Nationalist Liberal
Encyclopedia
Nationalist Liberal was the label under which Fleming Blanchard McCurdy
ran in a by-election
held in Colchester
, Nova Scotia
, Canada
, on September 20, 1920.
McCurdy had been a Conservative
Member of Parliament since 1911 and, as all Conservatives, became a Unionist
in 1917, serving as Parliamentary Secretary
to Sir Robert Borden
.
Prime Minister
Arthur Meighen
appointed McCurdy to his Cabinet as Minister of Public Works in July 1920. At that time, new Cabinet appointees were required to seek re-election in a by-election. It is unknown why McCurdy ran as a Nationalist Liberal, but it may have had something to do with the fact that the Conservative/Unionist Party had changed its formal name to the National Liberal and Conservative Party
or because his sole challenger was a member of the newly formed, left-wing United Farmers
. McCurdy won the 1920 by-election by a narrow margin. He reverted to the Conservative label in 1921 and was defeated.
Fleming Blanchard McCurdy
Fleming Blanchard McCurdy, was a Canadian politician.Born in Old Barns, Nova Scotia, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the Nova Scotia riding of Shelburne and Queen's in the 1911 election as a Conservative...
ran in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held in Colchester
Colchester (electoral district)
Colchester was a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1935. It was created in the British North America Act of 1867, and was abolished in 1933 when it was merged into Colchester—Hants riding...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on September 20, 1920.
McCurdy had been a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of Parliament since 1911 and, as all Conservatives, became a Unionist
Unionist Party (Canada)
The Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by Members of Parliament in Canada who supported the "Union government" formed by Sir Robert Borden during the First World War....
in 1917, serving as Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
.
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
appointed McCurdy to his Cabinet as Minister of Public Works in July 1920. At that time, new Cabinet appointees were required to seek re-election in a by-election. It is unknown why McCurdy ran as a Nationalist Liberal, but it may have had something to do with the fact that the Conservative/Unionist Party had changed its formal name to the National Liberal and Conservative Party
National Liberal and Conservative Party
The National Liberal and Conservative Party was the name adopted by the Conservative Party of Canada in 1920 after the end of the Unionist government of Robert Borden....
or because his sole challenger was a member of the newly formed, left-wing United Farmers
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
. McCurdy won the 1920 by-election by a narrow margin. He reverted to the Conservative label in 1921 and was defeated.
- See also: List of political parties in Canada