Abstract

By-elections in the period 1911–1914 have been intensely scrutinised, both by Edwardian
politicians and historians. For politicians, they were a crucial measure of public opinion at
a time of intense party warfare, even though their results were capable of a variety of
interpretations. Historians have shared these disagreements, both over how well Labour
was performing and whether the Conservatives’ results showed they could be confident of
victory over the Liberals in a future general election. This article re-examines these
controversies and analyses to what extent perceptions of by-election trends influenced
politicians’ political calculations and how much weight can be placed on by-election
results in 1911–1914 as indications of the parties’ longer term futures