[1] Under the provisions of the Succession to the Crown Act 1707 and a number of subsequent Acts, MPs appointed to certain ministerial and legal offices were at this time required to seek re-election.
[2] The by-election in East Worcestershire was caused by the appointment on 8 August 1902 of the sitting Liberal Unionist MP, Austen Chamberlain as Postmaster General.
The Liberal Party in the constituency had not been active for some years at Parliamentary level.
The Liberals had no candidate in the field and it was not expected that any other hopefuls would enter the fray.
[5][6][7] The nomination took place at Bromsgrove Town Hall with Chamberlain present, and after the election he addressed the assembled crowd, thanking them for confidence and support.