The election was a straight fight between Major-General Cecil Lowther, the brother of the retiring MP, soldier and former big game hunter for the Unionists and Levi Collison, an art printer from Preston in Lancashire for the Asquithian Independent Liberal Party.

[1] For the Liberals, the by-election was an opportunity to attack the record of the Coalition government of David Lloyd George.

It was reported that Collison, despite his principal trade of art printer, had considerable experience of farming, advocated an advanced agricultural policy and that many local farmers regarded him as a real friend.

Collison also favoured some degree of nationalisation in the mining industry, which was less popular, even against the background of coal strikes which had made supplies in the area scarce.

Lowther commented that the result of the election showed the public did not favour nationalisation and did not wish to see Ireland given complete independence.