1926 Darlington by-election

UK parliamentary by-election April 2022 June 2025 The 1926 Darlington by-election was a by-election held on 17 February 1926 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), William Pease had died on 23 January 1926, aged 60. He had held the seat since a by-election in 1923. Candidates The Liberal Party candidate was 51-year-old John Dickie, who had been the MP for Gateshead from 1923 until his defeat at the 1924 general election. The Labour Party candidate was 42-year-old Arthur Shepherd, and E. H. Pease stood for the Conservatives. Pease had not previously contested a parliamentary election, but Shepherd had contested Darlington in 1924, losing by over 2000 votes to William Pease. Result On a slightly increased turnout, the result was a narrow victory for Shepherd. His share of the vote was lower than in 1924, when there had been no Liberal candidate, but the presence of a Liberal in the by-election impacted more heavily on the Conservatives than on Labour. Aftermath Shepherd held the seat at the 1929 general election, but was defeated in 1931. Pease did not stand for Parliament again, but Dickie was elected in 1931 as National Liberal MP for Consett. Darlington by-election, 17 February 1926 Labour Party (UK) Arthur Shepherd 12,965 44.5 −1.7 Conservative Party (UK) E. H. Pease 12,636 43.3 −10.5 Liberal Party (UK) John Dickie 3,573 12.2 New 329 1.2 N/A 29,174 87.6 +1.5 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) +4.4 Previous election General election, October 1924: Darlington Conservative Party (UK) William Pease 15,174 53.8 +11.6 Labour Party (UK) Arthur Shepherd 13,008 46.2 +12.6 2,166 7.6 −1.0 28,182 86.1 −0.7 Conservative Party (UK) −0.5 See also Darlington constituency Darlington 1923 Darlington by-election 1983 Darlington by-election List of United Kingdom by-elections (1918–1931) Sources Craig F. W. S. F. W. S. Craig British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 1969 3rd 1983 Parliamentary Research Services Chichester 0-900178-06-X March 2012 Category:1926 elections in the United Kingdom Category:1926 in England Category:20th century in County Durham 1926 Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in County Durham constituencies Category:February 1926 in the United Kingdom