1913 Whitechapel by-election

The Whitechapel by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 30 April 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.

Whitechapel in London 1913

Vacancy

Sir Stuart Samuel the Liberal MP for Whitechapel undertook a contract for the Public Service, which required him to resign his seat and face re-election.

Electoral history
General election December 1910: Whitechapel[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Stuart Samuel 1,731 59.2 +0.9
Conservative Edgar Monteagle Browne 1,191 40.8 -0.9
Majority 540 18.4 +1.8
Turnout 2,922
Liberal hold Swing +0.9

Candidates

Sir Stuart Samuel had been Liberal MP for the seat since 1900 and the seat had been Liberal since it was created in 1885. He was opposed by Edgar Browne, who had been his Unionist opponent in December 1910.

Campaign

Votes for women

The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, following the adoption of their new policy to not support Liberal candidates, chose not to support either candidate and instead opened a local office from which to carry out propaganda work. The smaller Women's Freedom League, a breakaway group from the Women's Social and Political Union who favoured direct action but opposed violence, also set up a local campaign office. However, the WFL's position on by-elections was specifically anti-government, so they campaigned against the return of the Liberal candidate Samuel and thus by definition in support of his Unionist opponent, Browne.[3]

Result
Stuart Samuel
Whitechapel by-election, 1913[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Stuart Samuel 1,722 52.5 -6.7
Unionist Edgar Monteagle Browne 1,556 47.5 +6.7
Majority 166 5.0 -13.4
Turnout 3,278
Liberal hold Swing -6.7

Aftermath

Samuel retired from politics in 1916 and the Liberals held the resulting by-election unopposed.

References
  1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 108.
  2. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  3. Standard, 22 April 1913
  4. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig

See also
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