Stockton-on-Tees by-election, 1917
Encyclopedia
The Stockton-on-Tees by-election, 1917 was a parliamentary by-election
held for the House of Commons constituency of Stockton-on-Tees
in County Durham
on 20 March 1917.
MP, Jonathan Samuel
on 22 February 1917.
, a 38 year old local man, a solicitor
who was a former Mayor
of Stockton-on-Tees
and member of Durham County Council.
The Unionists
had indicated that they would not oppose a Liberal candidate who supported the wartime Coalition government of which they were members.
The Labour Party
in Stockton considered putting up a candidate. They invited Robert Dennison, a Trade Union
official with the British Steel Smelters’ Association
, to address them with a view to becoming their candidate but in the end decided not put forward a challenge to the wartime party truce. Dennison did later go on to become Labour MP for Birmingham King's Norton
from 1924
-1929
.
The by-election was however contested by banker Edward Backhouse
JP
of Darlington
, a proponent of the Peace by Negotiation Party and a member of the Society of Friends.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held for the House of Commons constituency of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockton-on-Tees is a former borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
on 20 March 1917.
Vacancy
The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting LiberalLiberal 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...
MP, Jonathan Samuel
Jonathan Samuel
Jonathan Samuel was a British manufacturer and Liberal Party politician.-Date of birth:Usually reliable sources give different dates of birth for Samuel. The Times House of Commons for the two general elections of 1910 states that he was born in 1852, a date supported by Leigh Rayment...
on 22 February 1917.
Candidates
The Stockton Liberal Association considered a number of possible candidates but decided upon Bertrand WatsonJohn Bertrand Watson
Sir Bertrand Watson was an English lawyer, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
, a 38 year old local man, a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
who was a former Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
and member of Durham County Council.
The Unionists
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...
had indicated that they would not oppose a Liberal candidate who supported the wartime Coalition government of which they were members.
The Labour Party
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 Stockton considered putting up a candidate. They invited Robert Dennison, a Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
official with the British Steel Smelters’ Association
Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation was a British trade union for metal-workers and allied groups. It was formed on 1 January 1917 as a merger of existing steel-workers' unions and it is now part of Community.- History :...
, to address them with a view to becoming their candidate but in the end decided not put forward a challenge to the wartime party truce. Dennison did later go on to become Labour MP for Birmingham King's Norton
Birmingham King's Norton (UK Parliament constituency)
Birmingham King's Norton was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1955. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.- Boundaries :...
from 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
-1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
The by-election was however contested by banker Edward Backhouse
Edward Backhouse
Edward Backhouse was a philanthropist, Quaker minister and a writer on church history. He was also one of the founding fathers of the Sunderland Echo newspaper.-Early life:...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, a proponent of the Peace by Negotiation Party and a member of the Society of Friends.
The issues
The by-election was described in the press as quiet and lacking outward signs of public interest. The prosecution of the war was the only issue of the day and Backhouse failed to capture the public imagination with many local men away serving in the armed forces. He often faced a hostile reception. One of his meetings was broken up by an angry crowd which stormed the platform preventing his guest from speaking.The result
Watson easily held the seat for the Liberals and the Coalition, the pacifist candidate polling even less well than anticipated.The votes
See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...