1904 North East Lanarkshire by-election

The North East Lanarkshire 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

Sir William Henry Rattigan had been Liberal Unionist MP for the seat of North East Lanarkshire since the North East Lanarkshire by-election, 1901. He died on 4 July 1904 at the age of 62.

Electoral history

The seat had been Liberal Unionist since they gained it in 1901;

North East Lanarkshire by-election, 1901 Electorate 16,894

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	William Henry Rattigan	5,673	42.6	−1.3
	Liberal	Cecil Harmsworth	4,769	35.7	−20.4
	Scottish Workers	Robert Smillie	2,900	21.7	n/a
Majority				6.9	19.1
Turnout				79.0
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

Candidates

• The Conservatives selected 43-year-old George Touche to defend the seat. In 1883 he was admitted to the Society of Accountants in Edinburgh. In 1889 he was appointed first secretary of the Industrial and General Trust, later becoming manager, director in 1898. In 1899 he founded his own practice, George A. Touch & Co.
• The local Liberal Association selected 60-year-old Alexander Findlay as their candidate.
• Thirty-seven-year-old John Robertson stood as candidate for the Scottish Workers' Representation Committee. He was Chairman of the Scottish Miners' Union.

Campaign

Polling Day was fixed for 10 August 1904.

Result

The Liberals gained the seat from the Conservatives;

George Touche

North East Lanarkshire by-election, 1904 Electorate 18,922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alexander Findlay	5,619	39.3	+3.6
	Conservative	George Touche	4,677	32.8	−9.8
	Scottish Workers	John Robertson	3,984	27.9	+6.2
Majority			942	6.5	13.4
Turnout				75.5	−3.5
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing

Aftermath

At the following General Election the result was;

John Robertson

General Election January 1906 Electorate

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alexander Findlay	6,436	40.4	+1.1
	Conservative	Hugh Elliot	4,838	30.4	−2.4
	Scottish Workers	John Robertson	4,658	29.2	+1.3
Majority				10.0	+3.5
Turnout
	Liberal hold		Swing