List of United Kingdom general elections

This is a list of United Kingdom general elections (elections for the UK House of Commons) since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliament of Ireland, before being co-opted to serve in the first Parliament of the United Kingdom, so that Parliament is not included in the table below.

Election results

A graph showing shares of the vote received by each political party in the UK since 1832. The graph shows the UK being dominated by two political parties, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party, until around 1900, when the Labour Party rises and takes a large share of votes away from the Liberals. Miscellaneous parties and independents represent an insignificant amount of vote share until around 1996.
Shares of the vote in general elections since 1832 received by Conservatives[1] (blue), Liberals/Liberal Democrats[2] (orange), Labour (red) and others (grey)[3][4][5]

In 1801 the right to vote in the United Kingdom was severely restricted. Universal suffrage, on an equal basis for men and women over the age of 21, was established in 1929. Before 1918, general elections did not occur on a single day and polling was spread over several weeks. The date given in the table for elections prior to 1918 is the date Parliament assembled after the election, which could be in the year after the general election.

The majority figure given is for the difference between the number of MPs elected at the general election from the party (or parties) of the government, as opposed to all other parties (some of which may have been giving some support to the government, but were not participating in a coalition). The Speaker is excluded from the calculation. A negative majority means that there was a hung parliament (or minority parliament) following that election. For example, in the 1929 election, Labour was 42 seats short of forming a majority, and so its majority is listed as −42. If the party in office changed the figure is re-calculated, but no allowance is made for changes after the general election.

No attempt is made to define a majority before 1832, when the Reform Act disenfranchised the rotten boroughs; before then the Tory party had an undemocratically entrenched dominance. Particularly in the early part of the period the complexity of factional alignments, with both the Whig and Tory traditions tending to have some members in government and others in opposition factions simultaneously, make it impossible to produce an accurate majority figure. The figures between 1832 and about 1859 are approximate due to problems of defining what was a party in government, as the source provides figures for all Liberals rather than just the Whig component in what developed into the Liberal Party. The Whig and Peelite Prime Ministers in the table below are regarded as having the support of all Liberals.

ElectionDatePrime Minister(s) (during term)Winning PartyMajorityTurnout (%)[6]Notes
1802 (MPs) 22 July 1802 Henry Addington
William Pitt the Younger[7]
The Lord Grenville		 Tory
Tory (Pittite who called himself a Whig)
Whig		 ...
1806 (MPs) 17 November 1806 The Lord Grenville
The Duke of Portland		 Whig
Tory (Pittite who called himself a Whig)		 ...
1807 (MPs) 22 June 1807 The Duke of Portland
Spencer Perceval[8]
The Earl of Liverpool		 Tory (Pittite who called himself a Whig)
Tory
Tory		 ...
1812 (MPs) 24 November 1812 The Earl of Liverpool Tory ...
1818 (MPs) 4 August 1818 The Earl of Liverpool Tory ...
1820 (MPs) 16 January 1821 The Earl of Liverpool Tory ...
1826 (MPs) 19 June 1826 The Earl of Liverpool
George Canning[9]
The Viscount Goderich
The Duke of Wellington		 Tory
Tory
Tory
Tory		 ...
1830 (MPs) 9 August 1830 The Duke of Wellington[10]
The Earl Grey		 Tory
Whig		 ...
1831 (MPs) 25 July 1831 The Earl Grey Whig 136
At this point, the Reform Act 1832 gave suffrage to propertied male adults and disenfranchised almost all of the rotten boroughs.
1832 (MPs) 29 January 1833 The Earl Grey
The Viscount Melbourne[11]
The Duke of Wellington
Sir Robert Peel		 Whig
Whig
Conservative
Conservative		 225 (L)
−308 (C)
1835 (MPs) 19 February 1835 Sir Robert Peel[12]
The Viscount Melbourne		 Conservative
Whig		 −113 (C)
113 (L)
1837 (MPs) 15 November 1837 The Viscount Melbourne[13] Whig 29
1841 (MPs) 19 August 1841 The Viscount Melbourne[14]
Sir Robert Peel[15]
Lord John Russell		 Whig
Conservative
Whig
77
1847 (MPs) 9 August 1847 Lord John Russell[16]
The Earl of Derby		 Whig
Conservative		 −72
1852 (MPs) 4 November 1852 The Earl of Derby[17]
The Earl of Aberdeen[18]
The Viscount Palmerston		 Conservative
Peelite
Whig		 7
1857 (MPs) 30 April 1857 The Viscount Palmerston[19]
The Earl of Derby		 Whig
Conservative		 100
1859 (MPs) 31 May 1859 The Earl of Derby[20]
The Viscount Palmerston		 Conservative
Liberal
59
1865 (MPs) 11 July 1865 The Viscount Palmerston[21]
The Earl Russell[22]
The Earl of Derby
Benjamin Disraeli		 Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative		 81
At this point, the Reform Act 1867 significantly widened the suffrage and disenfranchised more smaller boroughs.
1868 (MPs) 10 December 1868 William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 115
1874 (MPs) 5 March 1874 Benjamin Disraeli Conservative 49
1880 (MPs) 29 April 1880 William Ewart Gladstone[23]
The Marquess of Salisbury		 Liberal
Conservative		 51
At this point, the Representation of the People Act 1884 extended the borough franchise of 1867 to the counties,
increasing the electorate to about 5,500,000 men.
1885 (MPs) 12 January 1886 The Marquess of Salisbury[24]
William Ewart Gladstone[25]		 Conservative
Liberal		 −172
1886 (MPs) 5 August 1886 The Marquess of Salisbury Conservative 116
1892 (MPs) 4 August 1892 The Marquess of Salisbury[26]
William Ewart Gladstone
The Earl of Rosebery[27]
The Marquess of Salisbury[28]		 Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
−126

