1921 Penistone by-election explained

Election Name:	1921 Penistone by-election
Type:	presidential
Country:	United Kingdom
Previous Election:	Penistone (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1910s
Previous Year:	1918
Next Election:	Penistone (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1920s
Next Year:	1922
Election Date:	5 March 1921
Candidate1:	William Gillis
Image1:	William Gillis crop.jpg
Image1 Size:	65px
Party1:	Labour Party (UK)
Popular Vote1:	8,560
Percentage1:	36.2%
Candidate2:	William Pringle
Image2 Size:	65px
Party2:	Liberal Party (UK)
Popular Vote2:	7,984
Percentage2:	33.7%
Candidate3:	James Peace Hinchcliffe
Party3:	Coalition Liberal
Popular Vote3:	7,123
Percentage3:	30.1%
Map Size:	250px
MP
Posttitle:	Subsequent MP
Before Election:	Sydney Arnold
Before Party:	Liberal Party (UK)
After Election:	William Gillis
After Party:	Liberal Party (UK)

The 1921 Penistone by-election was a by-election held on 5 March 1921 for the British House of Commons constituency of Penistone in Yorkshire.

Vacancy

The seat had become vacant on the resignation of the Liberal Member of Parliament Sydney Arnold, due to ill-health. He had held the seat since its creation for the 1918 general election.

Electoral history

The result at the last General Election in 1918 was;

Candidates

Upon the announcement of the resignation of Arnold, the local Liberals immediately adopted 47-year-old William Pringle as their candidate to defend the seat. Pringle was the member for Lanarkshire North West from January 1910 to 1918. In 1918 his Lanarkshire seat was abolished and he unsuccessfully contested Glasgow Springburn. He unsuccessfully sought a return to parliament at the 1919 Manchester Rusholme by-election.
The Coalition government candidate was the Liberal, Sir James Peace Hinchcliffe who had the official support of the local Unionists.
The Labour Party selected Alderman William Gillis as their candidate to challenge for the seat.

Campaign

Polling Day was set for 5 March, making it the fourth by-election to be held that week. On 25 February nominations closed to confirm that the election would be a three-way contest.

Sir James Hinchcliffe received the official endorsement of the Coalition Government.

Result

The result was a gain for the Labour Party.

Aftermath

Pringle reversed the tables on Gillis at the following General Election when the Liberals re-gained the seat from the Labour party;