1901 Monmouth Boroughs by-election
The Monmouth Boroughs by-election, 1901 was a by-election held on 7 May 1901 for the British House of Commons constituency of Monmouth Boroughs.
The by-election was triggered by the unseating of the Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) Frederick Rutherfoord Harris, as a result of an election petition alleging irregularities in election spending.
The Liberal candidate was Albert Spicer, who had previously been the sitting MP but had lost in the previous general election. The result was a victory for the Conservative candidate Sheriff Joseph Lawrence, who held the seat, although the party's majority was halved.
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Joseph Lawrence | 4,604 | 51.9 | ||
| Liberal | Albert Spicer | 4,261 | 48.1 | ||
| Majority | 343 | 1.8 | |||
| Turnout | 8,865 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Aftermath
Despite the intervention of a Labour Representation Committee candidate, the Liberal Party gained the seat;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Lewis Haslam | 4,531 | 44.7 | −3.4 | |
| Conservative | E E Micholls | 3,939 | 38.8 | −13.1 | |
| Labour Repr. Cmte. | James Whinstone | 1,678 | 16.5 | n/a | |
| Majority | 592 | 5.9 | 7.7 | ||
| Turnout | 90.6 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.8 | |||
References
- ^ The Constitiutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 171 (195 in web page)
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
- The Times, 8 May 1901
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs