1916 Berwickshire by-election
The 1916 Berwickshire by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the UK House of Commons constituency of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders on 18 July 1916.
Vacancy
[edit]Under the provisions of the Succession to the Crown Act 1707 and a number of subsequent Acts, MPs appointed to certain ministerial and legal offices were at this time required to seek re-election.[1] The by-election in Berwickshire was caused by the appointment of the sitting Liberal MP, Harold "Jack" Tennant as Secretary for Scotland.[2]
Process
[edit]The writ for the by-election was moved in Parliament on 10 July[3] and the returning officer, the Sheriff of Berwickshire, fixed 18 July for the nomination of candidates.[4]
Candidates
[edit]As the other political parties were collaborating in the wartime coalition government of H H Asquith, the Tories were not expected to oppose Tennant[5] and there was not, as yet, any tradition of Labour contesting Berwickshire.[6] In the absence of any other candidate, Tennant was duly returned unopposed on 18 July and, introduced by the Prime Minister and Eugene Wason MP, re-took his seat in the House of Commons on 20 July to cheers as Secretary for Scotland.[7]
The result
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Harold Tennant | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918; Macmillan Press, 1974 pxiv
- ^ The Times, 11 November 1935, p14
- ^ The Times, 11 July 1916, p10
- ^ The Times, 14 July 1916, p5
- ^ The Times, 14 July 1916, p5
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918; Macmillan Press, 1974 p531
- ^ The Times, 21 July 1916, p10