William Saunders was a British newspaper publisher and 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...

 politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1885 and 1895.

Saunders founded several newspapers. He established the Western Morning News

Western Morning News

The Western Morning News is a politically independent daily regional newspaper founded in 1860 and covering Devon and Cornwall and parts of Somerset and Dorset.-Organisation:...

at Plymouth in 1860 with Edward Spender. The Eastern Morning News was established at Hull and the first number appeared in January 1864. Saunders also established the Central News Agency

Central News Agency (London)

The Central News Agency was a news distribution service founded as Central Press in 1863 by William Saunders and his brother-in-law, Edward Spender...

, and was vice-president of the temperance society United Kingdom Alliance

United Kingdom Alliance

The United Kingdom Alliance was a temperance movement in the United Kingdom founded on 20 July 1852. It was based in Manchester and sought to outlaw the alcohol trade.-History:...

.

In the 1885 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1885

-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...

, Saunders was elected Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for Kingston upon Hull East

Kingston upon Hull East (UK Parliament constituency)

Kingston upon Hull East is a borough 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 :...

 but lost the seat in the 1886 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1886

-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...

. He returned to the House of Commons at the 1892 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1892

The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...

 when he won the Walworth division of Newington

Newington Walworth (UK Parliament constituency)

Walworth was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Walworth district of South London, within the Newington Vestry...

 from the sitting 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...

 MP. He died in office in May 1895, triggering a by-election on 14 May in which the seat was regained by the Conservatives.

Saunders married Caroline Spender and was great uncle of Stephen Spender

Stephen Spender

Sir Stephen Harold Spender CBE was an English poet, novelist and essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle in his work...

.

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