1908 Stirling Burghs by-election facts for kids

The Stirling Burghs by-election was a special election held on 22 May 1908 in a place called Stirling Burghs. This election was held to choose a new Member of Parliament (MP) for the area. An MP is a person who represents the people of a certain area in the UK Parliament. The election used a system called "first past the post", which means the candidate with the most votes wins. This special election happened because the previous MP, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who used to be the Prime Minister, had passed away.

Why a New Election Was Needed

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman had been the MP for Stirling Burghs for a very long time, since 1868. He was a member of the Liberal Party. Sadly, after some health problems, he stepped down as Prime Minister on 3 April 1908. He passed away a few weeks later, on 22 April 1908, when he was 72 years old. His death meant that the seat in Parliament became empty, and a new election was needed to fill it.

How Stirling Burghs Voted Before

The Stirling Burghs area was usually a strong supporter of the Liberal Party. In the last general election, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman didn't even have anyone running against him! The election before that, in 1900, was the last time people actually voted for a candidate in this area. Even then, the Liberals won easily.

Who Ran in the Election?

Two main candidates stepped forward to try and win the empty seat:

The Liberal Candidate: Arthur Ponsonby

The local Liberal Party chose 35-year-old Arthur Ponsonby. He had been Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's private secretary. Arthur Ponsonby had tried to become an MP before, in 1906, but he didn't win that time. He came from a very important family; his father was the private secretary to Queen Victoria, and he was related to a famous Earl. Arthur went to well-known schools like Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He also worked as a diplomat in places like Constantinople (now Istanbul) and Copenhagen.

The Conservative Candidate: William Whitelaw

The Conservatives chose 40-year-old William Whitelaw. He had been an MP before, representing Perth from 1892 to 1895. He tried to get back into Parliament in 1900 but wasn't successful. William Whitelaw was also a director and chairman of the Highland Railway company.

The Election Campaign

The election day was set for 22 May 1908, about a month after Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman passed away. During the campaign, newspapers talked a lot about Arthur Ponsonby's family connections to the Royal Family. People were very interested in how someone with such a high-class background could also be a strong supporter of new, progressive ideas.

The Election Result

The Liberal Party managed to keep the seat in Stirling Burghs, and they even won by a larger margin than before!

Arthur Ponsonby's win was helped by the excitement around the new government ministers, which made this by-election feel like a mini general election.

What Happened Next

Arthur Ponsonby continued to represent Stirling Burghs in the next general election in January 1910. He won again, increasing his lead even more.