- Orkney and Shetland by-election, 1921
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The Orkney and Shetland by-election, 1921 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Orkney and Shetland on 17 May 1921.
Contents
Vacancy
The by-election was caused by the death in London on 19 April 1921 of the sitting Coalition Liberal MP, Cathcart Wason. Wason had represented Orkney and Shetland since the 1900 general election. At the 1918 general election he had been returned unopposed, having been awarded the Coalition coupon. [1]
Candidates
The Coalition Liberals selected Sir Malcolm Smith, an ex-chief magistrate of Leith and a native of Shetland with large commercial interests in the islands. [2] The Unionists did not seek to oppose their Coalition allies, although there was a strong expectation that the Independent Liberals would put up a candidate. [2] There was no Labour Party tradition in the seat at that time. The Asquithian Liberals selected Sir Robert Hamilton, a judge in the East Africa Protectorate, as their candidate but he withdrew his candidature. [3]
Result
The field having been left free for Smith by the other parties, he was returned unopposed. However, Smith held the seat only until the 1922 general election when he did face a challenge from Hamilton who emerged the winner by a majority of 625 votes. [4]
Votes
Orkney and Shetland by-election, 1921 Party Candidate Votes % ±% Coalition Liberal Sir Malcolm Smith Unopposed N/A N/A Coalition Liberal hold Swing N/A References
See also
« 30th Parliament « By-elections to the 31st Parliament of the United Kingdom » 32nd Parliament » 1919 February: Liverpool West Derby • March: Leyton West • North Londonderry • Oxford University • Hull Central • April: Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire Central • May: East Antrim • July: Swansea East • Bothwell • Dublin University • August: Widnes • September: Pontefract • October: Manchester Rusholme • November: Chester-le-Street • Croydon South • Isle of Thanet • Plymouth Sutton • December: St Albans • Bromley • Spen Valley1920 January: Ashton-under-Lyne • February: The Wrekin • Paisley • Horncastle • March: Argyll • Dartford • Stockport • Basingstoke • Camberwell North West • April: Northampton • Edinburgh North • Edinburgh South • Sunderland • June: Louth • Nelson and Colne • July: Ebbw Vale • South Norfolk • Woodbridge • September: Ilford • November: Hemel Hempstead • The Wrekin • Middleton and Prestwich • December: Abertillery • Rhondda West1921 January: Hereford • Dover • February: Cardiganshire • March: Woolwich East • Dudley • Birmingham Moseley • Kirkcaldy Burghs • Penistone • Birmingham West • April: Taunton • Bristol West • Glasgow Pollok • East Dorset • Bewdley • Eddisbury • Bedford • Chichester • May: Hastings • Penrith and Cockermouth • Abingdon • Orkney and Shetland • June: Belfast Duncairn • Mid Armagh • North Down • West Down • July: Mid Down • Westminster St George's • Heywood and Radcliffe • Hertford • August: Caerphilly • Westminster Abbey • South Londonderry • September: Lewisham West • Louth • October: Westhoughton • November: Hornsey • December: Southwark South East1922 January: Ludlow • Tamworth • South Londonderry • February: West Down • Manchester Clayton • Camberwell North • North Down • Bodmin • March: Wolverhampton West • Liverpool Exchange • Cambridge • Inverness • Chertsey • Leicester East • May: Wandsworth • City of London • June: North Londonderry • Newbury • Moray and Nairn • Banbury • Nottingham East • July: Gower • North Down • Pontypridd • August: Hackney South • October: NewportCategories:- 1921 elections in the United Kingdom
- By-elections to the United Kingdom Parliament in Scottish constituencies
- Politics of Orkney
- Politics of Shetland
- History of Orkney
- History of Shetland
- 1921 in Scotland
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