1913 Linlithgowshire by-election

The Linlithgowshire by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 7 November 1913.[1] The constituency returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Victorious Liberal candidate John Pratt

Vacancy

Alexander Ure had been Liberal Member of Parliament for Linlithgowshire since 1895. In 1913 he was raised to the bench as Lord Strathclyde and appointed Lord Justice General.

Previous result
Alexander Ure
General election December 1910: Linlithgowshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Ure 5,835 60.8 -3.8
Unionist James Kidd 3,765 39.2 +3.8
Majority 2,070 21.6 -7.6
Turnout 9,600 81.1 -3.5
Liberal hold Swing -3.8

Candidates
  • Forty-year-old former Fabian, John Pratt was selected to defend the seat in the Liberal interest. He was Warden of Glasgow University Settlement, 1902–12 and was a Member of Glasgow Town Council, 1906. However, initially, the West Lothian Liberal Association had sought Robert Brown, the Provost of Dalkeith as their candidate. He was Secretary of the Midlothian miners and one of the few miners leaders in Scotland who were sympathetic to the Liberals. The Liberal Party had previously sought after Brown as their candidate for the 1912 Midlothian by-election where he eventually stood as a Labour Party candidate, finishing bottom of the poll. Brown once more turned down the Liberal offer and the Liberals chose Pratt.[2]
  • Edinburgh educated 41-year-old James Kidd was re-selected by the Unionists, having fought the seat at the last election.
  • The Labour Party agreed not to put forward a candidate, to avoid splitting the anti-Unionist vote. However, the British Socialist Party, which criticised the Liberal/Labour electoral pact, considered putting forward Robert Small, the Secretary of the West Lothian shale miners. Local branches of the Independent Labour Party also considered running a candidate[3]

Campaign

Some 2,000 Irish electors lived in the constituency and they were expected to heavily support the Liberal candidate. Local branches of the Independent Labour Party asked local electors to vote for the Unionist Party candidate.[4]

Result
Linlithgowshire by-election 1913
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Pratt 5,615 52.4 -8.4
Unionist James Kidd 5,094 47.6 +8.4
Majority 521 4.8 -16.8
Turnout 10,709 87.8 +6.7
Liberal hold Swing -8.4

Aftermath

A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the summer of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.

For the 1918 elections, Pratt moved to contest Glasgow Cathcart.

General election 1918: Linlithgowshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist James Kidd 12,898 59.7 +20.5
Labour Manny Shinwell 8,723 40.3 New
Majority 4,175 19.2 N/A
Turnout 21,621 66.4 -14.7
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

References
  1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 108.
  2. John MacLean's Scottish Notes, Justice 18 October 1913, page 6
  3. John MacLean's Scottish Notes, Justice 18 October 1913, page 6
  4. John MacLean's Scottish Notes, Justice 8 November 1913, page 6
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  • Who's Who: www.ukwhoswho.com
  • Debrett's House of Commons 1916
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