1907 Colne Valley by-election

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1907 Colne Valley by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  1906 18 July 1907 Jan. 1910  
  Victor Grayson.jpg 3x4.svg Granville Wheler.jpg
Candidate Victor Grayson Philip Bright Granville Wheler
Party Independent Labour Liberal Conservative
Popular vote3,6483,4953,227
Percentage35.2%33.7%31.1%

MP before election

Sir James Kitson
Liberal

Subsequent MP

Charles Leach
Liberal

The Colne Valley by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 18 July 1907. [1] The constituency returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Contents

Vacancy

Sir James Kitson had been Liberal MP for the seat of Colne Valley since the 1892 general election. He was created Baron Airedale on 17 July 1907 and resigned to take a seat in the House of Lords.[ citation needed ]

Electoral history

The seat was re-gained from the Liberal Unionists in 1892:

James Kitson James Kitson.jpg
James Kitson
General election January 1906 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal James Kitson Unopposed N/AN/A
Liberal hold

Candidates

Campaign poster reading "Colne Valley for Socialism." Colne Valley for Socialism.jpg
Campaign poster reading "Colne Valley for Socialism."

The local Liberal Association selected Philip Bright to defend the seat. He was the son of John Bright the famous Free-trader. The Conservatives selected 35-year-old barrister, Granville Charles Hastings Wheler, later 1st (and last) Baronet of Otterden, as their candidate. He had contested Osgoldcross at the last general election.

Twenty-six-year-old Victor Grayson stood as an Independent Labour candidate, having been nominated by the Colne Valley Labour League. This was the local branch of the Independent Labour Party (ILP), but the ILP and Labour Party both decided against backing Grayson's candidacy. [3] Grayson was born in Liverpool and became an apprentice engineer. He joined the Independent Labour Party and toured the country giving lectures, becoming a well-known orator despite having a stammer.

Polling Day was fixed for 18 July 1907.

Result

Grayson gained the seat:

Colne Valley by-election, 1907 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Colne Valley Labour Victor Grayson 3,648 35.2 New
Liberal Philip Bright3,49533.7N/A
Conservative Granville Wheler 3,22731.1New
Majority1531.5N/A
Turnout 10,37088.1N/A
Independent Labour gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Aftermath

Wheler was elected at Faversham at the next general election. Grayson was defeated by a new Liberal candidate:

Charles Leach Rev Dr Charles Leach MP.jpg
Charles Leach
General election January 1910 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Charles Leach 4,741 40.7 +7.0
Conservative Archibald Boyd-Carpenter 3,75032.2+1.1
Colne Valley Labour Victor Grayson 3,14927.1−8.1
Majority9918.5N/A
Turnout 11,64093.2+5.1
Liberal gain from Independent Labour Swing +7.6

References

  1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 101.
  2. 1 2 3 British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, palgrave.com; accessed 5 May 2017.
  3. Clark, David (1981). Colne Valley: Radicalism to Socialism. London: Longman. ISBN   0582502934.