Bury by-election, 1902
Encyclopedia
The Bury by-election, 1902 was a by-election
held in England on 10 May 1902 for the House of Commons constituency of Bury
in Lancashire
.
It was the first by-election gain by the Liberal Party
from the ruling Conservatives
in the Parliament of 1900–1906
and it can arguably be said to have set in motion the swing to the Liberals from the Tories which brought twenty by-election gains in all over the following months, leading to the Liberals landslide victory in the 1906 general election
.
Member of Parliament (MP), James Kenyon
.
allies already had a candidate in the field, as Kenyon had made known his intention to stand down because of ill-health. They had chosen Harry Lawson
,the former Liberal MP.
The Liberals re-selected their candidate from the 1900 general election
George Toulmin
, a Lancashire
newspaper proprietor.
It was reported that at a meeting of socialists
at Bury
on 28 April 1902 it was agreed to support a socialist candidate at the forthcoming election, if one were nominated. There were splits in the socialist camp however. The Independent Labour Party
decided to dissociate itself from the decision of the Social Democratic Federation
to bring forward a candidate and chose to support Toulmin. The Labour Representation Committee
in Bury held a meeting to decide their position but declined in the end to stand a candidate. The traditional Lib-Lab
alignment seemed to holding in Bury with the trade unions in the cotton industry
coming out strongly for Toulmin.
had defected to the Liberals Unionists in opposition to Home Rule and he retained his seat unopposed at the 1886 general election
. With Conservative support Bury had been held for the Unionist cause at each election since. When the by-election was called one of the first acts recorded was a public vote of support for Toulmin by the Irish Nationalist
electors of the town, on the basis that they had received from him a satisfactory declaration of his sympathy with the cause of Home Rule. They urged all Irish voters in the constituency to vote for Toulmin to prevent the election of Lawson, who they described as a renegade on Home Rule and a coercionist. A meeting of Roman Catholic voters in the town was held on 4 May 1902 to discuss the election but no resolutions of support for either candidate were passed.
once more became central election issues at Bury. The Conservative government had introduced a duty on corn as a revenue measure to help meet the cost of the Boer War
. The Liberal leader, Henry Campbell-Bannerman
wrote to Toulmin deploring the government’s proposed introduction of a duty on corn, claiming this would lead to the poorest in the community having to pay more for their bread or suffering some deterioration in the quality of their loaf and stating that this measure was the first step in the government’s plan to reverse the country’s traditional Free Trade approach. The Conservatives said most of any extra burden would fall on businessmen at home or abroad and what Lawson described in a speech as the ‘middlemen’ adding that the British consumer would have to pay only one extra penny on every 32 loaves. The Times
newspaper identified the one shilling corn duty as "the real horse [the candidates] are riding on".
. Toulmin apparently held strong views against the legislation although as Bury had no school board as set up by the Elementary Education Act 1870
, it was not thought to have such great resonance as elsewhere. The Boer War
was also the subject of debate between the candidates. Joseph Chamberlain
the great Liberal Unionist Secretary of State for the Colonies
urged the electors of Bury not to support a party willing to surrender to the Boers. The voters of Bury were probably as patriotic as any other men but the spiralling cost of the war was a real issue for them. First the government had raised income tax and now the corn levy was thought to herald a bread tax and it was this perception which fostered support for the Liberals rather than the pro-war Unionists.
, Winston Churchill
conceded to Prime Minister Arthur Balfour
six months after the Bury result that the corn tax remained 'very unpopular'.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held in England on 10 May 1902 for the House of Commons constituency of Bury
Bury (UK Parliament constituency)
Bury was a borough constituency centred on the town of Bury in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament ) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
.
It was the first by-election gain by the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
from the ruling Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
in the Parliament of 1900–1906
MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900
This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 27th Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 1900 general election, held over several days from 25 September to 24 October 1900....
and it can arguably be said to have set in motion the swing to the Liberals from the Tories which brought twenty by-election gains in all over the following months, leading to the Liberals landslide victory in the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
Vacancy
The election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament (MP), James Kenyon
James Kenyon (MP)
James Kenyon was an English woollen manufacturer and Conservative Party politician from Bury in Lancashire.- Early life :...
.
Candidates
The Conservatives and their Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
allies already had a candidate in the field, as Kenyon had made known his intention to stand down because of ill-health. They had chosen Harry Lawson
Harry Levy-Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham
Sir Harry Lawson Webster Levy-Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham GCMG, CH, TD, JP, DL, was a British newspaper proprietor and a Liberal Unionist politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1885 and 1916 when he inherited his peerage.-Biography:Levy-Lawson was born at St...
,the former Liberal MP.
