View source for 1914 Great Grimsby by-election

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox election
|election_name=1914 Great Grimsby by-election
|type=presidential
|country=United Kingdom
|previous_election=Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1910s
|previous_year=1910
|next_election=Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1910s
|next_year=Jan. 1918
|election_date=12 May 1914
|candidate1=[[Thomas Tickler|Tickler]]
|image1=[[File:Thomas Tickler.jpg|85px]]
|party1=Unionist Party (UK)
|popular_vote1='''8,471'''
|percentage1='''50.8%'''
|candidate2=Bannister
|image2=[[File:Alfred_Bannister.jpg|85px]]
|party2=Liberal Party (UK)
|popular_vote2=8,193
|percentage2=49.2%
|map_image=File:GreatGrimsby2007Constituency.svg
|map_size=250px
|title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]]
|posttitle=Subsequent MP
|before_election=[[George Doughty (politician)|George Doughty]]
|before_party=Liberal Unionist Party
|after_election=[[Thomas Tickler]]
|after_party=Unionist Party (UK)
}}
The '''1914 [[Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Grimsby]] by-election''' was a [[UK Parliamentary by-elections|Parliamentary by-election]] held on 12 May 1914.<ref>{{cite book |last=Craig |first=F.W.S. |date=1987 |title=Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987 |location=Chichester |publisher=Parliamentary Research Services |page=109}}</ref> The constituency returned one [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]], elected by the [[first past the post]] voting system. It was one of the last by-election contests to take place before the outbreak of the Great War, and provided a good indicator of how the main parties would have performed at an anticipated general election for 1914 or 1915.

==Vacancy==
[[George Doughty (politician)|Sir George Doughty]] had been the MP for [[Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Grimsby]] since 1895, apart from the period from January–December 1910. Doughty was first elected as a Liberal before switching to the Liberal Unionists in 1898. He died suddenly, at the age of 60, of a heart seizure on 27 April 1914.<ref>"Death Of Sir G. Doughty." ''The Times'' [London, England] 28 April 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref>

==Previous result==
[[File:George_Doughty.jpg|thumb|120px|Doughty]]
{{Election box begin | title=[[December 1910 United Kingdom general election|General election December 1910]]: Grimsby<ref>British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by F.W.S. Craig</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Unionist Party (UK)
  |candidate  =[[George Doughty (politician)|George Doughty]]
  |votes      =7,903
  |percentage =52.3
  |change     = +3.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [[Thomas Wing (Liberal politician)|Thomas Wing]]
  |votes      = 7,205
  |percentage =47.7
  |change     = -3.4
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      =698
  |percentage =4.6
  |change     = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      =15,108
  |percentage =83.8
  |change     = -0.6
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
  |winner     = Liberal Unionist Party (UK)
  |loser      = Liberal Party (UK)
  |swing      = +3.4
}}
{{Election box end}}

==Candidates==
*Early possibilities to be the Unionist candidate included former Brigg MP [[Berkeley Sheffield|Sir Berkeley Sheffield]] and local party chairman RW Roberts.<ref>"Death Of Sir G. Doughty." ''The Times'' [London, England] 28 April 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> On 30 April jam manufacturer [[Thomas Tickler]] was chosen by the Unionists as their candidate to defend the seat. He was a local JP and Town Councillor, having served as Mayor in 1907.<ref>"News in Brief." ''The Times'' [London, England] 1 May 1914: 8. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> 
*The Liberals had already selected James Whitely Wilkin as their prospective parliamentary candidate for a general election expected to occur later in 1914–15. However he was at the time travelling in the southern hemisphere and was not expected to be able to return in time. James William Eason, the local leader of the party was mentioned as a possible replacement.<ref>"Death Of Sir G. Doughty." ''The Times'' [London, England] 28 April 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> Their previous candidate, the former MP [[Thomas Edward Wing|Tom Wing]] had been returned to parliament in March following the [[1913 Houghton-le-Spring by-election]]. On 30 April they selected local [[Cleethorpes]] man '''Alfred Bannister'''. He also lived in the constituency, he served as a Justice of the Peace and was a Town Councillor who had served as Chairman of the council.<ref>"News in Brief." ''The Times'' [London, England] 1 May 1914: 8. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> He was involved in the local fishing industry as a steam trawler owner.<ref>Hull Daily Mail, 1 May 1914</ref>
*The Grimsby Trades and Labour Council considered supporting [[Ernest Marklew]] as a [[British Socialist Party]] candidate.<ref>"A Candidate's Laugh." ''The Times'' [London, England] 4 May 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> The BSP however did not feel they were able to mount a campaign in the time available and refused to sanction Marklew's candidature, forcing him to withdraw.<ref>"Grimsby And Ulster." ''The Times'' [London, England] 7 May 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref>

==Campaign==
The Unionists moved the writ to get polling day fixed for 12 May, a Tuesday. This was expected to be of benefit to them as Tuesdays tended to be days when large numbers of fisherman, who would have been likely to vote for the Liberal candidate, were going to be away at sea.<ref>"The Grimsby Contest." ''The Times'' [London, England] 6 May 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> The Liberal candidate's direct links to the local fishing industry were expected to help him pick up a few votes who had previously voted for Doughty.

The [[Tariff Reform League]], the Unionist Association of Ireland and the Unionist Defence League all opened campaign offices in Cleethorpes in support of the Unionist candidates campaign.<ref>"Grimsby Covenanters." ''The Times'' [London, England] 9 May 1914: 5. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> The debate between Tariff Reform and Free trade did not play much of a part in the campaign but the issue of Irish Unionism versus Irish Nationalism did.

