United Kingdom general elections overview
This is an overview of
Summary
Table
The table below gives a summary of the results of each general election since 1922 for the main political parties. Parties with the highest vote share and the most seats at each election are highlighted in bold. More comprehensive detail showing all parties which fielded candidates is shown in the subsequent sections. Please refer to notes below the table.
Party --> | Conservative 1 | Labour | Liberal Democrats 2 | SNP/PC 3 | N.Ireland 4 | Other | %
Turnout |
Total
Seats | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | % vote | Seats | % vote | Seats | % vote | Seats | % vote | Seats | % vote | Seats | % vote | Seats | ||
1922 5 | 38.5 | 344 | 29.7 | 142 | 28.8 | 115 | Included in
Other (no seats won) |
Ulster Unionist
included with Conservative |
3.0 | 14 | 73.0 | 615 | ||
1923 | 38.0 | 258 | 30.7 | 191 | 29.7 | 158 | 1.6 | 8 | 71.1 | 615 | ||||
1924 | 46.8 | 412 | 33.3 | 151 | 17.8 | 40 | 2.1 | 12 | 77.0 | 615 | ||||
1929 | 38.1 | 260 | 37.1 | 287 | 23.6 | 59 | 1.2 | 9 | 76.3 | 615 | ||||
1931 6 | 60.7 | 522 | 30.6 | 52 | 6.5 | 32 | 2.2 | 9 | 76.4 | 615 | ||||
1935 6 | 53.3 | 429 | 38.0 | 154 | 6.7 | 21 | 2.0 | 11 | 71.1 | 615 | ||||
1945 | 39.6 | 210 | 48.0 | 393 | 9.0 | 12 | 3.4 | 25 | 72.8 | 640 | ||||
1950 | 43.4 | 299 | 46.1 | 315 | 9.1 | 9 | 1.4 | 2 | 83.9 | 625 | ||||
1951 | 48.0 | 321 | 48.8 | 295 | 2.5 | 6 | 0.7 | 3 | 82.6 | 625 | ||||
1955 | 49.7 | 345 | 46.4 | 277 | 2.7 | 6 | 1.2 | 2 | 76.8 | 630 | ||||
1959 | 49.4 | 365 | 43.4 | 258 | 5.9 | 6 | 1.3 | 1 | 78.7 | 630 | ||||
1964 | 43.4 | 304 | 44.1 | 317 | 11.2 | 9 | 1.3 | 0 | 77.1 | 630 | ||||
1966 | 41.9 | 253 | 48.0 | 364 | 8.5 | 12 | 1.6 | 1 | 75.8 | 630 | ||||
1970 | 46.4 | 330 | 43.1 | 288 | 7.5 | 6 | 1.7 | 1 | 1.3 | 5 | 72.0 | 630 | ||
1974 (Feb) | 37.9 | 297 | 37.2 | 301 | 19.3 | 14 | 2.5 | 9 | 2.3 | 12 | 0.8 | 2 | 78.8 | 635 |
1974 (Oct) | 35.8 | 277 | 39.2 | 319 | 18.3 | 13 | 3.5 | 14 | 2.4 | 12 | 0.8 | 0 | 72.8 | 635 |
1979 | 43.9 | 339 | 36.9 | 269 | 13.8 | 11 | 2.0 | 4 | 2.2 | 12 | 1.2 | 0 | 76.0 | 635 |
1983 | 42.4 | 397 | 27.6 | 209 | 25.4 | 23 | 1.5 | 4 | 2.5 | 17 | 0.6 | 0 | 72.7 | 650 |
1987 | 42.2 | 376 | 30.8 | 229 | 22.6 | 22 | 1.7 | 6 | 2.2 | 17 | 0.5 | 0 | 75.3 | 650 |
1992 | 41.9 | 336 | 34.4 | 271 | 17.8 | 20 | 2.4 | 7 | 2.3 | 17 | 1.2 | 0 | 77.7 | 651 |
1997 | 30.7 | 165 | 43.2 | 419 | 16.8 | 46 | 2.5 | 10 | 2.5 | 18 | 4.3 | 1 | 71.3 | 659 |
2001 | 31.7 | 166 | 40.7 | 413 | 18.3 | 52 | 2.5 | 9 | 3.1 | 18 | 3.7 | 1 | 59.4 | 659 |
2005 | 32.4 | 198 | 35.2 | 356 | 22.1 | 62 | 2.4 | 9 | 2.6 | 18 | 5.3 | 3 | 61.4 | 646 |
2010 | 36.1 | 307 | 29.0 | 258 | 23.0 | 57 | 2.3 | 9 | 2.3 | 18 | 7.3 | 1 | 65.1 | 650 |
2015 7 | 36.8 | 331 | 30.4 | 232 | 7.8 | 8 | 5.3 | 59 | 2.3 | 18 | 17.4 | 2 | 66.4 | 650 |
2017 | 42.3 | 318 | 40.0 | 262 | 7.4 | 12 | 3.5 | 39 | 2.5 | 18 | 4.3 | 1 | 68.8 | 650 |
2019 | 43.6 | 365 | 32.2 | 203 | 11.5 | 11 | 4.4 | 52 | 2.5 | 18 | 5.8 | 1 | 67.3 | 650 |
Notes
1Includes Ulster Unionists up to and including the 1970 election, and the autonomous Unionist Party in Scotland until 1964. Also includes the Liberal National Party (and joint candidates) from 1945 to 1966.
