Tom Myers (politician)

[1] At the 1918 general election Myers contested the constituency of Spen Valley for the Labour Party, but failed to unseat the sitting Coalition Liberal Member of Parliament, Sir Thomas Whittaker.

Myers received 11,962 votes and was elected to the Commons, with a majority of 1,718 over Simon, and the coalition candidate trailing in a poor third place.

[3] The result was seen as sensational, with The Times describing it as a "political event of great significance" with voters deserting the government candidate in "a humiliation which cannot be explained away".

Myers defended his seat against Sir John Simon, now the Liberal candidate, and W O R Holton of the Conservative Party.

[2] While in 1922 Myers had only lost by 787 votes, Simon's margin of victory increased to over 1,000 in 1923 and to 4,475 in 1924, although on that occasion there was no Conservative candidate.