The Thoresby Society

 

1892 - 22th September - by-election

South
J. L. Walton ( Gladstonian Liberal) 4,414
R. J. Neville (Conservative) 3,466

 

The by-election came about when Sir Lionel Playfair was raised to the peerage. The drop in Liberal votes was attributed to competition from the emerging Labour movement in the town and to the activity by some Liberal voters on the Saturday before the poll. A meeting of Mahon the Independent Labour candidate in Hunslet Road Mechanics’ Institute ended in riot and bloodshed when several Liberal supporters disrupted the affair. Several people, including the candidate were injured. The incident, described by the Leeds Mercury as ‘reprehensible’, may well have deterred some of Walton’s supporters. Bradford East Labour Club expressed their indignation and argued that the Gladstonian Liberals would use any methods to defeat the Labour candidate. In the end Mahon was unable to contest the election as a mistake on his nomination paper disqualified him.