1910 East Dorset by-election

The East Dorset by-election was a Parliamentary by-election. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

1910 East Dorset by-election
30 June 1910
 
Candidate Henry Guest Nicholson
Party Liberal Conservative
Popular vote 6,967 6,375
Percentage 52.2 47.8
MP before election

Freddie Guest
Liberal

 Subsequent MP

Freddie Guest
Liberal

Vacancy

Thirty-five-year-old Frederick Guest had been Liberal MP for the seat of East Dorset since the January 1910 general election. In May 1910, his own election result was declared void, and he was unseated because of election irregularities by his constituency agent. This meant a by-election would take place and without Guest as a candidate.

Electoral history

The seat had been Liberal since they gained it in the 1904 East Dorset by-election. They narrowly held the seat at the last election, with a slightly increased majority;

Freddie Guest
General election January 1910[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Guest 6,957 51.6 +1.5
Conservative John Sanctuary Nicholson 6,531 48.4 -1.5
Majority 426 3.2 +3.0
Turnout 13,488 91.2 +1.3
Liberal hold Swing +1.5

Candidates

The local Liberal Association selected 36-year-old Henry Guest, the older brother of Frederick Guest, to defend the seat. Like his brother, he had a military background, but unlike his brother, he had not before stood for parliament.[2] The Conservatives retained John Sanctuary Nicholson as their candidate.

Campaign

Polling Day was fixed for 30 June 1910.

Result

In a remarkably high turnout, almost as high as the last General Election, the Liberals held the seat and managed a slightly increased majority;

Henry Guest
East Dorset by-election, 1910[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Guest 6,967 52.2 +0.6
Conservative John Sanctuary Nicholson 6,375 47.8 -0.6
Majority 592 4.4 +1.2
Turnout 13,342 90.2 -1.0
Liberal hold Swing +0.6

Aftermath

Henry Guest did not defend the seat at the December 1910 general election and was instead elected for Pembroke and Haverfordwest. This allowed Frederick Guest to return first as Liberal candidate and then as the MP again;

General election December 1910[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Guest 6,819 52.1 -0.1
Conservative Maurice George Carr Glyn 6,266 47.9 +0.1
Majority 553 4.2 -0.2
Turnout 13,085 88.4 -1.8
Liberal hold Swing

References
  1. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  2. Who's Who: www.ukwhoswho.com
  3. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
  4. Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
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