There were already working men on the Grimsby council in 1900. In that year W Coulam, standing as a labour candidate, backed by the Trades and Labour Council, claimed that he was "a candidate of the progressive party generally".

There was great excitement in the 1902 municipal elections, as Soloman Hoskins came top of the poll in the North East Ward, as did C. H. Ramsey in the Weelsby-Wellow Ward. Hoskins was an electrician, a nominee of the Gasworkers, one of the most militant unions. Ramsey was a railway foreman shunter.

According to the local press, "the Gasworkers were in strong force, and after the declaration of the poll their candidate, or rather their representative now, was placed in a wagonette, and preceded by a band and banner, was hauled through the town as the 'conquering hero' with a torchlight procession."

In their comment on this election The Grimsby News wrote that "Labour is a party which has come to stay, at any rate for a while. There is an important lesson in the quite decisive return of Messrs Hoskins and Ramsey. It shows the value of active propaganda............ Judging from the general trend of opinion in the town, and from our knowledge of the Town Council, the labour vote wail in great measure be progressive. Whether progressive or not, it will be aggressive , as the labour vote always is."

Although the ward names were similar to those of recent times the boundaries were nothing like the same. It is not easy to visualise how elections were fought at this time. Getting people registered to vote caused some trouble. Only about 60% of men had the vote. A few women were able to vote in local elections.

Bribery and corruption were not far below the the surface. In 1900 one newspaper reported: "it was noticeable that some people were delaying the matter of voting, and the reply one of the candidates received to the inquiry "Have you voted?" was "No, and we will wait until there is something hanging to it; and if there is not we shall not vote at all".

In September 1903 there was a by-election in the South West ward. The candidates were John Pettit (butcher), Conservative, Chas, Wm Barker (fish merchant), Liberal, and Arthur Lee (bed retailer), Labour. Pettit won quite easily. What followed was interesting.

A petition was brought by Barker alleging corruption and bribery by Pettit or his agents. In December a hearing took place lasting some seven days and reported in great detail. It seems to have been organised by Tom Wintringhan, leader of the Grimsby Liberals. Numerous witnesses described how they had accepted a lift to the poll in a trap, and how they had been given a shilling, and told what a good fellow Pettit was. A shilling was felt to be a low price and was sometimes supplemented with a drink, perhaps at the "Hole in the Wall". The commissioner found for the plaintiffs and the election was declared void.

In the subsequent by-election, it was again easily won by the Conservative candidate, Joseph Hewson J.P., against the Labour man, John Fairburn.