1920 Woodbridge by-election

UK parliamentary by-election November 2019 1920 Woodbridge by-election presidential United Kingdom Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1910s 1918 Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1920s 1922 28 July 1920 Churchman 82px Unionist Party (UK) 9,898 53.2% Harben 85px Labour Party (UK) 8,707 46.8% 250px MP Subsequent MP Peel Unionist Party (UK) Churchman Unionist Party (UK) The 1920 Woodbridge by-election was held on 28 July 1920. The by-election was held due to the resignation of the incumbent Coalition Unionist MP, Robert Francis Peel. It was won by the Coalition Unionist candidate Sir Arthur Churchman. Vacancy The by-election was caused by the sitting Unionist MP, Robert Francis Peel resigning his seat to become Governor and Commander-in-Chief of St Helena. He had been MP here since re-gaining the seat from the Liberals in January 1910. Electoral history The constituency was a Unionist/Liberal marginal. Since the seat's creation in 1885, it had been won by a Unionist candidate six times and by a Liberal three times. The Coalition Government 'Coupon' at the last General Election in 1918 was awarded to the sitting Unionist rather than the Liberal challenger. Despite this, the Liberal vote held up very well; thumb|120px|Robert PeelGeneral election 1918: WoodbridgeBritish Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig Unionist Party (UK) Robert Francis Peel 8,654 55.8 +3.2 Liberal Party (UK) William Rowley Elliston 6,842 44.2 -3.2 1,812 11.6 +6.4 15,496 51.0 -33.7 Unionist Party (UK) +3.2 Candidates The Unionists selected 53-year-old tobacco manufacturer Sir Arthur Churchman as their candidate to defend the seat. The Liberal candidate from the last election, Rowley Elliston did not stand this time, despite his good showing in 1918. In fact, no Liberal candidate came forward. The Labour Party, who had not contested the seat before, selected 46-year-old H.D. Harben, a former Liberal candidate, as their candidate to challenge for the seat. He had contested the 1906 general election at Worcester coming second. He then contested the dual member seat of Portsmouth at the December 1910 general election, coming fourth. Campaign Polling Day was set for 28 July 1920. Nominations closed to confirm that the election would be a two-way contest. Churchman received the official endorsement of the Coalition Government. Result Woodbridge by-election, 1920British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig Unionist Party (UK) Arthur Churchman 9,898 53.2 -2.6 Labour Party (UK) Henry Devenish Harben 8,707 46.8 New 1,191 6.4 -5.2 18,605 61.4 +10.4 Unionist Party (UK) Aftermath The result at the following General Election in 1922 was; General election 1922: WoodbridgeBritish Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig Unionist Party (UK) Arthur Churchman 12,396 56.7 +3.5 Labour Party (UK) Edward Neep 9,476 43.3 -3.5 2,920 13.4 +7.0 21,872 69.1 +7.7 Unionist Party (UK) +3.4 See also List of United Kingdom by-elections References Category:1920 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1920 in England Category:Suffolk Coastal Category:Woodbridge, Suffolk Woodbridge Category:July 1920 in the United Kingdom