1900 West Derbyshire by-election
The 1900 West Derbyshire by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom constituency of West Derbyshire on 11 December 1900.
Vacancy
[edit]Under the provisions of the Succession to the Crown Act 1707 and a number of subsequent Acts, MPs appointed to certain ministerial and legal offices were at this time required to seek re-election.[1] The vacancy in West Derbyshire was caused by the appointment of the sitting Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament (MP), Victor Cavendish to become Treasurer of the Household,[2] a formal title held by one of the government’s Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons.
Candidates
[edit]Victor Cavendish had held the seat since he inherited it from his father Lord Edward Cavendish at a by-election in 1891. At the previous general elections in 1895 and in 1900 just a few weeks earlier, he had been unopposed and clearly the Liberals were unprepared with a candidate and reluctant to contest such a safe seat at a by-election so soon after a general election. Cavendish fought the seat again in the Liberal Unionist interest.
The result
[edit]The writ of election was received at Derby on 5 December and nomination day was set for 11 December.[3] There being no other nominations Cavendish was returned unopposed.[4] He held the post of Treasurer of the Household in the Unionist government until 1903.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Unionist | Victor Cavendish | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
| Liberal Unionist hold | |||||
References
[edit]- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918; Macmillan Press, 1974 pxiv
- ^ Richard Davenport-Hines, Victor Cavendish, ninth duke of Devonshire; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online, OUP 2004-13
- ^ The Times, 6 December 1900 p7
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918; Macmillan Press, 1974 p254
- ^ Richard Davenport-Hines, Victor Cavendish, ninth duke of Devonshire; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online, OUP 2004-13