1909 Dumfries Burghs by-election
The Dumfries Burghs by-election was a Parliamentary by-election. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.
Vacancy[]
John Gulland had been Liberal MP for the seat of Dumfries Burghs since the 1906 general election. On 5 July 1909, he was appointed as a Junior Lord of the Treasury, which meant, in accordance with the times, that he was required to resign his seat and seek re-election to parliament.
Electoral history[]
The seat had been Liberal since the party was created. They easily held the seat at the last election, with an increased majority;
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/46/John_Gulland.jpg/120px-John_Gulland.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Gulland | 2,035 | 59.2 | ||
Conservative | Joseph J. Glover | 1,402 | 40.8 | ||
Majority | 633 | 18.4 | |||
Turnout | 3,437 | 90.7 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Candidates[]
The local Liberal Association re-selected 45-year-old John Gulland to defend the seat. The Conservatives chose Bryce Duncan as their candidate.
Campaign[]
Polling Day was fixed for 20 July 1909.
Result[]
The Liberals held the seat with a reduced majority;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Gulland | 1,877 | 54.2 | -5.0 | |
Conservative | John Bryce Duncan | 1,585 | 45.8 | +5.0 | |
Majority | 292 | 8.4 | -10.0 | ||
Turnout | 3,462 | 86.9 | -3.8 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -5.0 |
Aftermath[]
Gulland retained the seat at the following general election;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Gulland | 2,303 | 57.1 | +2.9 | |
Liberal Unionist | John Bryce Duncan | 1,730 | 42.9 | -2.9 | |
Majority | 573 | 14.2 | +5.8 | ||
Turnout | 4,033 | 93.6 | +6.7 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +2.9 |
References[]
- History of Dumfriesshire
- 1909 in Scotland
- 1900s elections in Scotland
- 1909 elections in the United Kingdom
- July 1909 events
- By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Scottish constituencies
- Politics of Dumfries and Galloway