title: 1923 Darlington by-election
text: # 1923 Darlington by-election
  
  The 1923 Darlington by-election 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 Pease was elevated to the peerage as Baron Daryngton. He had held the seat since the December 1910 general election.
  
  ## Electoral history
  
  General election, November 1922: Darlington :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Herbert Pease | 13,286 | 49.7 | −11.8 |
  | | Labour | Will Sherwood | 9,048 | 33.8 | New |
  | | Liberal | T. Crooks | 4,419 | 16.5 | −22.0 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,238 | 15.9 | −7.1 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,753 | 88.0 | +20.2 |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
  
  ## Candidates
  
  * William Pease, who had not previously contested a parliamentary election, stood for the Conservatives.
  * The Labour Party candidate was W.J. Sherwood, who had also fought the seat in 1922, having contested The Hartlepools in 1918.
  
  ## Result
  
  On a slightly reduced turnout, Pease won the seat with a comfortable majority.
  
  Darlington by-election, 28 February 1923 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | William Edwin Pease | 14,684 | 56.6 | +6.9 |
  | | Labour | Will Sherwood | 11,271 | 43.4 | +9.6 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,413 | 13.2 | −2.7 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,955 | 85.3 | −2.7 |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4 | |
  
  ## Aftermath
  
  Sherwood stood again at the general election in December 1923, losing again to Pease. Pease held the seat until his death in 1926.
  
  