Heywood (UK Parliament constituency)

[1] Created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was represented by one Member of Parliament.

[3] This area had previously been represented as part of the South East Lancashire multi-seat division.

[4] The constituency comprised the Municipal Borough of Heywood, the cotton town of Ramsbottom, and a number of surrounding townships, namely: Ainsworth, Ashworth, Pilkington, Tottington Higher End and the rural part of the parish of Spotland.

The town of Heywood was the most Liberal part of the constituency, having an engineering-based economy; Ramsbottom was more marginal politically.

The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;