 When a general election was called in January 1910, P W Raffan was selected as Liberal candidate for Leigh in south Lancashire.John Brunner, the sitting Liberal member of parliament, had chosen to stand in Northwich.The constituency contained a large number of coalminers, and Raffan was opposed not only by the Conservatives, but by Thomas Greenall of the Labour Party, who was a leader of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation.