Brighton by-election, 1905

The Brighton by-election was a Parliamentary by-election. It was one of only eight ministerial by-elections in the UK not to be retained by the incumbent.

Gerald Loder had been Conservative MP for the seat of Brighton since the Brighton by-election, 1889. He vacated his seat upon appointment as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury so as to seek re-election.

Brighton returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system. The seat had been Conservative since they gained it in 1885. They easily held both seats at the last election:

The Conservatives re-selected 44-year-old Gerald Loder to defend the seat. He was private secretary to the President of the Local Government Board (Charles Ritchie) from 1888 to 1892 and to Lord George Hamilton (the Secretary of State for India) from 1896 to 1901.

The local Liberal Association selected 42-year-old Ernest Villiers as their candidate. He was ordained as an Anglican priest. After three years as a curate in Halifax, he became rector of Haveringland, Norfolk. He resigned from holy orders to pursue a political career.

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