Normanton Urban District Council Election, 1896

Local elections took place in early 1896 to elect four councilors for the 1896-7 Normanton Urban District Council. Four seats were put up for the vote, all held by their outgoing councillors. While only two political parties took part in the election - the Liberals and Conservatives - the Liberals were represented by a conglomerate of trade union groups which competed for seats.

Campaign
Woodhouse saw one seat up for election, J. Cockram's (Liberal-Labour). Two seats for the Central Ward were also up, consisting of Matthew Nicholson (Nonconformist) and John Cumberbirch (Conservative). The Common Ward also had J.T. Sterland's (Conservative) seat up for election.

Conservative campaign
For the Central Ward, the Conservative Party re-selected schoolteacher John Cumberbirch.

Liberal-Labour campaign
The Liberal Party had problems selecting candidates to represent the party in the Normanton elections. At the time two of its more powerful organizations, the Nonconformist Council and Trades and Labour Council, were opposed to one another. Trades and Labour insisted that the Nonconformists were given preferential treatment in the 1895 local elections. Unable to reach an agreement before the selection process, the two resolved in February to instead select candidates for each seat who would potentially compete against one another in the election.

The Nonconformists supported Councillor Nicholson, a draper, for re-election in the Central Ward seat. They also put forth T. Ford, a checkweightman, to represent the Nonconformists in the Common Ward. Trades and Labour selected Councillor James Cockram for re-election for his Woodhouse seat. A checkweightman named Joseph Smith was selected for the Central Ward, along with F.G. Parsons, secretary of the Normanton chapter of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. In late February they were also in talks about a Common Ward representative, ultimately choosing Thomas Herbert.

Rev. J.T. Heselton, secretary for the Nonconformists, wrote a letter to Trades and Labour announcing their intention not to compete Woodhouse seat. He also revealed they had previously sought Smith to be their own candidate for Central, and finished the letter by asking that Trades and Labour honour their offer by not putting a candidate up against theirs. Trades and Labour voted to disregard Heselton's advice.

Central Ward
As the Central Ward had two seats available, both Cumberbirch and Nicholson returned to the council.

Common Ward
Herbert represented Trades and Labour