Peckham by-election, 1908

The Peckham by-election, 1908 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Peckham in the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, London on 24 March 1908. The seat was won by the opposition Conservative Party candidate, a gain from the Liberal Party who had won a large majority at the 1906 general election.

The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Liberal MP, Charles Goddard Clarke, on 7 March 1908. Clarke had won the seat from the Conservatives at the 1906 general election with a majority of 2,339 votes.

The Liberal Party were described as "quite unprepared" for the election, with no obvious candidate. A decision was taken not to consider the nomination until after Clarke's funeral. A special meeting of the Peckham Liberal, Radical and Progressive Association was held on 12 March, with the names of seven potential candidates for consideration.Thomas Gautrey, a member of the Liberal-backed Progressive Party that controlled the London County Council was selected. Gautrey, a former teacher and member of the London School Board, was secretary of the London Teachers Association. He was a long-term resident of Peckham, and had represented the area on the county council since 1904.

The Conservative Party had selected Henry Cubitt Gooch, a Moderate Party councillor representing the neighbouring Dulwich on the London County Council as their prospective parliamentary candidate. The Moderate Party formed the opposition on the county council, and were allied to the parliamentary Conservatives. Gooch had represented Peckham on the London School Board from 1897 until 1904, when the board was abolished. His candidacy was unanimously approved at a meeting of the Peckham Conservative Association on 12 March.

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