1905 Hampstead by-election
26 October 1905
 
Candidate Fletcher Rowe
Party Conservative Liberal
Popular vote 4,228 3,803
Percentage 52.6% 47.4%
MP before election

Thomas Milvain
Conservative

 Subsequent MP

John Fletcher
Conservative

The Hampstead by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 26 October 1905.[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

Thomas Milvain had been Conservative MP for the seat of Hampstead since the 1902 Hampstead by-election. Milvain resigned the seat when he was appointed Judge Advocate General.[2]

Electoral history

The seat had been Conservative since it was created in 1885. They easily held the seat at the last election;

1902 Hampstead by-election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Milvain 3,843 64.5
Liberal George Frederic Rowe 2,118 35.5
Majority 1,725 29.0
Turnout 10,280 58.0
Conservative hold Swing

Candidates

The local Conservative Association selected 63-year-old John Fletcher as their candidate to defend the seat. Fletcher had good local connections. He was a member of the Hampstead Board of Guardians from 1876 to 1898.[4] He was an elected member of the London County Council representing Hampstead for the Conservative backed Municipal Reform Party from 1889 to 1904. He served as one of the Council's deputy chairmen from 1900 to 1904.[5]

The local Liberal Association selected George Frederic Rowe as their candidate to gain the seat. Rowe had been the Liberal candidate in the 1902 by-election.

Campaign

Rowe launched his campaign on 11 October with a public meeting at Hampstead Town Hall, sharing a platform with the London Liberal MP, Thomas Macnamara.[6] On 13 October he held his second public meeting at Brondesbury Hall. Fletcher's campaign, slower off the mark, sought to build upon his strong local links. He supported the Unionist government in its policy positions. He advocated the reduction in Irish representation in the UK parliament.[7] The Hampstead Temperance Council had invited both candidates to address their meeting, but Fletcher chose not to attend. The HTC gave its support to Rowe and Fletcher responded by seeking the support of local licensed victuallers. Rowe's third public meeting at West Hampstead Town Hall featured Leo Chiozza Money the Liberal candidate for neighbouring Paddington. Fletcher's first public meeting in Haverstock Hill, had him sharing a platform with Nottingham MP, Edward Bond and Keighley candidate William Mitchell Acworth.[8] Polling Day was fixed for the 26 October 1905. As Fletcher was a supporter of protectionism, Rowe received the endorsement of the Hampstead Free Trade League.[9] On 23 October Winston Churchill who had left the Conservatives and joined the Liberals primarily because of the free trade v protectionism issue, addressed a public meeting organised by the Hampstead Free Trade League.[10]

Result

The Liberals massively reduced the majority of the Conservatives, thanks to a swing of 11.9%:

1905 Hampstead by-election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Fletcher 4,228 52.6 -11.9
Liberal George Frederic Rowe 3,803 47.4 +11.9
Majority 425 5.2 -23.8
Turnout 11,301 71.1 +13.1
Conservative hold Swing -11.9

The result should have been a good indicator to Unionist Prime Minister Arthur Balfour that the mood in the country was swinging behind the Liberals. He soon chose to resign as Prime Minister.

Aftermath

At the following General Election the result was similar:

General election January 1906[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Fletcher 4,934 52.5 -0.1
Liberal George Frederic Rowe 4,461 47.5 +0.1
Majority 473 5.0 -0.2
Turnout 11,467 81.9 +10.8
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 99.
  2. ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Judge-Advocate-General" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 538.
  3. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  4. ↑ Who is Who 1914 (66th ed.). London: Adam & Charles Black. 1914. p. 718.
  5. ↑ Debrett's
  6. ↑ "Election Intelligence." Times [London,] 12 Oct. 1905: 8. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
  7. ↑ "Election Intelligence." Times [London] 14 Oct. 1905: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
  8. ↑ "Election Intelligence." Times [London,] 17 Oct. 1905: 11. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
  9. ↑ "Election Intelligence." Times [London] 20 Oct. 1905: 6. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014
  10. ↑ "Speech By Mr. Churchill." Times [London] 24 Oct. 1905: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
  11. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885–1918, F. W. S. Craig
  12. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
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