1909 Edinburgh East by-election
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The Edinburgh East by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 16 April 1909.[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]
Sir George McCrae had been Liberal MP for the seat of Edinburgh East since the 1899 Edinburgh East by-election. He resigned from the House of Commons to take up a position in Scottish government service, accepting the appointment of Vice-President of the Scottish Local Government Board.[2]
Electoral history[edit]
The seat had been won by a Liberal at every election since it was created in 1885. They easily held the seat at the last election, with an increased majority;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | George McCrae | 6,606 | 73.1 | +14.6 | |
| Liberal Unionist | Rankin Dawson | 2,432 | 26.9 | −14.6 | |
| Majority | 4,174 | 46.2 | +29.2 | ||
| Turnout | 9,038 | 78.1 | +8.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 11,572 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +14.6 | |||
Candidates[edit]
The local Liberal Association selected 60-year-old James Gibson to defend the seat. He had been Lord Provost of Edinburgh since 1906. The Conservatives selected 29-year-old Patrick Ford as their candidate.
Campaign[edit]
Polling Day was fixed for 16 April 1909.
Result[edit]
The Liberal majority was only a ninth of their 1906 result. This was generally ascribed to the loss of the Roman Catholic vote because of the failure to settle the education question.;[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | James Gibson | 4,527 | 52.7 | −20.4 | |
| Liberal Unionist | Patrick Ford | 4,069 | 47.3 | +20.4 | |
| Majority | 458 | 5.4 | −40.8 | ||
| Turnout | 8,596 | 73.4 | −4.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 11,710 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −20.4 | |||
Aftermath[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | James Gibson | 6,760 | 61.3 | +8.6 | |
| Liberal Unionist | Patrick Ford | 4,273 | 38.7 | -8.6 | |
| Majority | 2,487 | 22.6 | +17.2 | ||
| Turnout | 11,033 | 88.0 | +14.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 12,544 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +8.6 | |||
References[edit]
- ^ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 103.
- ^ Edmund Burke, The Annual Register of World Events: A Review of the Year; Longmans, Green, 1910
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
- ^ a b Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ A Liberal Chronicle: Journals and Papers of J.A. Pease