2Liberal Party up to 1979; SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983 and 1987; Liberal Democrats from 1992.
3Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) combined. Prior to 1970, these are included in the Other column.
4Northern Ireland parties: up to 1970, party affiliations largely followed those of the rest of the UK (with Ulster Unionists included with the Conservatives); from 1974, Northern Ireland had a completely independent party system and the vote share and seats listed represent the totals for Northern Ireland.
5In 1922 the Liberals were split between the main Liberal Party (18.9%, 62 seats) and the National Liberals (9.9%, 53 seats).
6In 1931 and 1935 the figures for the Conservatives relate to National Government candidates and comprise Conservative, National Labour, Liberal National and National vote share and seats.
7In 2015, Other included record votes shares for both the UK Independence Party 12.6% and the Green Party (3.8%), each winning just 1 seat.
Graphs
2015–2019
The period from 2015 to 2019 was one of the most turbulent periods in British electoral history. Following the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition, the Conservatives, led by David Cameron, won the 2015 general election with a small majority, having promised to hold a referendum on continued membership of the European Union. This election saw the Liberal Democrats vote fall from 23% to 8% and MPs elected from 57 to 8. In terms of the popular vote, they were replaced as the third party by the UK Independence Party, who achieved 13%, although they won only 1 seat. The Green Party also achieved their best ever result with 4% of the popular vote. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party gained 50% of the popular vote, winning all but three of the 59 seats, mostly at the expense of the Labour Party.
Following the
After further government defeats, a general election was held in December 2019 - the first December election since 1923 - which resulted in an 80-seat majority for the Conservatives, gaining many seats which Labour had held since at least 1945. The United Kingdom formally left the European Union on 31 January 2020.
Party | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | |
Advance Together | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Alliance (NI) | 0.4 | 1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 |
Alliance for Green Socialism | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Animal Welfare Party | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Aontu | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
BNP | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Christian | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Christian Peoples Alliance | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Communist | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 |
Communities United | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Conservative Party | 43.6 | 365 | 42.3 | 317 | 36.2 | 330 |
Democratic Unionist Party | 0.8 | 8 | 0.9 | 10 | 0.6 | 8 |
English Democrats Party
|
0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Green Party of England and Wales | 2.6 | 1 | 1.6 | 1 | 3.8 | 1 |
Green Party of Northern Ireland
|
0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Gwlad Gwlad
|
0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Independents | 0.8 | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.3 | 1 |
Independent Group for Change
|
0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Justice and Anti-corruption | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Labour Party | 32.2 | 203 | 40.0 | 262 | 30.4 | 232 |
Liberal Democrats | 11.5 | 11 | 7.4 | 12 | 7.8 | 8 |
Liberal Party | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Libertarian | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Mebyon Kernow | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | 0.0 | 0 |
Monster Raving Loony
|
0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
National Front | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | |
National Health Action | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
North East Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Peace Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
People Before Profit | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Plaid Cymru | 0.5 | 4 | 0.5 | 4 | 0.6 | 3 |
RESPECT The Unity Coalition
|
- | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 |
Scottish Family Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Scottish Green Party
|
0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
Scottish National Party | 3.9 | 48 | 3.0 | 35 | 4.7 | 59 |
Scottish Socialist Party | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 |
Sinn Féin | 0.6 | 7 | 0.7 | 7 | 0.6 | 4 |
SDLP | 0.4 | 2 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.3 | 3 |
Social Democratic Party | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Socialist Equality Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Socialist Labour | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Socialist Party of GB | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
The Brexit Party
|
2.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
The Yorkshire Party | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 |
Traditional Unionist Voice | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
Ulster Unionist
|
0.3 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.4 | 2 |
UK Independence Party
|
0.1 | 0 | 1.8 | 0 | 12.6 | 1 |
Veteran and People's Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Women's Equality Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Workers' Party | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Workers Revolutionary Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Yeshua | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Young People's Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1979–2010
This period saw five
Following their victory in 1979, the Conservatives were also successful in the subsequent three general elections, resulting in 18 years of continuous power. The newly formed Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party contested the 1983 and 1987 elections as the SDP-Liberal Alliance. Although the combined parties achieved a popular vote of 22.6% in 1983, they initially failed to make a breakthrough in terms of seats, winning 22.