1895 (MPs) 12 August 1895 The Marquess of Salisbury Conservative 153
1900 (MPs) 3 December 1900 The Marquess of Salisbury
Arthur Balfour
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman[29]		 Conservative
Conservative
Liberal		 135
Khaki election
1906 (MPs) 13 February 1906 Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
H. H. Asquith		 Liberal 129
January 1910 (MPs) 15 February 1910 H. H. Asquith Liberal −122
December 1910 (MPs) 31 January 1911 H. H. Asquith
David Lloyd George		 Liberal −126
The Parliament Act 1911 reduced the maximum life of a Parliament from seven years to five; however, the election that would have been due by 1915 as a result of the Act was not held due to the First World War (1914–1918).

At this point, the Representation of the People Act 1918 gave suffrage to most of the adult population (men over 21, women over 30).

1918 (MPs) 14 December 1918 David Lloyd George
Bonar Law[30]		 Liberal (Coalition government)
Conservative		 238
57.2
Coalition Coupon
1922 (MPs) 15 November 1922 Bonar Law
Stanley Baldwin		 Conservative 74 73
1923 (MPs) 6 December 1923 Stanley Baldwin[31]
Ramsay MacDonald		 Conservative
Labour
−98		 71.1
1924 (MPs) 29 October 1924 Stanley Baldwin Conservative 210 77
At this point, the Representation of the People Act 1928 gave universal suffrage to the adult population over 21.
1929 (MPs) 30 May 1929 Ramsay MacDonald Labour −42 76.3 The "flapper" election
1931 (MPs) 27 October 1931 Ramsay MacDonald National Labour (National Government) 492 76.4
1935 (MPs) 14 November 1935 Stanley Baldwin
Neville Chamberlain
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill		 Conservative (National Government)
Conservative (National Government)
Conservative (Wartime Coalition)
Conservative (Caretaker Government)		 242
242
609
242		 71.1
The election due by 1940 was not held due to the Second World War (1939–1945)
1945 (MPs) 5 July 1945 Clement Attlee Labour 146 72.8 640 seats in Commons
At this point, the Representation of the People Act 1948 abolished plural voting,
university constituencies and the few remaining two-member constituencies.
1950 (MPs) 23 February 1950 Clement Attlee Labour 5 83.9 625 seats in Commons
1951 (MPs) 25 October 1951 Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Anthony Eden		 Conservative 17 82.6
1955 (MPs) 26 May 1955 Sir Anthony Eden
Harold Macmillan		 Conservative 60 76.8 630 seats in Commons
1959 (MPs) 8 October 1959 Harold Macmillan
Sir Alec Douglas-Home		 Conservative 100 78.7
1964 (MPs) 15 October 1964 Harold Wilson Labour 4 77.1
1966 (MPs) 31 March 1966 Harold Wilson Labour 98 75.8
At this point, the Representation of the People Act 1969 gave suffrage to the adult population over 18 years old.
1970 (MPs) 18 June 1970 Edward Heath Conservative 30 72
February 1974 (MPs) 28 February 1974 Harold Wilson Labour (minority government) −33 78.8 Hung Parliament
October 1974 (MPs) 10 October 1974 Harold Wilson
James Callaghan		 Labour 3 72.8 635 seats in Commons
1979 (MPs) 3 May 1979 Margaret Thatcher Conservative 43 76
1983 (MPs) 9 June 1983 Margaret Thatcher Conservative 144 72.7 650 seats in Commons
1987 (MPs) 11 June 1987 Margaret Thatcher
John Major		 Conservative 102 75.3
1992 (MPs) 9 April 1992 John Major Conservative 21 77.7 651 seats in Commons
1997 (MPs) 1 May 1997 Tony Blair Labour 179 71.4 659 seats in Commons
2001 (MPs) 7 June 2001 Tony Blair Labour 167 59.4
2005 (MPs) 5 May 2005 Tony Blair
Gordon Brown		 Labour 66 61.4 646 seats in Commons
2010 (MPs) 6 May 2010[32] David Cameron Conservative (formed coalition with Liberal Democrats) 78 (combined coalition) 65.1 650 seats in Commons
Hung Parliament
At this point, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 was passed. Elections are now every 5 years, barring parliamentary vote. Before this, the election could be called at any point the Prime Minister wished.
2015 (MPs) 7 May 2015 David Cameron
Theresa May		 Conservative 12 66.1 650 seats in Commons
2017 8 June 2017 Theresa May Conservative (minority government) -8 68.7 Snap election approved 19 April 2017
Hung Parliament

