1923 Tiverton by-election

UK parliamentary by-election November 2019 The 1923 Tiverton by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Tiverton in Devon on 21 June 1923. Vacancy The by-election was caused by the death from pneumonia on 22 May 1923 of the sitting Unionist Party MP, Herbert Sparkes.The Times, 23 May 1923 p13 Sparkes had been elected at the 1922 general election with a majority of just 74 votes over his Liberal opponent Francis Dyke Acland, with Labour’s Fred Brown badly adrift in third place and losing his deposit.F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results,1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p331 General election 1922 Unionist Party (UK) Herbert Sparkes 10,304 46.9 –10.3 Liberal Party (UK) Francis Dyke Acland 10,230 46.5 +17.8 Labour Party (UK) Frederick Brown 1,457 6.6 –7.5 74 0.4 –28.1 21,991 80.1 +5.3 Unionist Party (UK) Liberal Party (UK) –14.0 Candidates The Unionists selected Colonel Gilbert Acland-Troyte from Bampton near Tiverton, a professional soldier, as their candidate.The Times 2 June 1923 p12 The Liberals stuck with Acland, who had formerly been MP for Richmond in the North Riding of Yorkshire and for Camborne in Cornwall and who had been a government minister. The Tory and Liberal candidates were actually cousins, their grandfathers had been brothers.The Times, 20 June 1923 p16 The Labour Party decided not to contest the election but Mr Brown wished to stand again. Labour refused to endorse his candidacy Chris Cook & John Ramsden By-elections in British politics; UCL Press 1997 p39 and he therefore resigned from the Labour Party The Times, 18 June 1923 p14 and put himself up as an Independent Labour candidate.The Times, 14 June 1923 p14 Issues The Liberal and Unionist candidates sparred over the relative merits of the government’s agricultural and land policy, with Acland urging the government to invest more in farming communities and relieve rates on agricultural land. Brown tried to make capital on this issue too emphasising his role as the local organiser for the Agricultural Workers’ Union.The Times, 21 June 1923 p11 While Acland-Troyte also defended the government’s overall record, Francis Acland was playing up his south-western credentials and his personal qualities. The fact that the Lloyd George and Asquithian wings of the Liberal Party in the area both supported Acland and the party nationally appeared to be moving towards reunion was also offered as a factor in shoring up support for the party in the by-election.The Times, 23 June 1923 p14 Result Despite local Unionist optimism that they would be able to hold the seat, Acland got home with a majority of 402. thumb|120px|Acland Tiverton by-election, 1923 Liberal Party (UK) Francis Dyke Acland 12,041 49.8 +3.3 Unionist Party (UK) Gilbert Acland-Troyte 11,639 48.1 +1.3 Independent Labour Frederick Brown 495 2.0 –4.6 402 1.7 N/A 24,174 88.1 +8.0 Liberal Party (UK) Unionist Party (UK) +1.0 Brown’s vote at the previous general election deserted him with ex-Labour voters recognising that he could not win, especially without official Labour backing, and voted for Acland to deny the seat to the Tories.The Times, 23 June 1923 p12 Brown lost hs deposit again. Both the Liberal and Unionist candidates increased their total vote on an increased turnout from the general election (up from 80.1% to 88.1%) but the fall in the Labour vote was the key to the result.Chris Cook & John Ramsden By-elections in British politics; UCL Press 1997 p273 References See also List of United Kingdom by-elections United Kingdom by-election records Tiverton by-election Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Devon constituencies Tiverton by-election Tiverton by-election Category:Tiverton, Devon Category:1920s in Devon