task of defending the seat. Harris had attended school in Harrow so knew the area a little. In a tougher year for the Liberals, Harrow was re-taken by the Conservatives. Harris did not contest the December 1910 general election. When the Liberal MP for Bethnal Green South West resigned his seat in 1911, Harris was keen to win the Liberal nomination for the 1911 Bethnal Green South West by-election, however, he withdrew in favour of Charles Masterman. He then focused on his duties at the London County Council. In 1912, Harris was appointed as the Chief Whip for the Progressives. He retained his seat on the London County Council until 1934. Harris's London and its Government (1913) was the standard work on metropolitan municipal government. Harborough In 1914, Harris was adopted as prospective Liberal candidate for the Harborough division of Leicestershire for the general election expected to take place either in 1914 or 1915. Harborough was a Liberal seat where the elderly sitting member had decided to retire at the next election. However, the outbreak of war postponed the general election. In 1915, Harris was elected Deputy Chairman of the London County Council. In the meantime, the health of the Liberal MP for Harborough deteriorated and he resigned from parliament causing the 1916 Harborough by-election. Harris was re-adopted by the local Liberals and his candidacy was also officially endorsed by both the Unionist and Labour parties, due to the wartime electoral truce. However, Harris faced a strong opponent in the by-election who received much Unionist support as well as strong support from prominent newspaper barons. Despite this, Harris was elected to Parliament. In May 1918, when H. H. Asquith challenged Prime Minister David Lloyd George in the Maurice Debate, Harris sided with Asquith and went into the division lobby against the Coalition Government. As a result, he lost his seat at the 1918 general election when his Unionist opponent was endorsed by the Coalition Government. In 1919, Harris was engaged in correspondence with John Wycliffe Black, Chairman of the Harborough Divisional Liberal Association, about the amount of money Harris was expected to contribute if he wished to remain as Parliamentary candidate. In the end Harris was not able to meet the requirements of the divisional Liberal association and sought another constituency. Black was then adopted by Harborough Liberals as their candidate. Bethnal Green South West The split with the Harborough