===Irish Home Rule===
The Liberal government was in the process of steering through parliament the Third Irish Home Rule Bill with the support of the Irish Nationalists. The bill was opposed by the Unionist opposition and most infamously by the Irish Unionist Leader [[Sir Edward Carson]] who in 1912 had urged those who disagreed with the government to use any means to oppose the measure. This was meant as a call for Ulstermen to take up arms. Furthermore, Unionist politicians had been encouraging British Army officers to disobey orders to quell any Ulster uprising. At a Liberal campaign meeting on 2 May, three MPs spoke in support of Bannister. [[Thomas Edward Wing|Tom Wing]] the former Grimsby Liberal MP, [[Francis Neilson]] and Irish Nationalist [[Richard McGhee]]. McGhee attacked the Unionist leader Sir Edward Carson for his treasonous position. Bannister added that "If he were King, he would chop off Sir Edward Carson's head."<ref>"A Candidate's Laugh." ''The Times'' [London, England] 4 May 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> Unionist leaders Carson and [[Bonar Law]] responded to criticisms that they had deliberately stirred up unrest in Ulster by sending letters of support to the Unionist candidate in which they blamed the resulting unrest on the Liberal government for introducing its Home Rule policies.<ref>"Grimsby And Ulster." ''The Times'' [London, England] 7 May 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> Both [[H. H. Asquith]] and [[Lloyd George]] sent letters of support to the Liberal candidate. Lloyd George reminding him of Unionist Party attempts to create civil war in Ireland and mutiny in the British Army.<ref>"Grimsby Covenanters." ''The Times'' [London, England] 9 May 1914: 5. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> On 9 May, leading Irish Nationalist MP [[T.P. O'Connor]] visited Grimsby in support of the Liberal campaign. He highlighted the activities of Unionist politicians who sought to encourage British army officers to mutiny. Carson, who had been widely criticised for his utterances on Ulster went to the extent of posting a letter to Grimsby electors, defending his militant position on Ireland.<ref>"The Grimsby Contest." ''The Times'' [London, England] 11 May 1914: 5. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014</ref> The Unionist campaign decision to focus on Irish Home Rule might have seemed difficult to understand. However, in past Grimsby elections, the issue had seemed to be the one that had served them best.

===National Insurance Act===
As with previous by-elections, the Unionist campaign sought to attack the Liberal government's [[National Insurance Act 1911|National Insurance Act]]. However, this idea backfired on them early on; with the issue subsequently dropped from their campaign. At a Unionist campaign meeting on 4 May [[Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood|Lord Robert Cecil]] attacked the National Insurance Act, arguing that employers should not be made to contribute. The following day, a deputation of local insurance agents met with Tickler to point out that without employer compulsion, the scheme would not work. Tickler's response was one of support for Cecil.<ref>"The Grimsby Contest." ''The Times'' [London, England] 6 May 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref> The deputation of insurance agents then met with Bannister who assured them of his support for the act and his opposition to any voluntary system. This resulted in Tickler changing his position to one of support for the act.<ref>"Grimsby And Ulster." ''The Times'' [London, England] 7 May 1914: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 2 March 2014.</ref>

==Result==
There was a small swing of 1.5% to the Liberal Party, but was not quite enough to regain the seat from the Unionists.

{{Election box begin | title='''By-Election 12 May 1914''': Grimsby<ref>British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 by F.W.S. Craig</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Unionist Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [[Thomas Tickler]]
  |votes      = 8,471
  |percentage = 50.8
  |change     = -1.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Alfred Bannister
  |votes      = 8,193
  |percentage =49.2
  |change     =+1.5
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      =278
  |percentage =1.6
  |change     =-3.0
}}
{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      =16,664
  |percentage =80.5
  |change     =-3.3
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Unionist Party (UK)
  |swing      =-1.5
}}
{{Election box end}}
The result would have given a great deal of confidence to Liberal Prime Minister [[H. H. Asquith]] about his party's prospects of winning the next general election. It would also have re-assured him about implementing Irish Home Rule.

==Aftermath==
The 3rd Irish Home Rule Bill was passed in parliament later that month. However, Asquith delayed its implementation due to the outbreak of war a few months later. A general election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. 
*'''Unionist''': [[Thomas Tickler]]
*'''Liberal''': James Whitely Wilkin
Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place. 
{{Election box begin | title=[[1918 United Kingdom general election|General election 14 December 1918]]: Grimsby<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 by F.W.S. Craig</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Unionist Party (UK)
  |candidate  =*[[Thomas Tickler]]
  |votes      =13,688
  |percentage =53.7
  |change     =+2.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  =Charles E Franklin
  |votes      =9,015
  |percentage =35.4
  |change     = ''New''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Independent Unionist 
  |candidate  = James William Eason 
  |votes      = 2,791
  |percentage =10.9
  |change     = ''New''
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      =4,673
  |percentage =18.3
  |change     =+16.7
}}
{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      =25,494
  |percentage =54.0
  |change     = -26.5
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Unionist Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}
*Tickler was the endorsed candidate of the Coalition Government.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{By-elections to the 30th UK Parliament}}

[[Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Lincolnshire constituencies]]
[[Category:1914 elections in the United Kingdom|Great Grimsby by-election]]
[[Category:1914 in England|Great Grimsby by-election]]
[[Category:May 1914 events|Great Grimsby by-election]]
[[Category:Politics of Grimsby]]
[[Category:Elections in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:20th century in Lincolnshire|Great Grimsby by-election, 1914]]