Brighton by-election, 1905

The Brighton by-election was a Parliamentary by-election. It was one of only eight ministerial by-elections in the UK not to be retained by the incumbent.

Vacancy

Gerald Loder had been Conservative MP for the seat of Brighton since the Brighton by-election, 1889. He vacated his seat upon appointment as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury so as to seek re-election.

Electoral history

Brighton returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system. The seat had been Conservative since they gained it in 1885. They easily held both seats at the last election;

General Election January 1900[1] Electorate 18,634
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Gerald Walter Erskine Loder 7,858
Conservative Bruce Canning Vernon-Wentworth 6,626 34.6
Independent Conservative J. Kensit 4,693 24.5
Turnout 62.2
Majority 1,933 10.1
Conservative hold Swing
Majority
Conservative hold Swing

Candidates

The Conservatives re-selected 44-year-old Gerald Loder to defend the seat. He was private secretary to the President of the Local Government Board (Charles Ritchie) from 1888 to 1892 and to Lord George Hamilton (the Secretary of State for India) from 1896 to 1901.[2]

The local Liberal Association selected 42-year-old Ernest Villiers as their candidate. He was ordained as an Anglican priest. After three years as a curate in Halifax, he became rector of Haveringland, Norfolk. He resigned from holy orders to pursue a political career.[3]

Campaign

Polling Day was fixed for 5 April 1905.

Result

The Liberals gained the seat from the Conservatives;

Ernest Villiers
Brighton by-election, 1905[4] Electorate 20,439
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Rev. Ernest Amherst Villiers 8,209 52.6
Conservative Gerald Walter Erskine Loder 7,392 47.4
Turnout 76.3
Majority 817
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

Aftermath

At the following General Election, the Liberals gained the other seat from the Conservatives, the result was;

General Election January 1906[5] Electorate 20,976
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Rev. Ernest Amherst Villiers 9,062 26.4 n/a
Liberal Edward Aurelian Ridsdale 8,919 26.0
Conservative George Clement Tryon 8,188 23.8
Conservative Hon. John Edward Gordon 8,176 23.8
Turnout 82.5
Majority 731 2.2
Liberal hold Swing
Majority
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

References

  1. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  2. ↑ Who's Who
  3. ↑ Who's Who
  4. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
  5. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by Craig
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