The Liberal Party candidate proved the most crucial choice. The local association nominally supported David Lloyd George rather than H. H. Asquith in the split in the party, but by 1922 this may have been a tactical measure to prevent the establishment of a separate Lloyd George Liberal Party, as had happened in constituencies where the association supported Asquith. There was much uncertainty over what sort of Liberal candidate would be adopted, with the press reporting both that local Liberals wanted an anti-Coalition candidate but they appeared to approach prominent individuals from both factions of the party.