“1916 Mile End by-election”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

The Mile End by-election of 1916 was held on 25 January 1916. The by-election was held due to the succession of the incumbent Liberal Unionist MP, Hon. Harry Levy-Lawson to the peerage as Baron Burnham,^[1] on the death of his father. It was won by the Conservative candidate Warwick Brookes.^[2]

Canvassing on behalf of Brookes began immediately. J. D. Gilbert, who had won the Newington West by-election, sent him a letter of support asking Mile End's Liberals to support Brookes,^[4]

and B.S. Straus, who had been the prospective Liberal candidate in Mile End, offered to sign Brookes's nomination papers.^[4]

Campaigning in support of an intensified war effort, Brookes supported the "economic strangulation" of Germany, and backed Military Service Bill which would introduce conscription.^[4]^[5] He also supported the development of air defences, and advocated an air force given the same pre-dominance then held by the Royal Navy.^[4] The writ for the by-election was issued on 17 January, and with the campaign well underway The Times newspaper commented the next day that it would be "unwise to speculate on the result".^[6] Many of Mile End's 6,000 electors were unable to vote, since they were away serving in the war.^[6] Some 2,000 of the voters were Jewish, and their support was seen as critical; many of them were shopkeepers, and The Times speculated that they might be attracted to Billings' commitment to end the blackout.^[6] Billings made his speeches from the cockpit of an aeroplane^[7] and both candidates advocated similar policies for strengthening air defences.^[7] Nominations closed on 21 January,^[8] and the First Lord of the Admiralty, Arthur Balfour, intervened to denounce the "criminality" of an implication by Billings that the air defence of the East End had been neglected because the people there were poor.

Polling took place on 25 January, and Brookes was declared the winner with a majority of 376 votes (10.4%) over Billings.^[9]

References

1. ^{{cite news |title=Three By-Elections In London. West Newington Poll To-Day., St. George's And Mile-End. |date=10 January 1916 |work=The Times |page=3, col C |accessdate= |location=London}}
2. ^http://www.leighrayment.com/commons.htm
3. ^{{cite news |title=Mile End Election. An Airman Candidate |date=13 January 1916 |work=The Times |page=5, col F |accessdate= |location=London}}
4. ^¹²³{{cite news |title=The "Air Election." Two Candidates In Mile-End. |date=14 January 1916 |work=The Times |page=5, col B |accessdate= |location=London}}
5. ^{{cite news |title=A Strong Air Policy. Mile End Election Issues |date=15 January 1916 |work=The Times |page=3, col D |accessdate= |location=London}}
6. ^¹²{{cite news |title=Mile End Election. Polling Next Tuesday |date=18 January 1916 |work=The Times |pages=5, col B |accessdate= |location=London}}
7. ^¹{{cite news |title=Mile-End Election. Public Interest In Air Defence |date=20 January 1916 |work=The Times |page=5, col B |accessdate= |location=London}}
8. ^{{cite news |title=Mile-End Election. Nomination Of The Candidates |date=22 January 1916 |work=The Times |page=5, col B |accessdate= |location=London}}
9. ^{{cite news |title=Mile-End Result. Mr. Brookes Elected |date=26 January 1916 |work=The Times |page=8, col F |accessdate= |location=London}}