The Liberals re-selected their candidate from the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
George Toulmin
George Toulmin
Sir George Toulmin was an English journalist, newspaper proprietor and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
, a Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
newspaper proprietor.
It was reported that at a meeting of socialists
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
at Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
on 28 April 1902 it was agreed to support a socialist candidate at the forthcoming election, if one were nominated. There were splits in the socialist camp however. The Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
decided to dissociate itself from the decision of the Social Democratic Federation
Social Democratic Federation
The Social Democratic Federation was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on June 7, 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury and Eleanor Marx. However, Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx's long-term...
to bring forward a candidate and chose to support Toulmin. The Labour Representation Committee
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in Bury held a meeting to decide their position but declined in the end to stand a candidate. The traditional Lib-Lab
Liberal-Labour (UK)
The Liberal–Labour movement refers to the practice of local Liberal associations accepting and supporting candidates who were financially maintained by trade unions...
alignment seemed to holding in Bury with the trade unions in the cotton industry
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
coming out strongly for Toulmin.
Irish Home Rule
A principal issue in the election was the question of Irish Home Rule. This was the issue which had split the Liberal Party in 1886 and the constituency of Bury was typical of many at the time. The sitting Liberal MP, Sir Henry JamesHenry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford
Henry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford GCVO, PC, QC , known as Sir Henry James between 1873 and 1895, was an Anglo-Welsh lawyer and statesman. Initially a Liberal, he served under William Ewart Gladstone as Solicitor General in 1873 and as Attorney-General between 1873 and 1874 and 1880 and 1885...
had defected to the Liberals Unionists in opposition to Home Rule and he retained his seat unopposed at the 1886 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. With Conservative support Bury had been held for the Unionist cause at each election since. When the by-election was called one of the first acts recorded was a public vote of support for Toulmin by the Irish Nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
electors of the town, on the basis that they had received from him a satisfactory declaration of his sympathy with the cause of Home Rule. They urged all Irish voters in the constituency to vote for Toulmin to prevent the election of Lawson, who they described as a renegade on Home Rule and a coercionist. A meeting of Roman Catholic voters in the town was held on 4 May 1902 to discuss the election but no resolutions of support for either candidate were passed.
Levy on corn
Taxation and the policy of Free TradeFree trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
once more became central election issues at Bury. The Conservative government had introduced a duty on corn as a revenue measure to help meet the cost of the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. The Liberal leader, Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
wrote to Toulmin deploring the government’s proposed introduction of a duty on corn, claiming this would lead to the poorest in the community having to pay more for their bread or suffering some deterioration in the quality of their loaf and stating that this measure was the first step in the government’s plan to reverse the country’s traditional Free Trade approach. The Conservatives said most of any extra burden would fall on businessmen at home or abroad and what Lawson described in a speech as the ‘middlemen’ adding that the British consumer would have to pay only one extra penny on every 32 loaves. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper identified the one shilling corn duty as "the real horse [the candidates] are riding on".
Education and the Boer War
Other issues included the Education BillEducation Act 1902
The Education Act 1902 , also known as Balfour's Act, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting education in England and Wales. At the time of passage of the Act, the Conservative Party was in power...
. Toulmin apparently held strong views against the legislation although as Bury had no school board as set up by the Elementary Education Act 1870
Elementary Education Act 1870
The Elementary Education Act 1870, commonly known as Forster's Education Act, set the framework for schooling of all children between ages 5 and 12 in England and Wales...
, it was not thought to have such great resonance as elsewhere. The Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
was also the subject of debate between the candidates. Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain was an influential British politician and statesman. Unlike most major politicians of the time, he was a self-made businessman and had not attended Oxford or Cambridge University....
the great Liberal Unionist Secretary of State for the Colonies
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
urged the electors of Bury not to support a party willing to surrender to the Boers. The voters of Bury were probably as patriotic as any other men but the spiralling cost of the war was a real issue for them. First the government had raised income tax and now the corn levy was thought to herald a bread tax and it was this perception which fostered support for the Liberals rather than the pro-war Unionists.
Result
The result was a Liberal gain from the Conservatives perhaps against the odds. The Times, taking the temperature of local opinion in the constituency, had predicted a Unionist hold by a majority of around 500 votes. The corn tax issue seems to have been more of true vote winner for the Liberals than even political correspondents anticipated as Toulmin took the seat with a majority of 414 – a swing of 9% and he continued to hold it at the next three general elections. The corn duty continued to play well for the Liberals at forthcoming by-elections in predominantly working class constituencies. Government hopes that its unpopularity would soon fade were misplaced. The Conservative MP for OldhamOldham (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
conceded to Prime Minister Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
six months after the Bury result that the corn tax remained 'very unpopular'.