The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Labour MP, Charles James Mathew on 8 January 1923.

Mathew died, aged 50, after an operation, seven weeks after his election, becoming one of the shortest-serving MPs in history.

Nominations closed on 31 January 1923; it transpired that there would be a three-cornered contest between Labour's Gosling, the Liberal Kiley and the Prohibitionist Holden.

Leading Liberal Sir John Simon, who had gained a seat from Labour at the 1922 general election, came to speak in support of Kiley.

Gosling and Kiley went head-to-head again at the General election later in the year with the same outcome; The National Prohibition Party did not contest another parliamentary seat.