PREPARING FOR BATTLE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1830, 16 August 1913, Page 5

PREPARING FOR BATTLE.

LIBERAL CAUSES AT NEXT GENERAL ELECTION. By Toleiraph.—Press AJtooiatlon—OobjtlbM (Reo. August 15, 9.30 p.m.) London, August 15. Sir John Simon, K.C., Solicitor-Gon-eral, in a letter to his constituents, announces that ho is-quitting Walthamstow seat at the next General Election, in order to contest the North-West Division of Manchester. He adds that tho campaign - -will be a critical one for many Liberal causes, the most important amongst them beingtho Free Trado question. Sir John Simons states that he accepted Manchester's invitation, after a consultation with and tho approval of the Prime Minister (Mr. Asquith). The North-west Division of Manchester has been tho 6ceno of some interesting eleotion oontests, being a favourite testing ground for political issues. At the general election, of December, 1900, Sir George Kemp captured the 6eat for tho Liberals with a majority of 445, defeating tho present Unionist Leader (Mr. Bonar Law) by 5559 to 5111. Colonel Sandys (Unionist), who was elected unopposed for tho Bootle divisioai of. Lancashire, vacated this Unionist stronghold in 1911,. and Mr. Bonar Law was returned at the ensuing by-eloction with a majority of 2191 over his Liberal opponent. Tho NortlirWest Division of Manchester scat was a safo Conservative seat from 1892 till 1900 (threo elections), but in. 1906 Mr. Winston Churchill (Liberal) defeated tho Conservative candidate (Mr. W. Joynson-Hicks) by 1241. _On Mr. Churchill's appointment to Cabinet rank; in 1908, ho resigned his seat, and. refouglit tho election, this time being defeated by Mr. Joynson-Hicks by 5417 to 4988. Sir George Kemp (Liberal) recaptured the seat in 1910, but when he resigned, in 1912, the Unionists won tho by-election, with a majority of 1202.