The Labour party won a landslide victory in 1997 and were also successful in 2001 and 2005. The now merged Liberal Democrats also improved their seat count in this period. The outcome of the 2010 election brought about the first hung parliament since 1974. The victorious Conservative Party accepted the Liberal Democrats as their coalition partner.
In Northern Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement has led to a reduction in conflict, though the traditional parties who gained power in the 1980s, such as the Ulster Unionist Party, have been replaced as the dominant powers by the likes of Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party.
The elections of the 1990s and 2000s (decade) also saw a proliferation of smaller parties, with more parties standing at the 2005 general election than ever before.[2] Voter turnout also fell during this period, with the 2001 election seeing a post-World War II low of 59.4%.[3]
Party | 2010 | 2005 | 2001 | 1997 | 1992 | 1987 | 1983 | 1979 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | |
Alliance (NI) | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 |
Alliance for Green Socialism | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
BNP | 1.9 | 0 | 0.7 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - |
Christian | 0.1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Christian Peoples | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Communist | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
Community Action Party | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Conservative Party | 36.1 | 306 | 32.4 | 198 | 31.7 | 166 | 30.7 | 165 | 41.9 | 336 | 42.2 | 376 | 42.4 | 397 | 43.9 | 339 |
Democratic Unionist | 0.6 | 8 | 0.9 | 9 | 0.7 | 5 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.3 | 3 | 0.3 | 3 | 0.5 | 3 | 0.2 | 3 |
English Democrats Party
|
0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Green Party of England and Wales / Green Party | 0.9 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
Independents | 0.2 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - |
Independent Conservative | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
IKHHC
|
0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Independent Labour | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 |
Independent Liberal / Independent Liberal Democrat | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Independent SDLP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 |
Irish Independence | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 |
Labour Party | 29.0 | 258 | 35.2 | 356 | 40.7 | 412 | 43.2 | 418 | 34.4 | 271 | 30.8 | 229 | 27.6 | 209 | 36.9 | 269 |
Legalise Cannabis Alliance
|
- | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Liberal Democrats/ SDP–Liberal Alliance/ Liberal Party (UK) |
23.0 | 57 | 22.1 | 62 | 18.3 | 52 | 16.8 | 46 | 17.8 | 20 | 22.6 | 22 | 25.4 | 23 | 13.8 | 11 |
Liberal Party (1989) | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Mebyon Kernow | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - |
Monster Raving Loony
|
0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - |
National Front | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.6 | 0 |
National Democrats
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Natural Law Party | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
People's Justice Party
|
- | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Plaid Cymru | 0.6 | 3 | 0.6 | 3 | 0.7 | 4 | 0.5 | 4 | 0.5 | 4 | 0.4 | 3 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.4 | 1 |
Progressive Unionist Party | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
ProLife Alliance | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Protestant Unionist | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Referendum Party | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.6 | . | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
RESPECT The Unity Coalition
|
0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Scottish Green Party
|
0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Scottish Labour Party
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 |
Scottish Militant Labour | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Scottish National Party | 1.7 | 6 | 1.6 | 6 | 1.8 | 5 | 2.0 | 6 | 1.9 | 3 | 1.3 | 3 | 1.1 | 1 | 1.6 | 2 |
Scottish Socialist Party | 0.0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Sinn Féin / Independent Republican | 0.6 | 5 | 0.6 | 5 | 0.7 | 4 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 |
SDLP | 0.4 | 3 | 0.5 | 3 | 0.6 | 3 | 0.6 | 3 | 0.5 | 4 | 0.5 | 3 | 0.4 | 1 | 0.4 | 1 |
Social Democratic Party | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | See SDP-Liberal Alliance | - | - | |||
Socialist Labour | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Socialist Alliance | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Traditional Unionist Voice | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Ulster Popular Unionist / Independent Ulster Unionist | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 |
Ulster Unionist / Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force
|
0.3 | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.8 | 6 | 0.8 | 10 | 0.8 | 9 | 0.8 | 9 | 0.8 | 1 | 0.8 | 5 |
Unionist Party | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 |
United Ulster Unionist | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 1 |
UK Independence Party
|
3.1 | 0 | 2.3 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Real Unionist
|
- | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Veritas | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Workers' Party | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
1955–1974
The elections of this period took place in the context of the
The Ulster Unionists dominated in Northern Ireland, whilst the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru became major players for the first time, the SNP gaining 11 seats in 1974. This period also saw the demise of the autonomous Unionist Party in Scotland and the National Liberal Party, which both merged with the Conservative Party.
