1918 South Shields by-election

The 1918 South Shields by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of South Shields on 28 October 1918.

Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Liberal Member of Parliament (MP), Cecil Cochrane. Cochrane had held the seat since himself winning it in a by-election on 18 March 1916.

Candidates

The only candidate nominated was the Liberal Havelock Wilson a former trade union official who had previously been MP for Middlesbrough from 1892 – 1900 and from 1906 –January 1910.

The Labour Party had earlier selected Mr George Rowe of the Boilermakers' Society as their candidate[1] but in the end decided not to contest the seat. Part of the reason for this might have been Havelock Wilson's long connection with the trade union movement and his decision to describe himself as Coalition Liberal and Trade Union candidate.

With the exception of the December 1910 general election when Russell Rea was returned unopposed for the Liberals,[2] all recent elections had been contested by the Unionists. That they chose not to do so in the by-election was presumably because Havelock Wilson was nominated as the candidate of the Coalition government of David Lloyd George in which the Conservative Party participated.

The result

Havelock Wilson was returned unopposed.[3]

South Shields by-election, 1918
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Havelock Wilson Unopposed N/A N/A
National Liberal hold

See also

References

  1. ^ The Times, 17 October 1918 p8
  2. ^ The Times House of Commons 1911; Politico’s Publishing 2004 p54
  3. ^ The Times, 29 October 1918 p3
  • v
  • t
  • e
« 29th Parliament « By-elections to the 30th Parliament of the United Kingdom » 31st Parliament »
19111912191319141915191619171918
Lists of UK by-elections
1801–1806
1806–1818
1818–1832
1832–1847
1847–1857
1857–1868
1868–1885
1885–1900
1900–1918
1918–1931
1931–1950
1950–1979
1979–2010
2010–present
Northern Ireland
Hereditary peers