1907 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election

The 1907 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election was a by-election held in England on 27 September 1907 for the British House of Commons constituency of Liverpool Kirkdale, a division of the city of Liverpool.

Vacancy

The seat had become vacant when the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), David MacIver had died on 1 September 1907, aged 67.^[1] He had held the seat since being elected unopposed at a by-election in 1898,^[2][3] having previously been MP for Birkenhead from 1874 to 1885.^[4]

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
General election, January 1906[3] Electorate: 10,596 Turnout: 6,284 (65.2%) +8.4		Conservative hold Majority: 592 (8.6%) −34.2		David MacIver	Conservative	3,749	54.3	−17.1
				James Conley	Labour Repr. Cmte.	3,157	45.7	New

Candidates

The Liberal Unionist candidate was 63-year-old Charles McArthur, who had been the MP for Liverpool Exchange from 1897 until his defeat at the 1906 general election.

John Hill

The Labour Party candidate was 42-year-old John Hill, a Scottish trade unionist who unsuccessfully contested Glasgow Govan at the 1906 general election.

Result

On a slightly increased turnout, the result was a victory for McArthur, who slightly increased his majority of that won by McIver in 1906.

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
By-election, September 1907[3] death of MacIver Electorate: 10,529 Turnout: 7,330 (69.6%) +4.4		Conservative hold Majority: 670 (9.2%) +0.6 Swing: 0.3% from Lab to Con		Charles MacArthur	Conservative	4,000	54.6	+0.3
				John Hill	Labour	3,330	45.4	−0.3

Aftermath

McArthur held the seat at the January 1910 general election, but died in office later that year, triggering another by-election.

Hill did not stand for Parliament again, but became general secretary of the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders in 1909, and served as President of the Trades Union Congress in 1917.

See also

• Liverpool Kirkdale constituency
• Kirkdale, Merseyside
• 1898 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election
• 1910 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election
• 1915 Liverpool Kirkdale by-election
• List of United Kingdom by-elections (1900–1918)

References

1. "Death of a Member of Parliament". The Times. 2 September 1907. p. 7. Retrieved 30 August 2012.(subscription required)
2. "Election Intelligence. Liverpool (Kirkdale Division)". The Times. 28 September 1907. p. 6. Retrieved 30 August 2012.(subscription required)
3. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1989]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 142. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
4. Debrett's House of Commons, and the Judicial Bench. London: Dean & Son. 1901. p. 97. Retrieved 30 August 2012.