1897 Barnsley by-election: Difference between revisions
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At each election since its creation, the seat had been contested by both the Liberal Party and an opponent from the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] (or, on one occasion, from the [[Liberal Unionist Party]]). The Conservative's best result had come at the [[1895 UK general election]], where [[Ronald Greville]] had taken 40.6% of the vote. The following year, he had been elected for [[Bradford East (UK Parliament constituency)|Bradford East]], so he was not available to contest the by-election. After a struggle to find a candidate, the party selected James Blyth, a London-based captain in the [[Oxfordshire Light Infantry]] and a friend of [[Wakefield (UK Parliament constituency)|Wakefield]] MP [[William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam|Lord Milton]].<ref name="rubinstein">David Rubinstein, "[http://www.whatnextjournal.co.uk/Pages/History/Barnsley.html The Independent Labour Party and the Yorkshire Miners: The Barnsley By-Election of 1897]", ''What Next?''</ref> He had no political experience, and it was widely suspected that the party held no hope of capturing the seat.<ref>Carolyn Louise Baylies, ''The History of the Yorkshire Miners'', p.243</ref> |
At each election since its creation, the seat had been contested by both the Liberal Party and an opponent from the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] (or, on one occasion, from the [[Liberal Unionist Party]]). The Conservative's best result had come at the [[1895 UK general election]], where [[Ronald Greville]] had taken 40.6% of the vote. The following year, he had been elected for [[Bradford East (UK Parliament constituency)|Bradford East]], so he was not available to contest the by-election. After a struggle to find a candidate, the party selected James Blyth, a London-based captain in the [[Oxfordshire Light Infantry]] and a friend of [[Wakefield (UK Parliament constituency)|Wakefield]] MP [[William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam|Lord Milton]].<ref name="rubinstein">David Rubinstein, "[http://www.whatnextjournal.co.uk/Pages/History/Barnsley.html The Independent Labour Party and the Yorkshire Miners: The Barnsley By-Election of 1897]", ''What Next?''</ref> He had no political experience, and it was widely suspected that the party held no hope of capturing the seat.<ref>Carolyn Louise Baylies, ''The History of the Yorkshire Miners'', p.243</ref> |
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The [[Independent Labour Party]] had been founded in 1893 as a [[socialist]] party, committed to securing MPs who were independent of the Liberal Party. The party stood 28 candidates at the 1895 general election, but did not win a single seat, and various by-election candidates had also performed poorly.<ref name="rubinstein" /> They decided to stand [[Pete Curran]], the national organiser of the [[National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers]]. He was a member of the [[Fabian Society]] and of the [[Social Democratic Federation]], and had stood in [[Barrow (UK Parliament constituency)|Barrow]] in 1895, coming bottom of the poll.<ref>"[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/45908?docPos=7 Curran, Peter Francis]", ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]''</ref> |
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==Results== |
==Results== |
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Revision as of 12:29, 13 January 2011
The Barnsley by-election, 1897, was a by-election held on 28 October 1897, notable for its role in the development of the Independent Labour Party.
Background
The constituency of Barnsley had been created in 1885, and was a safe seat for the Liberal Party. Since a 1889 by-election, it had been held by the Earl Compton. On 11 September 1897, Compton's father died, and he succeeded as the Marquess of Northampton, thereby forfeiting his seat in the House of Commons and necessitating a by-election.
At each election since its creation, the seat had been contested by both the Liberal Party and an opponent from the Conservative Party (or, on one occasion, from the Liberal Unionist Party). The Conservative's best result had come at the 1895 UK general election, where Ronald Greville had taken 40.6% of the vote. The following year, he had been elected for Bradford East, so he was not available to contest the by-election. After a struggle to find a candidate, the party selected James Blyth, a London-based captain in the Oxfordshire Light Infantry and a friend of Wakefield MP Lord Milton.[1] He had no political experience, and it was widely suspected that the party held no hope of capturing the seat.[2]
The Independent Labour Party had been founded in 1893 as a socialist party, committed to securing MPs who were independent of the Liberal Party. The party stood 28 candidates at the 1895 general election, but did not win a single seat, and various by-election candidates had also performed poorly.[1] They decided to stand Pete Curran, the national organiser of the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers. He was a member of the Fabian Society and of the Social Democratic Federation, and had stood in Barrow in 1895, coming bottom of the poll.[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Joseph Walton | 6,744 | 59.7 | +0.3 | |
| Conservative | James Blyth | 3,454 | 30.6 | −10.0 | |
| Ind. Labour Party | Pete Curran | 1,091 | 9.7 | N/A | |
| Majority | 3,290 | 29.1 | +10.3 | ||
| Turnout | 76.3 | −4.6 | |||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Earl Compton | 6,820 | 59.4 | −6.4 | |
| Conservative | Ronald Greville | 4,653 | 40.6 | +6.4 | |
| Majority | 2,167 | 18.8 | −12.8 | ||
| Turnout | 80.9 | +5.9 | |||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ a b David Rubinstein, "The Independent Labour Party and the Yorkshire Miners: The Barnsley By-Election of 1897", What Next?
- ^ Carolyn Louise Baylies, The History of the Yorkshire Miners, p.243
- ^ "Curran, Peter Francis", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ^ F. W. S. Craig, Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections
- ^ F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918