1911 Govan by-election facts for kids
The 1911 Govan by-election was a special election held in Govan, Scotland, on December 22, 1911. A by-election happens when a Member of Parliament (MP) leaves their job before the next big election. This means people in that area get to vote for a new MP to represent them in the House of Commons, which is part of the UK Parliament. The winner was chosen using a system called "first past the post," where the person with the most votes wins.
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What Happened Before: The 1910 Election
Before the by-election, Govan had a general election in December 1910. In that election, William Hunter from the Liberal Party won. He received 8,409 votes, which was about 56.9% of all the votes. The other main candidate was George Balfour from the Conservative Party, who got 6,369 votes (43.1%). William Hunter won by a good amount, showing that the Liberal Party was popular in Govan at that time.
Why a New Election?
The by-election happened because William Hunter, the MP for Govan, was appointed as a judge. When an MP becomes a judge, they have to leave their seat in Parliament. This created an empty spot, so the people of Govan needed to vote for a new representative.
Who Ran in 1911?
For the 1911 by-election, the Liberal Party chose Daniel Holmes to be their candidate. The Conservative Party again put forward George Balfour, who had run in the previous election.
The 1911 By-Election Results
The by-election took place on December 22, 1911. The people of Govan voted for their new MP.
- Daniel Holmes (Liberal Party) won with 7,508 votes. This was 53.1% of the votes.
- George Balfour (Conservative Party) received 6,522 votes, which was 46.9%.
Daniel Holmes won, but by a smaller difference than the previous election. His winning margin was 986 votes, which was 6.2% of the total votes. This meant the Liberal Party kept the seat in Govan, but the Conservatives gained a bit more support.
What Happened After: Future Elections
A general election was expected to happen by the end of 1915. However, World War I started in 1914, and because of the war, this election never took place.
The next general election was held much later, on December 14, 1918, after the war ended. In this election, the political landscape in Govan changed quite a bit:
- Neil Maclean from the Independent Labour Party won with 9,577 votes (47.8%). This was a new party winning the seat.
- Alexander McClure from the Unionist Party came second with 8,762 votes (43.8%).
- Daniel Holmes from the Liberal Party, who had won the 1911 by-election, only got 1,678 votes (8.4%).
This 1918 election showed a big shift in Govan, with the Independent Labour Party gaining the seat from the Liberal Party.
