Penrith and Cockermouth by-election, 1921
Encyclopedia
The Penrith and Cockermouth by-election, 1921 was a parliamentary by-election
held for the British House of Commons
constituency of Penrith and Cockermouth
in Cumberland
on 13 May 1921.
Member of Parliament, the Right Hon. James Lowther. Lowther was retiring as Speaker of the House of Commons
and was created Viscount Ullswater later in 1921.
, the brother of the retiring MP, soldier and former big game hunter for the Unionists
and Levi Collison
, an art printer from Preston in Lancashire
for the Asquithian Independent Liberal Party
.
of David Lloyd George
. They particularly tried to highlight the waste and inefficiency of the government with the local farming community. They were however hampered by years of political inactivity and poor organisation in the constituency. It was reported that Collison, despite his principal trade of art printer, had considerable experience of farming, advocated an advanced agricultural policy and that many local farmers regarded him as a real friend. Collison also favoured some degree of nationalisation in the mining industry, which was less popular, even against the background of coal strikes which had made supplies in the area scarce.
who was Coalition Tory
MP in nearby North Cumberland
.
candidate, a majority of just 31 votes out of 15,325 cast. Perhaps a candidate less closely connected to Speaker Lowther would not have been able to hold the seat. Lowther commented that the result of the election showed the public did not favour nationalisation and did not wish to Ireland given complete independence. Collison’s attacks on government extravagance were seen as the reason he came so near to gaining the seat. Lowther and Collison faced each other again in the 1922 general election
with Collison successful on that occasion by 378 votes.
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 British 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 Penrith and Cockermouth
Penrith and Cockermouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Penrith and Cockermouth was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Penrith and Cockermouth in Cumberland, England. 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:The...
in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
on 13 May 1921.
Vacancy
The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Coalition ConservativeConservative 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...
Member of Parliament, the Right Hon. James Lowther. Lowther was retiring as Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
and was created Viscount Ullswater later in 1921.
Candidates
The election was straight fight between Major-General Cecil LowtherCecil Lowther
Major-General Sir Cecil Lowther, KCMG, CB, CVO, DSO, FRGS was a British general and Conservative politician, the fourth son of William Lowther....
, the brother of the retiring MP, soldier and former big game hunter for the Unionists
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...
and Levi Collison
Levi Collison
Levi Collison was an English art publisher and printer and Liberal Member of Parliament.-Private life:Levi Collison was born in Preston, Lancashire, and educated at private schools. He married and had two sons and two daughters. In 1925, Collison was described as a country gentleman from St Annes...
, an art printer from Preston in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
for the Asquithian Independent Liberal Party
Liberal 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...
.
Liberals
For the Liberals, the by-election was an opportunity to attack the record of the Coalition governmentCoalition 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...
of David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
. They particularly tried to highlight the waste and inefficiency of the government with the local farming community. They were however hampered by years of political inactivity and poor organisation in the constituency. It was reported that Collison, despite his principal trade of art printer, had considerable experience of farming, advocated an advanced agricultural policy and that many local farmers regarded him as a real friend. Collison also favoured some degree of nationalisation in the mining industry, which was less popular, even against the background of coal strikes which had made supplies in the area scarce.
Government
Lowther strongly attacked all forms of socialism and schemes of nationalisation, raising the spectre of land nationalisation if the electorate deserted the coalition. He also hoped to gain votes through his family association with the previous MP who had held the seat since 1886 and with Speaker Lowther’s son, ChristopherChristopher Lowther (politician)
Major Christopher William Lowther was a British Conservative Party politician, the eldest son of James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater....
who was Coalition Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
MP in nearby North Cumberland
North Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency)
North Cumberland was a parliamentary constituency in Cumberland which 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 of election....
.
The result
The by-election resulted in a narrow win for the CoalitionCoalition 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...
candidate, a majority of just 31 votes out of 15,325 cast. Perhaps a candidate less closely connected to Speaker Lowther would not have been able to hold the seat. Lowther commented that the result of the election showed the public did not favour nationalisation and did not wish to Ireland given complete independence. Collison’s attacks on government extravagance were seen as the reason he came so near to gaining the seat. Lowther and Collison faced each other again in the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
with Collison successful on that occasion by 378 votes.
The votes
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...