1904 Isle of Wight by-election

The Isle of Wight by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 6 April 1904.^[1] The constituency returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

The seat had become vacant when the incumbent Independent Conservative Member of Parliament, J. E. B. Seely resigned from the House of Commons in order to stand for re-election. Seely vacated his Parliamentary seat by being appointed Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds on 22 March 1904.^[2]

Background

Seely had voted in favour of a Liberal amendment to the King's Speech in February 1904 moved by John Morley in favour of free trade.^[3] He went on to second a Liberal amendment opposing the introduction of Chinese indentured labour in the Transvaal Colony.^[4]

In March 1904, the Isle of Wight Conservative Association requested Conservative Central Office to find them a new candidate, effectively deselecting Seely.^[5][6]

Later that March, Seely resigned the Conservative whip and sat as an Independent Conservative.^[7]

On 21 March 1904, Seely spoke in the House of Commons on Chinese labour, indicating that he would resign his seat and stand for re-election.^[8]

The writ for the by-election was moved on 25 March 1904.^[9]

Candidates

The Liberal Chief Whip, Herbert Gladstone, persuaded Godfrey Baring not to stand as the Liberal candidate.^[10][11][12] Baring had contested the seat at the 1900 by-election and was chairman of the Isle of Wight County Council.

Seely stood as an Unionist Free Trader.^[11][13]

The Conservatives decided not to run a candidate at the by-election. They claimed to be reserving themselves for the future general election.^[14] Their failure to contest the seat was viewed as a sign that they had lost the support of the electorate.^[15]

Result

1904 Isle of Wight by-election^[16][17][18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ind. Conservative	John Seely	Unopposed
Registered electors			14,840
	Ind. Conservative gain from Conservative

Aftermath

Having been re-elected, Seely joined the Liberal Party in May 1904.^[7][13]

References

1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 98.
2. "No. 27661". The London Gazette. 25 March 1904. p. 1946.
3. "British Politics". The Evening Post. Wellington, New Zealand. 17 February 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
4. Major Seely (16 February 1904). "KING'S SPEECH (MOTION FOR AN ADDRESS).". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 1523–1533.
5. Cooper, Cathleen E. (2000). The political and military career of Major-General J. E. B. Seely 1868–1947 (PDF) (Master of Philosophy). University of Southampton. p. 18. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
6. "Revolting Unionist M.P. and his constituents". Evening Express and Evening Mail. 26 February 1904. p. 4. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
7. Butler, David; Butler, Gareth (2000). Twentieth-Century British Political Facts 1900-2000 (8 ed.). Basingstoke and London: Macmillan. p. 244. ISBN 0-333-77221-0.
8. Major Seely (21 March 1904). "CHINESE LABOUR (TRANSVAAL).". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 335–340.
9. Journals of the House of Commons. 2 February 1904 to 15 August 1904 (PDF). Vol. 159. George Edward Briscoe Eyre, Printer of the Journals of the House of Commons. p. 108.
10. Cooper, Cathleen E. (2000). The political and military career of Major-General J. E. B. Seely 1868-1947 (PDF) (Master of Philosophy). University of Southampton. p. 20. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
11. Ivatt, Ian (Summer 2012). "Liberal Party fortunes in the Isle of Wight 1900-1910" (PDF). Journal of Liberal History (75). Liberal Democrat History Group: 38–45. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
12. "[Unknown]". London Standard. London. 23 March 1904. p. 7. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
13. Seely, J. E. B. (1930). Adventure. London: William Heinemann Ltd. p. 108.
14. "British Politics". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill. 8 April 1904. p. 4. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
15. "Notes and Comments". Welsh Gazette. Aberystwyth. 14 April 1904. p. 4. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
16. Craig, F.W.S. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918. London and Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-349-02300-4.
17. The Liberal Year Book for 1908. London: The Liberal Publication Department. 1908. pp. 270–271.
18. The Constitutional Year Book for 1919. London: National Unionist Association. 1919. p. 259.