1918 Gravesend by-election

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The 1918 Gravesend by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 7 June 1918. [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 Gilbert Parker had been Conservative MP for the seat of Gravesend since the 1900 general elections. In 1918, Parker resigned his seat.

Electoral history

Parker had encountered few problems in holding the seat for the Conservatives, even in the Liberal landslide year of 1906. At the previous general election in 1910, Parker had a comfortable majority.

General election December 1910: Gravesend [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gilbert Parker 3,108 55.4 −0.3
Liberal Samuel Roberts Jenkins2,50644.6+0.3
Majority60210.8−0.6
Turnout 5,61483.4−4.2
Conservative hold Swing -0.3

Candidates

Alexander Richardson was chosen to defend the seat for both the Unionist Party and the Coalition Government. He was a 54 year old engineering journalist and editor. [3] He was standing for parliament for the first time. Due to the war-time electoral truce, he faced no opposition from either the Liberal Party or the Labour Patty. He faced two opponents, Alderman Henry Edward Davis running as an Independent Unionist and Harry Hinkley running as an Independent Labour candidate. Alderman Davis also supported the Coalition Government.

Campaign

Polling Day was fixed for 7 June 1918.

Result

The Unionists held the seat with a reduced share of the vote.

1918 Gravesend by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Alexander Richardson 1,312 44.0 −11.4
Ind. Unionist Henry Edward Davis1,10637.1New
Independent Labour Harry Hinkley56218.9New
Majority2066.9−3.9
Turnout 2,98036.6−46.8
Unionist hold Swing

Aftermath

At the general election later that year, Richardson was again endorsed by the Coalition Government. He again faced Davis and Hinkley. Hinkley this time being endorsed by the right-wing National Party. The Labour and Liberal parties also ran candidates, splitting the ant-coalition government vote and Richardson thus won easily.

General election 1918: Gravesend
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist Alexander Richardson 7,84151.6−3.8
Labour James Butts3,25421.5New
Ind. Unionist Henry Edward Davis1,81712.0New
Liberal Charles Edward Best1,2718.4−36.2
National Harry Hinkley9856.5New
Majority4,58730.1+19.3
Turnout 15,16848.8−34.6
Registered electors 31,070
Unionist hold Swing +21.6
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

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References

  1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 114.
  2. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  3. ‘RICHARDSON, Sir Alexander’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 22 May 2017