[1] The Unionists, as representatives of the Liberal-Conservative Coalition government of David Lloyd George had as their candidate, Stafford Hotchkin (1876-1953), a farmer, former soldier, Sheriff of Rutland and a local Justice of the Peace.
While the Coalition government was losing popularity across the country, it was reported that Hotchkin was a strong local candidate who knew about farming from a practical point of view.
Hotchkin was a sometime Chairman of the Lindsey Small Holdings Committee [7] A related concern was government influence over private life and business, through over-regulation and bureaucracy, as well as examples of waste and extravagance from an administration in far away London.
[6] The declaration of the poll did not take place until 9 March 1920 because of the government’s continuing to keep in force a wartime regulation delaying the announcement of election results.
[8] By this time news of H H Asquith's by-election win in Paisley had become known and this encouraged the Liberals to hope for a good result at Horncastle.
Hotchkin was clearly gratified to have won and credited his success to a combination of popular satisfaction with the Coalition government and his status as a local man.