 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
The North East Lanarkshire by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 10 August 1904.[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.
Vacancy
Sir William Henry Rattigan had been Liberal Unionist MP for the seat of North East Lanarkshire since the 1901 North East Lanarkshire by-election. He died on 4 July 1904 at the age of 62.[2]
Electoral history
The seat had been Liberal Unionist since they gained it in 1901;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Unionist | William Henry Rattigan | 5,673 | 42.6 | -1.3 | |
| Liberal | Cecil Harmsworth | 4,769 | 35.7 | -20.4 | |
| Scottish Workers | Robert Smillie | 2,900 | 21.7 | New | |
| Majority | 904 | 6.9 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 13,342 | 79.0 | -0.3 | ||
| Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.6 | |||
Candidates
- The Conservatives selected 43-year-old George Touche to defend the seat. In 1883 he was admitted to the Society of Accountants in Edinburgh. In 1889 he was appointed first secretary of the Industrial and General Trust, later becoming manager, director in 1898. In 1899 he founded his own practice, George A. Touch & Co.[4]
- The local Liberal Association selected 60-year-old Alexander Findlay as their candidate.
- Thirty-seven-year-old John Robertson stood as candidate for the Scottish Workers' Representation Committee. He was Chairman of the Scottish Miners' Union.
Campaign
Polling Day was fixed for 10 August 1904.
Result
The Liberals gained the seat from the Conservatives;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Alexander Findlay | 5,619 | 39.3 | +3.6 | |
| Conservative | George Touche | 4,677 | 32.8 | -9.8 | |
| Scottish Workers | John Robertson | 3,984 | 27.9 | +6.2 | |
| Majority | 942 | 6.5 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 14,280 | 75.5 | -3.5 | ||
| Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | ||||
Aftermath
At the following General Election the result was;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Alexander Findlay | 6,436 | 40.4 | +1.1 | |
| Conservative | Hugh Elliot | 4,838 | 30.4 | -2.4 | |
| Scottish Workers | John Robertson | 4,658 | 29.2 | +1.3 | |
| Majority | 1,598 | 10.0 | +3.5 | ||
| Turnout | 15,932 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 98.
- ^ Who's Who;www.whoswho.com
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
- ^ Who's Who;www.whoswho.com
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
This page was last edited on 5 October 2023, at 08:14