1887 Liverpool Exchange by-election

The 1887 Liverpool Exchange by-election was held on 26 January 1887 after the death of the incumbent Liberal MP David Duncan. It was retained by the Liberal candidate Ralph Neville, with a narrow majority of 7 votes.

Goschen was Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had voted against Gladstone's Home Rule Bill in 1886 and became a Liberal Unionist. He subsequently lost his seat at Edinburgh East at the 1886 general election. ^[1]

Lord Randolph Churchill resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer on 22 December 1886. The Marquess of Salisbury appointed Goschen to the post on 14 January 1887. ^{[2] [3]} He became the sole Liberal Unionist in an otherwise Conservative government.

Goschen was therefore Chancellor outside the House of Commons and contested the by-election to return to the House. ^[4]

Liverpool Exchange by-election, 1887 ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ralph Neville	3,217	50.1	−1.4
	Liberal Unionist	George Goschen	3,210	49.9	+1.4
Majority			7	0.2	−2.8
Turnout			6,427	81.2	+11.8
	Liberal hold		Swing	-1.4

References

1. Elliot, Arthur D. (1911). The life of George Joachim Goschen, first Viscount Goschen. Vol. II. London: Longmans, Green and Co.
2. "Past Chancellors of the Exchequer". gov.uk . Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
3. Cook, Chris; Keith, Brendan (1975). British Historical Facts: 1830–1900 . Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 40. ISBN   978-1-349-01348-7.
4. Otte, T. G.; Readman, Paul, eds. (2013). By-elections in British Politics, 1832-1914. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. p. 182. ISBN   978-1-84383-780-0.
5. The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 170 (194 in web page)