Paisley by-election, 1920

The Paisley by-election, 1920 was a parliamentary by-election held on 12 February 1920 for the British House of Commons constituency of Paisley in Scotland. It was caused by the death of the constituency's sitting Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Sir John Mills McCallum.

Asquith’s return

Herbert Asquith, Liberal candidate

The by-election provided an opportunity for the return to Parliament of H. H. Asquith, the former prime minister who had lost his seat at East Fife at the 1918 general election in the aftermath of the split in the Liberal Party between those who supported the coalition of David Lloyd George with the Conservatives and the supporters of Asquith’s independent Liberals, or ‘Wee Frees.’ The by-election seemed to be a triumph for the Independent Liberals with a majority of 2,834 votes over Labour and a blow for the government with the Coalition Conservative candidate losing his deposit.

The result

Paisley by-election, 1920: Paisley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith 14,736 48.4
Labour John McLaren Biggar 11,902 39.1
Conservative James Anderson Dunlop MacKean 3,795 12.5
Majority 2,834 9.3
Liberal hold Swing

Further reading