The seat had become vacant on the death on 28 April of the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Henry Langton Brackenbury.

It was a marginal seat in 1910 but in 1918 the Liberal MP, Timothy Davies surprisingly did not receive endorsement from the Coalition Government, which instead was given to his Unionist opponent.

Turnor immediately received the official endorsement of the coalition government and a letter of support from Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the Unionist Leader Bonar Law.

[8] Given the nature of the constituency, agricultural issues played a prominent part in the campaign and were a subject on which Turnor, the Unionist candidate, felt comfortable given his background.

The by-election was clear evidence that the Liberals could be restored to their pre-1918 position in agricultural constituencies where Labour candidates were unlikely to feature.