1916 Harborough by-election

The Harborough by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 23 March 1916. Harborough returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system. The by-election was due to the resignation of the Liberal MP, John William Logan. It was won by the Liberal candidate Percy Harris.

Vacancy

John William Logan had been Liberal MP for the seat of Harborough since the December 1910 General Elections. His health was poor following a hunting accident. In 1910 he returned to House but by 1916 the strain proved too great, forcing him to retire permanently from public life.[1]

Electoral history

Harborough had been won by a Liberal candidate at every election since its 1885 creation, apart from 1886 when the Conservative won. Logan had represented the division from 1891-1904 and again since December 1910.

Logan
General Election December 1910[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John William Logan 8,632 53.3 -5.5
Conservative Joseph Herbert Marshall 7,561 46.7 +5.5
Majority 1,071 6.6 -11.0
Turnout 85.4 -5.0
Liberal hold Swing -5.5

Candidates

Logan's long-standing poor health had meant that the local Liberal Association were advanced in selecting his replacement. In anticipation of a 1915 General Election, they had already selected Percy Harris.[4][5] Harris was a London County Councillor, who had stood twice for parliament elsewhere. He had no links with the constituency but his candidacy was officially endorsed by both the Unionist and Labour parties, due to the wartime electoral truce.

Campaign

The campaign took place against a national backdrop of a war that was not going well for Britain. The Coalition Government led by H. H. Asquith was being criticised by the Northcliffe Press. Its newspapers got behind the Independent candidate Tommy Bowles who campaigned on the issue of married men who had attested under the Derby Scheme. Advertising hoardings in the constituency were bought up by Northcliffe and carried slogans like "Buy the Daily Mail and vote for Bowles". A special pro-Bowles local edition of the Daily Mirror was produced and delivered free to homes in the constituency. Although the local Unionist association formally supported Harris, in line with the national all-party agreement, a number of local Unionists chose to support and actively campaign for Bowles.[5]

Result

Despite the activities of the Northcliffe papers and local Unionists, the Liberals held the seat with an increased share of the vote.

By-election, 1916[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Percy Harris 7,826 67.8 +14.3
Independent Thomas Gibson Bowles 3,711 32.2 n/a
Majority 4,115 35.6 +28.6
Liberal hold Swing n/a

Aftermath

In 1918, Harris's Unionist opponent was endorsed by the Coalition Government and gained the seat.

General Election 1918
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Keith Fraser 8,465
Liberal Percy Harris 4,608
Labour Walter Baker 4,495 n/a
Majority
Turnout
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
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References
  1. The Late Mr. J. W. Logan, The Times, Friday 29 May 1925, p. 16
  2. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  3. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  4. Standard 23 Feb 1914
  5. Forty Years In and Out of Parliament by Sir Percy Harris
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