 During the years he was working at Hutchinson 's in Widnes , Brunner was developing his political interests . He joined the Widnes chapter of the National Education League and became its secretary in 1872 . This gave him the opportunity to come into contact with Liberals from Liverpool and other parts of the country . Soon after moving to Northwich Brunner became more practically involved with education locally , in particular with the British School in the town . He later served on its board of governors and also on the local sanitary authority . As a result of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the parliamentary constituency of Northwich was created and Brunner offered himself as a candidate for the Liberal Party . In his speech for the position he expressed support for the disestablishment of the Church of England , for reform of property laws , for Irish Home Rule and for compensation for those whose properties had been damaged by the pumping of brine from the salt mines in the area . During the campaign he was heckled because he had a foreign @-@ sounding name . He responded " My father was a Swiss , my mother was a Manx woman , I was born in Liverpool , my nurse was Welsh : is that Cheshire enough for you ? " At the general election on 1 December 1885 Brunner beat William Henry Verdin , his Conservative rival , with a majority of 1 @,@ 028 . 
