -4.7
Labour hold Swing -2.9
Turnout 65,015 86.1 +1.5

References

  1. ^ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 102.
  2. ^ a b c British parliamentary election results 1885-1918
  3. ^ a b Who's Who
  4. ^ a b c A Liberal Chronicle: Journals and Papers of J.A. Pease
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