1913 Linlithgowshire by-election

Vacancy

Previous result

Candidates

• Forty-year-old former Fabian, John Pratt was selected to defend the seat in the Liberal interest. He was Warden of Glasgow University Settlement, 1902–12 and was a Member of Glasgow Town Council, 1906. However, initially, the West Lothian Liberal Association had sought Robert Brown, the Provost of Dalkeith as their candidate. He was Secretary of the Midlothian miners and one of the few miners leaders in Scotland who were sympathetic to the Liberals. The Liberal Party had previously sought after Brown as their candidate for the 1912 Midlothian by-election where he eventually stood as a Labour Party candidate, finishing bottom of the poll. Brown once more turned down the Liberal offer and the Liberals chose Pratt.
• Edinburgh educated 41-year-old James Kidd was re-selected by the Unionists, having fought the seat at the last election.
• The Labour Party agreed not to put forward a candidate, to avoid splitting the anti-Unionist vote. However, the British Socialist Party, which criticised the Liberal/Labour electoral pact, considered putting forward Robert Small, the Secretary of the West Lothian shale miners. Local branches of the Independent Labour Party also considered running a candidate

  Campaign

Result

Aftermath

• Scottish Liberal Party: John Pratt
• Unionist Party: James Kidd