9 ▁of ▁the ▁sitting ▁Co al ition ▁Liberal ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament , ▁Sir ▁Joseph ▁Com pton - R ick ett . ▁He ▁was ▁ 7 2 ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁MP ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁since ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁for ▁O sg old cross . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁Lloyd ▁George ' s ▁Pay master ▁General ▁since ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁ ▁Elect oral ▁history ▁The ▁P onte f ract ▁constitu ency ▁had ▁been ▁Liberal ▁since ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁and ▁O sg old cross ▁Liberal ▁since ▁ 1 8 8 5 . ▁At ▁the ▁General ▁election ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁Com pton - R ick ett ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁Government ▁' cou pon '. ▁ ▁C andid ates ▁The ▁by - e lection ▁was ▁a ▁straight ▁fight ▁between ▁Isaac ▁Burn s ▁for ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party , ▁the ▁nom ine e ▁of ▁the ▁York shire ▁Min ers ' ▁Association ▁ ▁and ▁ 5 0 - year - old ▁Walter ▁For rest , ▁a ▁w ool len ▁manufact urer ▁from ▁P ud sey ▁for ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁Government ▁of ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁David ▁Lloyd ▁George , ▁although ▁the ▁Liber als ▁apparently ▁had ▁some ▁trouble ▁in ▁finding ▁a ▁candidate ▁at ▁first . ▁The ▁local ▁Conserv atives ▁end ors ed ▁the ▁candid acy ▁of ▁their ▁Co al ition ▁partners ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁Independent ▁As qu ith ian ▁Liber als ▁did ▁not ▁bring ▁a