See also

References

  1. ↑ Including Tory (1832), Conservative (from 1835), Liberal Conservative (1847–59), Liberal Unionist (1886–1910), National parties (1931–45).
  2. ↑ Including Whig (to mid-19th century), Liberal (mid-19th century to 1979), National Liberal (1922), Independent Liberal (1931), SDP-Liberal Alliance (1983–87) and Liberal Democrat (from 1992).
  3. ↑ Table 2.01 "Summary Results of General Elections 1832–2005 (UK)", British electoral facts, 1832–2006, by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, 7th edition, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7546-2712-8, p. 59.
  4. ↑ Election 2010 Results, BBC News.
  5. ↑ Election 2015 Results, BBC News.
  6. ↑ Rogers, Simon (16 November 2012). "UK election historic turnouts since 1918 | News". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  7. ↑ Died in office.
  8. ↑ Was murdered in office.
  9. ↑ Died in office.
  10. ↑ Was defeated on a motion to examine the accounts of the Civil List on 15 November 1830 and resigned on 16 November
  11. ↑ Was dismissed by William IV on 14 November 1834
  12. ↑ Was defeated on a report on the Irish Church on 7 April 1835 and resigned on 8 April
  13. ↑ Was defeated on a motion of no confidence on 4 June 1841 and advised the Queen to dissolve Parliament, which she did on 23 June
  14. ↑ Ministry met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 27 August 1841 and resigned on 30 August
  15. ↑ Was defeated on an Irish Coercion Bill on 25 June 1846 and resigned on 29 June
  16. ↑ Was defeated on a militia Bill on 20 February 1852 and resigned on 23 February
  17. ↑ Was defeated on the Budget on 16 December 1852 and resigned on 19 December
  18. ↑ Was defeated on a vote in favour of a select committee to enquire into alleged mismanagement during the Crimean War on 29 January 1855 and resigned the next day
  19. ↑ Was defeated on a Bill, which made it a felony to plot in Britain to murder someone abroad, on 19 February 1858 and resigned on the same day
  20. ↑ Ministry met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 10 June 1859 and resigned on 11 June
  21. ↑ Died in office
  22. ↑ Was defeated on Parliamentary reform proposals on 18 June 1866 and resigned on 26 June
  23. ↑ Was defeated on the Budget on 8 June 1885 and resigned the next day
  24. ↑ Met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 26 January 1886 and resigned on 28 January
  25. ↑ Was defeated on the Government of Ireland Bill on 7 June 1886 and advised the Queen to dissolve Parliament, which she did on 26 June.
  26. ↑ Met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 11 August 1892 and resigned the same day
  27. ↑ Was defeated on the Cordite Vote on 21 June 1895 and resigned that day
  28. ↑ Became Prime Minister on 25 June 1895 and immediately advised the dissolution of Parliament
  29. ↑ Became Prime Minister on 5 December 1905 and immediately advised the dissolution of Parliament
  30. ↑ Became Prime Minister on 23 October 1922 and immediately advised the dissolution of Parliament
  31. ↑ Met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 21 January 1924 and resigned the next day
  32. ↑ "Gordon Brown calls 6 May general election". BBC News. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
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