“1905 Hampstead by-election”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

The Hampstead by-election was a Parliamentary by-election. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Vacancy

Electoral history

The seat had been Conservative since it was created in 1885. They easily held the seat at the last election;

Candidates

The local Conservative Association selected 63-year-old John Fletcher as their candidate to defend the seat. Fletcher had good local connections. He was a member of the Hampstead Board of Guardians from 1876-1898.^[3] He was an elected member of the London County Council representing Hampstead for the Conservative backed Municipal Reform Party from 1889-1904. He served as one of the Council's deputy chairman from 1900-04.^[4]

The local Liberal Association selected George Frederic Rowe as their candidate to gain the seat. Rowe had been the Liberal candidate in the 1902 by-election.

Campaign

Rowe launched his campaign on 11 October with a public meeting at Hampstead Town Hall, sharing a platform with the London Liberal MP, Thomas Macnamara.^[5] On 13 October he held his second public meeting at Brondesbury Hall. Fletcher's campaign, slower off the mark, sought to build upon his strong local links. He supported the Unionist government in its policy positions. He advocated the reduction in Irish representation in the UK parliament.^[6] The Hampstead Temperance Council had invited both candidates to address their meeting, but Fletcher chose not to attend. The HTC gave its support to Rowe and Fletcher responded by seeking the support of local licensed vituallers. Rowe's third public meeting at West Hampstead Town Hall featured Leo Chiozza Money the Liberal candidate for neighbouring Paddington. Fletcher's first public meeting in Haverstock Hill, had him sharing a platform with Nottingham MP, Edward Bond and Keighley candidate William Mitchell Acworth.^[7]

As Fletcher was a supporter of protectionism, Rowe received the endorsement of the Hampstead Free Trade League.^[8] On 23 October Winston Churchill who had left the Conservatives and joined the Liberals primarily because of the free trade v protectionism issue, addressed a public meeting organised by the Hampstead Free Trade League.^[9]

Result

The Liberals massively reduced the majority of the Conservatives, thanks to a swing of 11.9%:

The result should have been a good indicator to Unionist Prime Minister Arthur Balfour that the mood in the country was swinging behind the Liberals. He soon chose to resign as Prime Minister.

Aftermath

References

1. ^{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Judge-Advocate-General |volume=15 |page=538}}
2. ^British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
3. ^{{cite book | title = Who is Who 1914 | publisher = Adam & Charles Black | location = London | edition = 66th | year = 1914 | pages = 718 }}
4. ^Debrett's
5. ^"Election Intelligence." Times [London, England] 12 Oct. 1905: 8. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
6. ^"Election Intelligence." Times [London, England] 14 Oct. 1905: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
7. ^"Election Intelligence." Times [London, England] 17 Oct. 1905: 11. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
8. ^"Election Intelligence." Times [London, England] 20 Oct. 1905: 6. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014
9. ^"Speech By Mr. Churchill." Times [London, England] 24 Oct. 1905: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
10. ^British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
11. ^British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, FWS Craig