The 1917 Rotherham by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of Rotherham in the West Riding of Yorkshire on 5 February 1917.
The by-election was caused by the elevation to the peerage of the sitting Liberal MP, Joseph ‘Jack’ Pease.[1]
The Rotherham Liberals adopted Arthur Richardson as their new candidate. Richardson had been Lib-Lab MP for Nottingham South from 1906 until January 1910.[2] Richardson immediately declared his position as being in favour of the successful prosecution of the war and the defeat of German militarism.[3]
No nominations were received from the other parties, who were apparently content to honour the wartime electoral truce and Richardson was therefore returned unopposed.[4]