Thomas Ashley Cairns JP (1854 – 3 September 1908)[1] was a British Liberal Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle-upon-Tyne from the 1906 general election until his death two years later due to diabetes,[2] aged 69.[1]
Background
Cairns was born in Sunderland, the son of Thomas Cairns of Forfarshire. He was educated privately. In 1880 he married Isabella Dixon.[3]
Professional career
Cairns was chief partner of Cairns, Noble & Co., shipowners and merchants. He was Vice President of the Shipowners International Association.[4]
Political career
Cairns was a member of the Newcastle School Board from 1892 to 1899. He was elected to Newcastle City Council in 1896. He was appointed as a Justice of the peace for Newcastle. He was active in the Liberal Party as Vice Chairman of the executive committee of the Northern Liberal Federation.[4] He was Liberal candidate for the two member Newcastle-upon-Tyne division at the 1906 General Election. He ran in tandem with a labour candidate and together they took both seats from the Conservatives.[5] Cairns was in favour of housing reform, social legislation and Women's suffrage.[3]
Electoral record
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Repr. Cmte. |  Walter Hudson | 18,869 | 31.1 | ||
| Liberal | Thomas Cairns | 18,423 | 30.5 | ||
| Conservative | Walter Richard Plummer | 11,942 | 19.8 | ||
| Conservative | George Renwick | 11,223 | 18.6 | ||
| Turnout | 84.6 | ||||
| Majority | 6,927 | 11.3 | |||
| Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
| Majority | 6,481 | 10.7 | |||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||