Elgin Burghs by-election, 1918

The Elgin Burghs by-election, 1918 was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of the Elgin Burghs in the north-east of Scotland on 25 October 1918.

Contents

Vacancy

The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Liberal MP, John Ebenezer Sutherland on 17 August 1918. [1]

Candidates

The Liberals selected Charles Coupar Barrie to succeed Sutherland. [2] The Elgin Burghs constituency was due to disappear in boundary changes at the next general election with parts of the seat being redistributed into the seat of Banffshire. Sutherland had been chosen to fight Banffshire [3] come the next election and Barrie inherited the right to contest that seat in due course at the 1918 general election.

Sutherland had represented Elgin Burghs since 1905 and by the time of the December 1910 general election, he was so entrenched in his seat that he was returned unopposed. [4] Sutherland bequeathed Barrie this political dominance. No other candidate came forward to contest the by-election and Barrie was therefore returned unopposed. [5] When the general election came in December 1918, Barrie was also returned unopposed for Banffshire. [6]

The result

Elgin Burghs by-election, 1918
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Coupar Barrie Unopposed N/A N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

References

  1. ^ The Times, 19 August 1918 p9
  2. ^ The Times, 22 October 1918 p3
  3. ^ The Times, 19 August 1918 p9
  4. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1911; Politico’s Publishing 2004, p104
  5. ^ The Times , 26 October 1918 p3
  6. ^ The Times House of Commons 1919, Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p69

See also