On This Day

December 9, 1915

The Liberals hold the Cleveland by-election

The by-election was triggered by Herbert Samuel’s appointment to ‘an office of profit under the crown’ when he became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster following the resignation of Winston Churchill. Ironically, Samuel was not going to take the salary as he was already Postmaster-General. Samuel was opposed by Reginald Knight, standing as a candidate for Horatio Bottomley’s Business Government League, who ran a campaign entirely in opposition to the restrictions on alcohol. Bizarrely, it became an election in Cleveland, fought by a candidate from Leeds, protesting about drinking restrictions being introduced specifically in London! Unsurprisingly, Samuel won easily, polling 83% of the vote.