Keighley by-election, 1918
Encyclopedia
The Keighley by-election, 1918 was a parliamentary by-election
held for the House of Commons
constituency of Keighley
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
on 26 April 1918.
MP, Sir Swire Smith
.
, a 39 year old director of his family business, Somervell Bros. of Kendal, leather
merchants and boot
manufacturers, later known as K Shoes as their candidate. Somervell had twice previously contested the South or Kendal Division of Westmorland
for the Liberals.
As the by-election was taking place during wartime and Somervell was standing as the candidate of the Coalition government
he did not face Conservative
or Labour Party
opponents. There was however an Independent ‘Peace by Negotiation’ candidate, William Bland, (who is also referred to in some reference books as an ILP
candidate) and who had been the official Labour candidate at a previous by-election in the constitutency in 1913.
At one point too it looked as if there would be a woman candidate in the field. Nina Boyle
, a journalist
and well-known campaigner for women’s suffrage and women’s rights made known her intention to put up at the by-election as a candidate of the Women's Freedom League
. Although women over thirty gained the vote in 1918, there was some doubt as to whether women were eligible to stand as parliamentary candidates. Boyle announced that she would test the law and if her nomination was refused would take the matter to the courts to obtain a definitive ruling. After some legal consideration, the Returning Officer
stated that he was prepared to accept her nomination, thus establishing an important precedent for women candidates. However he ruled her nomination papers invalid on other grounds. One of the signatories to her nomination was not on the electoral roll and another lived outside the constituency. While Boyle did not therefore get to appear on the ballot paper, she claimed a moral victory for women’s suffrage rights and cleared the way for others to stand and win election a few months later at the 1918 general election
.
and an increasing sign of war weariness.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held for the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
constituency of Keighley
Keighley (UK Parliament constituency)
Keighley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
on 26 April 1918.
Vacancy
The by-election was caused by the death on 16 March 1918 of the sitting LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
MP, Sir Swire Smith
Swire Smith
Sir Swire Smith was an English woollen manufacturer, educationalist and Liberal Party politician. In many ways he was typical of the public-spirited, self-made Victorian...
.
Candidates
Keighley Liberals chose William SomervellWilliam Somervell
William Henry Somervell was an English businessman, philanthropist and Liberal politician.-Family and education:...
, a 39 year old director of his family business, Somervell Bros. of Kendal, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
merchants and boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
manufacturers, later known as K Shoes as their candidate. Somervell had twice previously contested the South or Kendal Division of Westmorland
Kendal (UK Parliament constituency)
Kendal was a parliamentary borough centred on the town of Kendal in Westmorland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
for the Liberals.
As the by-election was taking place during wartime and Somervell was standing as the candidate of the Coalition government
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
he did not face Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
or Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
opponents. There was however an Independent ‘Peace by Negotiation’ candidate, William Bland, (who is also referred to in some reference books as an ILP
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
candidate) and who had been the official Labour candidate at a previous by-election in the constitutency in 1913.
At one point too it looked as if there would be a woman candidate in the field. Nina Boyle
Nina Boyle
Constance Antonina Boyle , was a British journalist, campaigner for women’s suffrage and women’s rights, charity and welfare worker and novelist...
, a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and well-known campaigner for women’s suffrage and women’s rights made known her intention to put up at the by-election as a candidate of the Women's Freedom League
Women's Freedom League
The Women's Freedom League was an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigned for women's suffrage and sexual equality.The group was founded in 1907 by seventy members of the Women's Social and Political Union including Teresa Billington-Greig, Charlotte Despard, Elizabeth How-Martyn, and...
. Although women over thirty gained the vote in 1918, there was some doubt as to whether women were eligible to stand as parliamentary candidates. Boyle announced that she would test the law and if her nomination was refused would take the matter to the courts to obtain a definitive ruling. After some legal consideration, the Returning Officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
stated that he was prepared to accept her nomination, thus establishing an important precedent for women candidates. However he ruled her nomination papers invalid on other grounds. One of the signatories to her nomination was not on the electoral roll and another lived outside the constituency. While Boyle did not therefore get to appear on the ballot paper, she claimed a moral victory for women’s suffrage rights and cleared the way for others to stand and win election a few months later at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
.
The result
Somervell was returned easily with a majority of 2,524 votes and well over 50% of the poll. Nevertheless, Bland managed to attract nearly 30% of the vote and one historian has argued that this was an indication of a growing and substantial body of public opinion favouring a negotiated peace settlement with Germany following the publication of the Lansdowne letterLansdowne Letter
The "Lansdowne Letter" was named after a letter published by Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne which called for Britain to negotiate a peace with Imperial Germany during the Great War.-Background:...
and an increasing sign of war weariness.
See also
- List of United Kingdom by-elections
- United Kingdom by-election recordsUnited Kingdom by-election recordsUK by-election records is an annotated list of notable records from UK Parliamentary by-elections. A by-election occurs when a Member of Parliament resigns, dies, or is disqualified or expelled, and an election is held to fill the vacant seat...
- Keighley by-election, 1913
- Keighley by-election, 1915Keighley by-election, 1915The Keighley by-election, 1915 was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of Keighley in the West Riding of Yorkshire on 29 June 1915. -Vacancy:...