North West Durham by-election, 1914

The North West Durham by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 30 January 1914. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Llewellyn Atherley-Jones, the Liberal MP for North West Durham resigned his seat. He was appointed a Judge of the City of London Court, which meant he had to halt his political career. He had been the local MP since the constituency was created in 1885. He had started his legal career as the Barrister for the Miners' National Union, giving him a particular affinity with the large number of miners living in the constituency.

The seat had always been a safe Liberal seat, and was so at the last election;

Polling Day was set for 30 January 1914. Given the large number of miners and iron-workers among the electorate, issues affecting those voters were expected to feature.

The Liberal candidate Aneurin Williams launched his campaign at a public meeting in Consett on 5 January 1914, at which he was supported by his brother, the Liberal MP for Middlesbrough, Penry Williams. On 6 January 1914, Williams spoke at the Co-operative Hall, Stanley sharing a platform with Mr. Straughan. On 9 January 1914 Williams spoke at a public meeting in Quebec alongside the Rev. Thomas Dale of Waterhouses, who said the Liberal party in the division had secured a very worthy candidate.

On 20 January 1914, the Liberal candidate, Aneurin Williams declared that he advocated Irish Home Rule, religious equality in Wales, the abolition of Plural voting, further reform of the House of Lords, land and housing reform and popular control over licences. Other issues to feature in his campaign included a defence of National Insurance and improvements to the conditions of agricultural labourers.

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