Early twentieth century election campaigns have often been characterised as decentralised and mass based. But while they drew in large numbers of party members and supporters, many aspects of these contests were in fact highly centralised. Local campaigns drew heavily on central funds. The parties’ literature was usually produced by their central campaigns, even when it addressed local themes. Many candidates’ speeches focused on the opposing party’s leader while adhering closely to the policies laid down by their own. Much of the work carried out by the party rank and file was organisational rather than persuasive, and differed little from place to place. There is a need to question narratives that treat an unruly periphery and a controlling centre as central features of electoral history, as well as those that treat centralisation as a relatively recent development.