 | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
The 1919 Isle of Thanet by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Isle of Thanet on 15 November 1919.
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
The 1919 Isle of Thanet by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Isle of Thanet on 15 November 1919.
The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Unionist MP, Norman Carlyle Craig on 14 October 1919. He had been MP here since winning the seat in January 1910. The constituency had been held by the Unionists since its creation in 1885.
At the 1918 general election, Craig was returned unopposed, having been in receipt of the Coalition 'coupon'. The result at the last contested election was:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Norman Carlyle Craig | 6,892 | 66.9 | +15.6 | |
| Liberal | Julian Weigall | 3,410 | 33.1 | −6.4 | |
| Majority | 3,482 | 33.8 | +22.0 | ||
| Turnout | 10,302 | 81.8 | −2.6 | ||
| Unionist hold | Swing | +11.0 | |||
At the 1918 general election, Coalition Liberal Prime Minister, David Lloyd George had famously stated that the task for the new government would be to build "Homes fit for Heroes". His plan was for the government to raise funds through taxation to allow local councils to build houses and Coalition Liberal Reconstruction Minister, Christopher Addison successfully steered through Parliament the Housing Act 1919. However, there were parts of the Unionist Party that opposed these plans including Harmsworth. Harmsworth's Anti-Waste platform of cuts in government spending and reductions in Income Tax was enthusiastically supported by The Times, the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror. He also had the active support of Horatio Bottomley, a prominent right-wing MP who had founded the People's League in opposition to the government. At an eve of poll meeting in support of Harmsworth, Bottomley proclaimed that he expected in about 2 years to be asked by the King to form a 'business administration'. [3]
As expected, the Unionists held the seat but the Liberals polled strongly. Compared to the last contested election, there had been a 9% swing to the Liberals.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Esmond Harmsworth | 9,711 | 57.9 | −9.0 | |
| Liberal | William J. West | 7,058 | 42.1 | +9.0 | |
| Majority | 2,653 | 15.8 | −18.0 | ||
| Turnout | 16,769 | 52.8 | −29.0 | ||
| Unionist hold | Swing | -9.0 | |||
When Harmsworth took his seat he became the Baby of the House.
Despite Harmsworth's disappointing result, the issue of taxes/public spending continued to dominate the 1919-22 parliament and an Anti-Waste League was formed to rally right-wing opinion and contest future by-elections. The Coalition Government's Council House Building Policies continued. Bottomley was not asked to form a government by the King but was to serve at His Majesty's Pleasure for 7 years at Wormwood Scrubs. The result at the following General election;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Esmond Harmsworth | 16,116 | 61.2 | +3.3 | |
| Liberal | Alfred Suenson-Taylor | 10,226 | 38.8 | −3.3 | |
| Majority | 5,890 | 22.4 | +6.6 | ||
| Turnout | 26,342 | 68.4 | +15.6 | ||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
Harmsworth continued to sit for the constituency until 1929.
The Anti-Waste League was a political party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1921 by the newspaper proprietor Lord Rothermere.
The 1921 Penistone by-election was a by-election held on 5 March 1921 for the British House of Commons constituency of Penistone in Yorkshire.
The 1925 Eastbourne by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Eastbourne, Sussex on 17 June 1925.
The 1925 Galloway by-election was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Galloway in Scotland on 17 November 1925. The by-election was won by the Unionist Party candidate Sidney Streatfeild.
The 1921 Westminster Abbey by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 25 August 1921 for the British House of Commons constituency of Westminster Abbey in London. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) William Burdett-Coutts had died on 28 July 1921. Burdett-Coutts had held the seat since it had been created for the 1918 general election, when he had been returned unopposed.
The Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Central by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire Central on 16 April 1919.
The 1922 Bodmin by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons. The constituency of Bodmin in Cornwall polled on 23 February 1922. The by-election was notable for the opposition Liberal Party gaining a seat from the Coalition-supporting Conservative Party.
The 1919 Pontefract by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Pontefract in Yorkshire on 6 September 1919.
The 1921 Penrith and Cockermouth by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Penrith and Cockermouth in Cumberland on 13 May 1921.
James Dundas White, known as J. D. White, was a Scottish Liberal Party politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) from 1906 to 1918, with a short break in 1911.
The 1921 Orkney and Shetland by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Orkney and Shetland on 17 May 1921.
The 1921 Bedford by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of Bedford on 23 April 1921.
Sir Henry Norman Rae was an English wool merchant and Liberal Party politician.
The 1919 Manchester Rusholme by-election was a parliamentary by-election held in October 1919 for the British House of Commons constituency of Manchester Rusholme. The by-election was important for shaping the future Labour Party attitude to electoral relations with the Liberal Party.
The 1917 Aberdeen South by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the House of Commons constituency of Aberdeen South comprising the local government wards in the southern part of the city of Aberdeen. The by-election took place on 3 April 1917.
The 1920 Woodbridge by-election was held on 28 July 1920. The by-election was held due to the resignation of the incumbent Coalition Unionist MP, Robert Francis Peel. It was won by the Coalition Unionist candidate Sir Arthur Churchman.
The 1928 Ilford by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Ilford, London on 23 February 1928.
The 1927 Canterbury by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Canterbury, Kent on 24 November 1927.
The 1919 Croydon South by-election was a parliamentary by-election for the British House of Commons constituency of Croydon South on 14 November 1919.
The 1920 Camberwell North West by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Camberwell North West in the South London district of Camberwell on 31 March 1920.