1908 Worcester by-election

UK Parliamentary by-election August 2019 August 2019 A UK parliamentary by-election in the constituency of Worcester was held on 7 February 1908 and won by the Conservative candidate Edward Goulding. Vacancy The election was held after the voiding of the election for Worcester at the 1906 UK general election of Conservative George Henry Williamson. The losing Liberal Party candidate, Henry Devenish Harben, lodged an election petition alleging corruption, and after a trial from 22 to 26 May, Sir John Compton Lawrance and Sir Joseph Walton adjudged Williamson "guilty by his agents of the corrupt practice of bribery", so that on 14 June his seat was vacated.J. S. Sandars O'Malley Edwin L. Hardcastle Henry Reports of the Decisions of the Judges for the trial of Election Petitions in England and Ireland as pursuant to the Parliamentary Elections Act 1868 London Stevens & Haynes 1910 5 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?idmdp.35112103161263 212–217 Copy of the Shorthand Writers' Notes of the Judgment of Mr. Justice Lawrance and Mr. Justice Walton on the Trial of the Election Petition of the City of Worcester; also the Minutes of Evidence taken at the Trial of the said Election Petition 14 June 1906 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d02039880s&seq=5 Parliamentary papers HC 1906 xcv (198) 255 Commons Chamber 14 June 1906 158 https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1906-06-14/debates/7d1bb89d-ffd9-4973-8941-1539dda3b54b/CommonsChamber The writ of election was suspended and a Royal Commission was established to investigate the extent of corruption, and its report was published in December, concluding that there had been extensive corruption.Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire Into the Existence of Corrupt Practices at the Last Election for the City of Worcester Report 1906 HMSO en Command papers Cd.3268 Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire Into the Existence of Corrupt Practices at the Last Election for the City of Worcester Minutes of Evidence 1906 HMSO en Command papers Cd.3269 New writs were proposed unsuccessfully on 17 December 1906HC Deb 17 December 1906 vol 167 cc1051–1063 and 14 February 1907,HC Deb 14 February 1907 vol 169 cc317–329 and the writ was not finally moved until 31 January 1908,HC Deb 31 January 1908 vol 183 cc373–375 leaving the seat without an MP for two years.Craig F. W. S. F. W. S. Craig British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 1974 2nd 1989 Parliamentary Research Services Chichester 0-900178-27-2 215 Campaign The campaign was "short but exceptionally keen".Election Intelligence; Worcester The Times 38564 8 February 1908 London 10 Goulding campaigned for tariff reform and had the support of most of Worcester City Council. The 1906 election court case had to be paid for by the county borough, which duly increased the rates, causing resentment against the Liberals as the party whose previous candidate had lodged the petition. There was also an anti-incumbency sentiment against the Liberal government, which was blamed for food price inflation. Result 1908 Worcester by-election Conservative Party (UK) Edward Goulding 4,361 58.7 +7.9 Liberal Party (UK) Harold Elverston 3,069 41.3 -7.9 1,292 17.4 +15.8 7,430 87.8 -2.9 8,460 Conservative Party (UK) +7.9 References Category:1908 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1908 in England Category:20th century in Worcestershire Category:Politics of Worcester, England Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Worcestershire constituencies