Darlington by-election, 1923

The Darlington by-election, 1923 was a by-election held on 28 February 1923 for the British House of Commons constituency of Darlington in County Durham.

Vacancy

The seat had become vacant when the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Herbert Pike Pease was elevated to the peerage as Baron Daryngton. He had held the seat since the December 1910 general election.

Candidates

The Labour Party candidate was W.J. Sherwood, who had also fought the seat in 1922, having contested The Hartlepools in 1918

William Pease, who had not previously contested a parliamentary election, stood for the Conservatives.

Result

On a slightly reduced turnout, Pease won the seat with a comfortable majority. He held the seat until his death in 1926.

Sherwood stood again at the general election in December 1923, losing again to Pease.

Votes

Darlington by-election, 28 February 1923
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Pease	14,684	56.6	+6.9
	Labour	W. J. Sherwood	11,271	43.4	+9.6
Majority			3,413	13.2	−2.7
Turnout			25,955	85.3	−2.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.4

General Election, November 1922: Darlington
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Herbert Pike Pease	13,286	49.7	−11.8
	Labour	W. J. Sherwood	9,048	33.8	N/A
	Liberal	T. Crooks	4,419	16.5	−22.0
Majority			4,238	15.9	−7.1
Turnout			26,753	88.0	+20.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

See also

• Darlington constituency
• Darlington
• Darlington by-election, 1926
• Darlington by-election, 1983
• List of United Kingdom by-elections (1918–1931)

Sources

• Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd edition ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X. 
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs