February 1906 City of London by-election
27 February 1906
Constituency of City of London
Turnout63.19% (Decrease 5.5%)
  First party Second party
 
Candidate Arthur Balfour Thomas Gibson Bowles
Party Conservative Free Trader
Popular vote 15,474 4,134
Percentage 78.92% 21.08%
A map of parliamentary constituencies within the County of London at the time of the by-election, with City of London highlighted in red.
MP before election

Alban Gibbs
Conservative

 Subsequent MP

Arthur Balfour
Conservative

The February 1906 City of London by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 February 1906 for the British House of Commons constituency of City of London, which covered the "Square Mile" which was the United Kingdom's traditional financial district.

The seat had become vacant on the resignation of Alban Gibbs, one of the constituency's two Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs). Gibbs had resigned in order to provide a safe seat for Arthur Balfour. He would go on to succeed his father, Hucks Gibbs, as Baron Aldenham the following year.

Balfour had been out of Parliament following his defeat at Manchester East in the 1906 general election. He had been Prime Minister between 1902 and 1905 and at the time was Leader of the Conservative Party, with Joseph Chamberlain filling in as Leader of the Opposition while Balfour was out of Parliament.

Candidates

65-year old Thomas Gibson Bowles, who had been Unionist Member of Parliament for King's Lynn from 1892 until 1906 stood as a Free Trader candidate. The Free Traders were a group of former Conservatives opposed to Balfour's policy of tariff reform, instead preferring free trade.

Votes

City of London by-election, February 1906
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Balfour 15,474 78.92 +78.92
Free Trader Thomas Gibson Bowles 4,134 21.08 +21.08
Majority 11,340 57.84 N/A
Turnout 31,030 63.19 -5.5
Conservative hold Swing
1906 general election: City of London (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Clarke 16,019 38.13 N/A
Conservative Alban Gibbs 15,619 37.17 N/A
Liberal Felix Schuster 5,313 12.65 New
Liberal Joseph West Ridgeway 5,064 12.05 New
Majority 10,306 24.5 N/A
Turnout 31,030 68.7 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

See also

References

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