After an inconclusive result at the 1922 election, the Reform Party government was reliant on several independent MPs to maintain power.

Prime Minister William Massey had been in bad health and was progressively weakened by cancer during most of 1924 and by October of that year he was forced to relinquish many of his duties.

Bell ruled himself out as a permanent leader and made a point of scrupulously avoiding from any activity or decisions not of a stop-gap nature.

His declination left the field open for the Reform Party caucus to freely choose a new leader.

[2] Despite Bell ruling himself out, there was speculation he might be persuaded to stand at least to remain leader in the short term and appoint someone to take charge of Government business in the House of Representatives.

An accomplished and personable man, he was not ideologically committed any particular philosophy, and by 1925 Coates had been singled out by many colleagues as the natural successor to the ailing Massey.

The decision being made in his absence, but it was thought unlikely that his health would have allowed him to fully undertake the role of Prime Minister.

Bell chaired the meeting which began at 2:30pm and an hour long discussion ensued regarding leadership of the party.

An independent MP who supported Reform, Allen Bell, also attended and cast a vote in the ballot.