The 1913 Kendal by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 18 March 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.
Vacancy[edit]
Josceline Bagot was twice returned as Conservative MP for Kendal (1892–1906 and 1910–1913),[2] He died on 1 March 1913.
Previous result[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Josceline Bagot | 3,041 | 52.7 | -1.5 | |
| Liberal | William Somervell | 2,733 | 47.3 | +1.5 | |
| Majority | 308 | 5.4 | -3.0 | ||
| Turnout | 5,774 | 88.2 | -2.8 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -1.5 | |||
Candidates[edit]
John Weston was selected by the Unionists to defend the seat. The Liberals chose local man William Somervell who had stood here last time.
Campaign[edit]
Result[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ind. Unionist | John Weston | 3,261 | 54.9 | +2.2 | |
| Liberal | William Somervell | 2,680 | 45.1 | -2.2 | |
| Majority | 581 | 9.8 | +4.4 | ||
| Turnout | 5,941 | 90.4 | +2.2 | ||
| Ind. Unionist gain from Unionist | Swing | +2.2 | |||
Somervell explained his defeat, and the doubling of the Unionist majority, by claiming that Weston (who stood as an Independent Unionist) had been elected because he was a ‘semi-Liberal’ and a popular local man.[3]
Aftermath[edit]
Somervell was to enter parliament at a by-election in May 1918, holding a Liberal seat. Following boundary changes, Kendal was merged into the new Westmorland seat for the 1918 elections.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | *John Weston | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
| Unionist win (new seat) | |||||
- Weston was endorsed by the Coalition Government.
References[edit]
- ^ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 108.
- ^ "Mr Josceline Bagot (Hansard)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ The Times, 20 March 1913 p6
- 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