The 1911 Bootle by-election was a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

held for the British House of Commons constituency of

Bootle Bootle (pronounced ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 51,394 in 2011; the wider Parliamentary constituency had a population of 98,449. Historically part of Lancashire, Bootle's ...

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wi ...

on 27 March 1911. It was won by the Conservative Party candidate Bonar Law.

Vacancy

The seat had become vacant on 13 March 1911 when the sitting

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

Member of Parliament (MP), 73-year-old

Thomas Myles Sandys Colonel Thomas Myles Sandys (12 May 1837 – 18 October 1911) was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911. He was born in Blackheath, London, and was the only son of Captain Tho ...

had

resigned Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...

from the House of Commons by the procedural device of accepting the office of

Steward of the Manor of Northstead The office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead functions as a procedural device to allow a member of Parliament (MP) to resign from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. As members of the House of Commons are forbidden ...

, a notional 'office of profit under the crown'. He had held the seat since the 1885 general election, and died on 18 October 1911.

Previous results

At the previous December 1910 general election, Conservative MP Thomas Sandys was elected unopposed. However, there was a previous contest at the General election in January:

Result

The result was a victory for the Conservative candidate, Bonar Law, who won the seat with 56% of the votes. He did not contest Bootle in 1918, and was instead elected in the Glasgow Central constituency. Bonar Law was later elected Leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons, and went on to hold a series of ministerial positions before becoming

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

for seven months from 1922 to 1923

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bootle By-Election, 1911 1911 elections in the United Kingdom 1911 in England March 1911 events 1910s in Lancashire Politics of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Lancashire constituencies By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Merseyside constituencies Bootle Bonar Law

Vacancy

Previous results

Result

See also

References