Although it is the contention of this book that election results were the manifestation of deep-seated social and political forces, it is nonetheless necessary to establish the exact chronology and immediate context of voting in some detail. Each election campaign had unique aspects; the balance of issues and the balance of advantage were in constant flux. Moreover, the possibility that the progress of the campaign itself influenced the result must be examined. In the first place, developments during the campaign assumed at the time an inflated proportion, and movements of opinion were often attributed to them; secondly, the fact that polling was spread over several weeks was commonly held to have produced a snowball effect in the voting. Whether the campaign had such a clear effect upon voting is highly doubtful. All the indications from the four General Elections 1900–10 suggest that their results are more consistent with long-term than with short-term explanations.

In the late 1890s the Conservatives were slipping slightly from their strong position of 1895, not only in Lancashire but in the country as a whole. In the years 1895–9 there were nine by-elections in the north west, all in Conservative-held seats. Of these, four were not contested by the Liberals.