▁was ▁required ▁to ▁res ign ▁his ▁seat ▁and ▁seek ▁re - e lection ▁to ▁parliament . ▁ ▁Elect oral ▁history ▁The ▁seat ▁had ▁been ▁Liberal ▁since ▁Part ington ▁gained ▁it ▁from ▁the ▁Conserv atives ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁He ▁easily ▁held ▁the ▁seat ▁at ▁the ▁last ▁election , ▁with ▁an ▁increased ▁majority ; ▁ ▁C andid ates ▁The ▁local ▁Liberal ▁Association ▁re - selected ▁ 3 7 - year - old ▁O sw ald ▁Part ington ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁seat . ▁ ▁The ▁Conserv atives ▁retained ▁ 3 0 - year - old ▁bar r ister ▁Albert ▁Prof um o ▁as ▁their ▁candidate . ▁He ▁had ▁un success fully ▁tried ▁to ▁re - g ain ▁the ▁seat ▁from ▁Part ington ▁at ▁the ▁last ▁election . ▁ ▁Camp aign ▁ ▁Pol ling ▁Day ▁was ▁fixed ▁for ▁ 2 2 ▁July , ▁allowing ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁ 1 7 - day ▁campaign . ▁ ▁On ▁ 9 ▁July ▁the ▁Liber als ▁retained ▁a ▁by - e lection ▁in ▁Cleveland , ▁York shire . ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁July , ▁the ▁Liber als ▁retained ▁a ▁by - e lection ▁in ▁nearby ▁Mid ▁Derby shire . ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁July , ▁the ▁Liber als ▁retained ▁a ▁by - e lection ▁in ▁Dum f ries ▁Burg hs . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁incident ▁of ▁the ▁campaign ▁was ▁Part ington ' s ▁challenge ▁to ▁fight ▁a ▁rep orter ▁of ▁the ▁She ff ield ▁Daily ▁Te legraph . ▁The ▁press es ▁of ▁that ▁paper ▁had ▁been ▁used