and when the votes were counted at the Corn Exchange in Bourne on Saturday 8 March, Priestley lost to the Conservative Henry Cust by a margin of 282 votes (3.4% of the total). This was a significant improvement over the 13.8% majority of the Conservatives at the last contested election in 1885, and Priestley told his supporters that they had done far better than he expected. To cheers of "next time, Priestley" he said that Gladstone would be encouraged by the result.