The seat became vacant due to the death of the sitting Member, William Herries.

[1] The election was held on 28 March 1923 and won by Charles Macmillan, who defeated the former prime minister Joseph Ward.

[3] The other candidate was Sir Joseph Ward, a former Liberal party Prime Minister.

Leader Harry Holland was fearful that Ward's return to Parliament might result in a revival of the Liberals, delaying Labour's rise as the main left-wing party.

[6] Ward was thought to be a spent force,[4] but he was returned to Parliament again in the 1925 election,[8] and then went on to become Prime Minister again in 1928.