1908 Haggerston by-election

Last updated

1908 Haggerston by-election
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  1906 1 August 1908 Jan. 1910  
  Rupert Guinness.jpg Herbert Burrows.jpg
Candidate Guinness Warren Burrows
Party Conservative Liberal Social Democratic Federation
Popular vote2,8671,724986
Percentage51.4%30.9%17.7%

ShoreditchHag.png

MP before election

Randal Cremer
Liberal

Subsequent MP

Henry Chancellor
Liberal

The Haggerston by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 1 August 1908. [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 Randal Cremer the sitting member died on 22 July 1908. He had been Liberal MP for the seat of Haggerston since the 1900 general election.

Electoral history

The seat had been Liberal since they gained it in 1900. They easily held the seat at the last election, with an increased majority;

Cremer Cremer.jpg
Cremer
General election 1906: Shoreditch, Haggerston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Randal Cremer 2,772 53.9 +3.6
Conservative Rupert Guinness 2,37146.1−3.6
Majority4017.8+7.2
Turnout 6,40380.3+13.1
Liberal hold Swing +3.6

No Labour Party or Socialist candidate had ever stood. At the 1907 London County Council election The Conservative backed Municipal Reform Party had gained Haggerston from the Liberal backed Progressive Party.

Candidates

Guinness Guinness RECL Vanity Fair 1905-11-09.jpg
Guinness

Campaign

Polling Day was fixed for 1 August 1908.

Result

The Conservatives gained the seat on a swing of 10.25%;

1908 Haggerston by-election [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Rupert Guinness 2,867 51.4 −2.5
Liberal Walter Richard Warren1,72430.9−23.0
Social Democratic Federation Herbert Burrows 98617.7New
Majority1,14320.5N/A
Turnout 5,577
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.25

The result was seen as a victory for Tariff Reform [3] and a disappointment to the third party Social Democratic Federation. [4]

Aftermath

Warren sought election to parliament at the next general election at the Conservative seat of Wandsworth, without success. Guinness once again faced Burrows and a new Liberal candidate who defeated him;

General election January 1910: Shoreditch, Haggerston [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Henry Chancellor 3,041 48.0 +17.1
Conservative Rupert Guinness 2,58640.9−10.5
Social Democratic Federation Herbert Burrows 70111.1−6.6
Majority4557.1N/A
Turnout 6,328
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +13.8

Warren switched his attention to municipal politics and in March 1910, standing for the Liberal backed Progressive Party, he gained a seat from the Conservative backed Municipal Reform Party at Battersea in the 1910 London County Council election.

References

  1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 102.
  2. 1 2 3 British parliamentary election results 1885-1918
  3. "HAGGERSTON BY-ELECTION. - TARIFF REFORM VICTORY. CANVASS FOR SOCIALIST. London, Aug. 2. - Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1954) - 4 Aug 1908". Trove. 4 August 1908. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  4. "The polling in the Haggerston division of Shoreditch took place » 8 Aug 1908 » The Spectator Archive". The Spectator Archive.