1921 Westminster Abbey by-election

The 1921 Westminster Abbey by-election was a parliamentary by-election held on 25 August 1921 for the British House of Commons constituency of Westminster Abbey in London. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) William Burdett-Coutts had died on 28 July 1921. Burdett-Coutts had held the seat since it had been created for the 1918 general election, when he had been returned unopposed.

General election, 14 December 1918
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist William Burdett-Coutts Unopposed
Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

1921 Westminster Abbey by-election
25 August 1921
 
Candidate Nicholson Applin Lupton
Party Unionist Anti-Waste League Liberal
Popular vote 6,204 4,970 3,053
Percentage 43.6 34.9 21.5
MP before election

Burdett-Coutts
Unionist

 Subsequent MP

Nicholson
Unionist

Candidates

The Unionist candidate was John Nicholson. The Liberal candidate Arnold Lupton, aged nearly 75, had previously been a member of the House of Commons from 1906 to January 1910.

Campaign

At the time the Anti-Waste League was active, and all three candidates claimed to be anti-waste. The League was formed to advance the political ambitions of the newspaper owner Lord Rothermere. He is known in particular, with his brother Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, for the development of the British newspapers Daily Mail and Daily Mirror - he was a pioneer of popular journalism. The objects of the League were to insist upon measures being taken to restore the country to solvency, urge a wholesale reduction of expenditure, fight the battle of local rates and oppose sham Anti-Waste candidates. There was a growing element both inside and outside the Conservative element of the Coalition Government, that opposed the post-war reconstruction methods adopted by Lloyd George and other leading Liberals in the coalition, notably Christopher Addison, who as Housing Minister had introduced a series of measures to enable local councils to build Council houses. These measures were funded by higher taxation and in accordance with Lloyd George's aim to build a "Land Fit for Heroes".

Result

The Unionist candidate won the election, but the Anti-Waste League candidate Reginald Applin polled respectably.

Westminster Abbey By-Election, 1921
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Nicholson 6,204 43.6 N/A
Anti-Waste League Reginald Applin 4,970 34.9 New
Liberal Arnold Lupton 3,053 21.5 New
Majority 1,234 8.7 N/A
Turnout 36,952 38.5 N/A
Unionist hold Swing N/A

Aftermath

Nicholson remained the constituency's MP until his death in 1924, when a further by-election was held. Applin became the Conservative MP for Enfield in 1924

General election, 15 November 1922
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Nicholson 13,620 75.6 +32.0
Labour Joseph Butler 2,454 13.6 New
Independent Sidney Robert Drury-Lowe 1,950 10.8 New
Majority 11,166 62.0 +53.3
Turnout 36,763 49.0 +10.5
Unionist hold Swing N/A

References
  • Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1979)
  • Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections 1885-1974, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1975)
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