In July 1880 the British Liberal Party bounced back from earlier losses to gain both liberal and conservative seats, but when their representative Henry Strutt succeeded to the peerage a few months later, they were unable to retain the second seat in the Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election held on 21 July 1880. Their candidate, John McLaren, was defeated by only two votes by the Conservative Milne Home. After scrutiny it was found that the scale of the Conservative victory was actually three votes rather than two.