Constituency : York 1910-18
Arnold took over from Hamar Greenwood at York. He topped the poll with Greenwood pushed into third place by one of the Tory candidates.
Arnold was a scion of the famous chocolate manufacturing dynasty. He was educated at a Quaker school in York. He entered the family firm in 1891. He was Honorary Secretary of the National Adult School Council and chairman of the Educational Settlements Association . Besides being a director in the family firm and was also involved in several newspapers. In 1907 he founded the Nation weekly.
Arnold was a radical who pressurised the government to pursue a New Liberal agenda.
In December both Arnold and the Tory were returned unopposed.
Arnold was a Quaker pacifist who opposed Britain entering World War One. He initially joined the Union of Democratic Control but left under pressure from the Liberal hierarchy.
He was instrumental in setting u the Friends Ambulance Unit. He worked with Edmund Harvey on the conscience clause in the Military Service Act of 1916 and took up the cause of the Richmond Sixteen who were conscientious objectors. He succeeded in having their death sentences commuted.
In 1918 the seat was reduced to one member and the Tory held it with a massive majority after receiving the coupon.
Arnold was one of the original directors of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust and chaired it from 1925 to 1938.
Arnold was a reserved humourless man who acted out of public duty.
He died in 1951 aged 78 having been in poor health since 1944.
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