Social Democratic Federation election results
This article lists the Social Democratic Federation's election results in UK parliamentary elections. It also includes the results of its successor, the British Socialist Party.
Summary of general election performance
| Year | Number of Candidates | Total votes | Average voters per candidate | Percentage of vote | Saved deposits | Change (%) | Number of MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | 3 | 657 | 219 | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | 0 |
| 1886 | 0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0 |
| 1892 | 2 | 659 | 330 | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | 0 |
| 1895 | 4 | 3,730 | 933 | 0.1 | N/A | +0.1 | 0 |
| 1900 | 2 | 6,997 | 3,499 | 0.2 | N/A | +0.1 | 0 |
| 1906 | 8 | 18,446 | 2,310 | 0.4 | N/A | +0.2 | 0 |
| Jan 1910 | 9 | 13,479 | 1,498 | 0.2 | N/A | -0.2 | 0 |
| Dec 1910 | 2 | 5,733 | 2,867 | 0.1 | N/A | -0.1 | 0 |
| 1918 | 16 | 71,762 | 4,485 | 0.7 | 13 | +0.6 | 0 |
Elections results
1885 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampstead | Jack Williams | 27 | 0.6 | 3 |
| Kennington | John Fielding | 32 | 0.5 | 3 |
| Nottingham West | John Burns | 598 | 5.4 | 3 |
1892 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethnal Green North East | Hugh Robert Taylor | 106 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Salford South | William Knight Hall | 553 | 7.5 | 3 |
By-elections, 1892–1895
| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 Walworth by-election | George Lansbury | 347 | 6.8 | 3 |
1895 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman |
1,498 | 12.4 | 3 |
| Northampton | Frederick George Jones | 1,216 | 6.7 | 5 |
| Salford South | Henry William Hobart |
813 | 10.8 | 3 |
| Walworth | George Lansbury | 203 | 3.8 | 3 |
By-elections, 1895–1900
| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Southampton by-election | C. A. Gibson | 274 | 2.4 | |
| 1898 Reading by-election | Harry Quelch | 270 | 3.1 |
1900 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow and Bromley | George Lansbury | 2,558 | 36.7 | 2 |
| West Ham South | Will Thorne | 4,439 | 44.2 | 2 |
For the 1900 general election, the Social Democratic Federation stood candidates as part of the
Labour Representation Committee
.
By-elections, 1900–1906
| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 Dewsbury by-election | Harry Quelch | 1,597 | 13.6 | 3 |
1906 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen North | Tom Kennedy |
1,935 | 25.1 | 2 |
| Accrington | Dan Irving | 4,852 | 38.3 | 2 |
| Bradford East | Edward Hartley | 3,090 | 22.8 | 3 |
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman |
4,932 | 32.5 | 3 |
| Camborne | Jack Jones | 109 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Northampton | James Gribble | 2,366 | 10.9 | 6 |
| Northampton | Jack Williams | 2,544 | 11.7 | 5 |
| Southampton | Harry Quelch | 2,146 | 8.0 | 5 |
By-elections, 1906–1910
| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 Manchester North West by-election | Dan Irving | 276 | 2.6 | 3 |
| 1908 Haggerston by-election | Herbert Burrows | 986 | 17.7 | 3 |
| 1908 Newcastle-upon-Tyne by-election | Edward Hartley | 2,971 | 10.4 | 3 |
January 1910 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen North | Tom Kennedy |
1,344 | 16.9 | 3 |
| Bradford East | Edward Hartley | 1,740 | 12.0 | 3 |
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman |
4,948 | 30.2 | 3 |
| Carlisle | Arthur Charles Bannington | 777 | 11.3 | 3 |
| Haggerston | Herbert Burrows | 701 | 11.1 | 3 |
| Northampton | James Gribble | 1,792 | 7.7 | 5 |
| Northampton | Harry Quelch | 1,617 | 7.0 | 6 |
| Rochdale | Dan Irving | 1,755 | 12.6 | 3 |
| Sheffield Brightside | Charles Lapworth | 510 | 4.7 | 3 |
December 1910 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman |
3,810 | 23.8 | 3 |
| Rochdale | Dan Irving | 1,901 | 14.5 | 3 |
By-elections, 1910–1918
| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 Leicester by-election | Edward Hartley | 2,580 | 11.4 | 3 |
| 1913 Reading by-election | Joseph George Butler | 1,063 | 10.4 | 3 |
| 1914 Poplar by-election | Jack Jones | 893 | 11.6 | 3 |
The Social Democratic Party merged into the British Socialist Party in 1911. Hartley was endorsed by the Labour Party.
1918 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford South | William Hirst | 8,291 | 30.9 | 2 |
| Edmonton | Frank Broad | 3,575 | 25.7 | 2 |
| Glasgow Gorbals | John Maclean | 7,436 | 34.3 | 2 |
| Glasgow Tradeston | James D. MacDougall | 3,751 | 19.4 | 2 |
| Great Yarmouth | William McConnell | 1,845 | 12.8 | 3 |
| Greenock | Fred Shaw | 2,542 | 11.2 | 3 |
Grimsby |
Charles E. Franklin | 9,015 | 33.7 | 2 |
| Hastings | Joseph George Butler | 3,556 | 24.1 | 2 |
| Islington North | John Arnall | 4,000 | 19.3 | 2 |
| Motherwell | Walton Newbold | 4,135 | 23.2 | 3 |
| Portsmouth Central | Hugh Hinshelwood | 4,004 | 19.1 | 3 |
| Salford South | James Gorman | 3,807 | 19.0 | 2 |
| Sheffield Central | Robert George Murray | 643 | 4.0 | 3 |
| Sheffield Park | Alf Barton | 3,167 | 20.4 | 2 |
| Southampton | Tommy Lewis | 7,828 | 10.6 | 4 |
| Walthamstow West | Valentine McEntee |
4,167 | 29.3 | 2 |
All candidates other than Arnall, Hirst and Murray stood for the Labour Party. Hirst stood for the Co-operative Party.
References
- Martin Crick, The History of the Social Democratic Federation, pp.330-332