The by-election was caused by the appointment of the sitting Liberal MP, Rufus Isaacs KC as Solicitor General for England and Wales.
[1] Under the Parliamentary rules applicable at the time if Isaacs wished to remain an MP he had to resign and fight a by-election.
Isaacs did his best to put pressure on Renton and the Unionists not to contest the election announcing that the borough of Reading should not have to be subjected to the disruption of trade that a by-election would produce.
[5] Members of the Reading Conservative Association met on 8 March to discuss the by-election and decided not to put up a candidate.
[6] The fact that there would very likely be another general election within a few months encouraged the Conservatives to save their fire and wait for that contest rather than fight an expensive by-election.