In some quarters the dispute with Sir John Austin was seen as an attack on him because of his religion, although he had a record of getting on well with his traditionally nonconformist constituency.
[2] However one of the issues that Austin championed was opposing the power of local authorities to impose a veto on liquor sales and this brought him into conflict with many of his pro-temperance chapel Liberals.
A meeting of the Osgoldcoss Liberal Association was held at Pontefract on 15 June 1899 and a vote of no confidence in Austin was passed.
A further motion of regret at his actions was also passed but, no doubt in an effort to heal the breach between MP and local party, it was declared that Austin had broken no pledges made in his election addresses.
[3] Following the vote of censure against him Sir John Austin decided to resign his seat and appeal directly to his constituents on the points at issue.