Manchester North West (UK Parliament constituency)
# Manchester North West (UK Parliament constituency)

Manchester North West was one of six single-member Parliamentary constituencies created in 1885 by the division of the three-member Parliamentary Borough of Manchester under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Its first MP, William Houldsworth, had previously sat for Manchester. It was abolished in 1918.

Winston Churchill won the seat at the 1906 general election, but lost it at the 1908 by-election required at that time on his promotion to the Cabinet (he instead returned to Parliament for Dundee). In 1910, Bonar Law challenged Churchill to run against him here, and promised "he would welcome him and they would have a lively time". Bonar Law suggested that the loser should stay out of the next parliament (The Times). Churchill declined. In the event Bonar Law lost to the sitting MP, Sir George Kemp.

Kemp resigned the seat in July 1912, ostensibly to concentrate on his business interests, but he was known to disagree with the Home Rule Bill (The Times).

## Boundaries

The Municipal Borough of Manchester wards of Collegiate, Exchange, Oxford, St Ann's, St Clement's, St James's, and St John's, and the civil parish of Cheetham.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| - | - | - |
| 1885 | William Houldsworth | Conservative |
| 1906 | Winston Churchill | Liberal |
| 1908 by-election | William Joynson-Hicks | Conservative |
| 1910 | Sir George Kemp | Liberal |
| 1912 by-election | Sir John Randles | Conservative |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | William Houldsworth | 5,834 | 53.3 | |
| | Liberal | John Slagg | 5,111 | 46.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 723 | 6.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,945 | 86.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,685 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

General election 1886: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | William Houldsworth | 5,489 | 55.2 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal | Henry Lee | 4,453 | 44.8 | -1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,036 | 10.4 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,942 | 78.4 | -7.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,685 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | William Houldsworth | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

General election 1895: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | William Houldsworth | 4,997 | 58.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Francis Byrne | 3,526 | 41.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,471 | 17.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,523 | 72.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,741 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | William Houldsworth | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

General election 1906: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Winston Churchill | 5,639 | 56.2 | New |
| | Conservative | William Joynson-Hicks | 4,398 | 43.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,241 | 12.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,037 | 88.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,411 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

1908 Manchester North West by-election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | William Joynson-Hicks | 5,417 | 50.7 | +6.9 |
| | Liberal | Winston Churchill | 4,988 | 46.7 | −9.5 |
| | Social Democratic Federation | Dan Irving | 276 | 2.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 429 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,681 | 89.7 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,914 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.2 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | George Kemp | 5,930 | 53.5 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative | William Joynson-Hicks | 5,147 | 46.5 | -4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 783 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,077 | 92.6 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.5 | |

General election December 1910: Manchester North West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | George Kemp | 5,559 | 52.1 | -1.4 |
| | Conservative | Bonar Law | 5,114 | 47.9 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 445 | 4.2 | -2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,673 | 89.2 | -3.4 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -1.4 | |

1912 Manchester North West by-election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | John Randles | 5,573 | 56.0 | +8.1 |
| | Liberal | Gordon Hewart | 4,371 | 44.0 | -8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,202 | 12.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,944 | 81.9 | -7.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,143 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.1 | |

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

* Unionist: John Randles
* Liberal: John Simon
