The 1911 Middleton by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 2 August 1911 for the Middleton division of Lancashire, a constituency of the British House of Commons.

Vacancy

Ryland Adkins had been Liberal MP for Middleton since 1906 when he gained the seat from the Conservatives. Upon his appointment as Recorder of Nottingham on 17 July 1911,[1] Adkins was obliged by the electoral law of the day to resign his seat and re-contest it at a by-election.[2]

Electoral history

Ryland Adkins
General election December 1910: Middleton[3] Electorate 15,391
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ryland Adkins 7,071 52.9 -2.1
Liberal Unionist William Hewins 6,284 47.1 +2.1
Majority 787 5.8 -4.2
Turnout 13,355 86.8 -3.7
Liberal hold Swing -2.1

Candidates

Adkins's Unionist opponent was William Hewins who was his opponent at the December 1910 general election.

Campaign

The by-election was fought mainly on the issue of National Insurance which Hewins took up vigorously, if by some accounts rather cynically. In the course of the campaign Lloyd George had to send Adkins a letter for public consumption refuting in detail Hewins’ claims.

Result

Adkins held on, although Hewins reduced his majority again, this time to 411 votes.[4]

Middleton by-election, 1911[5] Electorate 15,447
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ryland Adkins 6,863 51.5 -1.4
Liberal Unionist William Hewins 6,452 48.5 +1.4
Majority 411 3.0 -2.8
Turnout 13,315 86.2 -0.6
Liberal hold Swing -1.4

Aftermath

Hewins was elected in a by-election at Hereford in 1912. A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election.

General Election 1914/15: Middleton Electorate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ryland Adkins
Unionist

Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place. In 1918, following boundary changes, the Middleton constituency was combined with Prestwich.

General election 14 December 1918: Middleton & Prestwich Electorate 36,563
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ryland Adkins 14,831 69.5 +18.0
Labour John B Battle 6,501 30.5 New
Majority 8,330 39.0 +36.0
Turnout 21,332
Liberal win (new seat)
  • Adkins was the endorsed candidate of the Coalition Government.

References

  1. ↑ "No. 28514". The London Gazette. 18 July 1911. p. 5350.
  2. ↑ "Election Intelligence". The Times. 2 August 1911. p. 11.
  3. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  4. ↑ "Middleton By-Election. Liberal Majority Reduced". The Times. 3 August 1911. p. 6.
  5. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
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