1888 Dundee by-election
The Dundee by-election, 1888 was a parliamentary by-election held on 16 February 1888 to elect one of the members for the British House of Commons constituency of Dundee.
Background
The election was held following the resignation of Charles Carmichael Lacaita, one of the two members for the seat. Lacaita had first been elected in 1885.[1] He cited his disapproval of Gladstone's Home Rule policy as his reason for resigning.[2]
The local Liberals and a local Radical Association were divided on who to select as a candidate with four men all looking to stand. These included former MPs William Saunders, who was favoured by the radicals, Sir Horace Davey and Joseph Firth Bottomley Firth. Ultimately, to avoid splitting the Liberal and radical vote an agreement was reached to back Firth. The local Conservatives and Liberal Unionists united behind Sir Henry Dermot Daly, their candidate in 1886.[2]
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Joseph Firth Bottomley Firth | 7,856 | 65.1 | n/a | |
| Liberal Unionist | Sir Henry Dermot Daly | 4,217 | 34.9 | n/a | |
| Majority | 3,639 | 30.2 | n/a | ||
| Turnout | 72.7 | +4.4 | |||
| Liberal hold | Swing | n/a | |||
Aftermath
Frith died the following year. The Liberal candidate in the resulting by-election, John Leng, was returned without opposition.[1]