Party | Oct 1974 | Feb 1974 | 1970 | 1966 | 1964 | 1959 | 1955 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | ||
Alliance (NI) | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
BNP
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | |
Communist | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
Conservative Party | 35.8 | 277 | 37.9 | 297 | 46.4 | 330 | 41.9 | 253 | 43.4 | 304 | 49.4 | 365 | 49.7 | 345 |
Democratic Labour
|
0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Democratic Party | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Democratic Unionist Party | 0.3 | 1 | 0.2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Independents | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 |
Independent Conservative | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 | - | - |
Independent Labour | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 |
Independent Liberal | 0.0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - |
Independent Socialist | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Independent Republican / Sinn Féin | 0.2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | 0.2 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.6 | 2 |
Labour Party | 39.2 | 313 | 37.2 | 301 | 43.1 | 288 | 48.0 | 364 | 44.1 | 317 | 43.4 | 258 | 46.4 | 277 |
Labour Party (Ireland) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 |
Labour Party(NI) | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Liberal Party | 18.3 | 13 | 19.3 | 14 | 7.5 | 6 | 8.5 | 12 | 11.2 | 9 | 5.9 | 6 | 2.7 | 6 |
National Front | 0.4 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
National Democratic | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | ||
National Democrats (NI)
|
- | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Nationalist (NI) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
NI Independent Labour
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | ||
Plaid Cymru | 0.6 | 3 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 |
Protestant Unionist Party | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Republican Clubs
|
0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Republican Labour | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | ||
Scottish National Party | 2.9 | 11 | 2.0 | 7 | 1.1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
SDLP | 0.6 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Ulster Unionist Party | 0.9 | 6 | 0.8 | 7 | Before 1974, The UUP MPs sat in parliament as part of the Conservative Party | |||||||||
Pro-Assembly Unionist
|
0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Unity | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
|
0.3 | 3 | 0.2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1929–1951
This era saw massive social change in the UK, going through the
The 1929 election resulted in the Labour Party having the greatest number of seats and they formed a Government under Ramsay MacDonald with the support of the Liberals. As a result of the growing economic crisis, McDonald formed a National Government in 1931 with the support of the Conservatives and Liberals, which was not however backed by the majority of Labour MPs. This was followed by a general election at which the National coalition, dominated by the Conservatives, won a landslide victory, with the opposition Labour Party reduced to a rump of 52 seats. It also led to a permanent split in the Liberal Party, with the National Liberals eventually joining the Conservatives. Although Labour recovered somewhat, the (notional) National Government won the 1935 election.
General elections were suspended during the Second World War, when all three major parties entered into a coalition under Churchill. The Labour party gained a landslide victory in 1945. Although they won a small majority in the 1950, they were defeated by the Conservatives in 1951, with Churchill returning to power.
Party | 1951 | 1950 | 1945 | 1935 | 1931 | 1929 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | |
Agricultural Party | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | |
Anti-Partition
|
0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Common Wealth | - | - | - | - | 0.5 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Commonwealth Labour | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Communist | 0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 |
Conservative Party | 44.3 | 302 | 40.0 | 283 | 36.2 | 197 | 47.8 | 387 | 55.0 | 470 | 38.1 | 260 |
Independent | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.6 | 8 | 0.1 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.4 | 4 |
Independent Conservative | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 2 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Independent Labour | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 |
Independent Labour Party | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.2 | 3 | 0.7 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
Independent Liberal | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
Independent Nationalist | 0.3 | 2 | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - |
Independent Progressive | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Independent Republican | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Irish Nationalist | - | - | 0.2 | 2 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.2 | 2 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.1 | 3 |
Labour Party | 48.8 | 295 | 46.1 | 315 | 47.7 | 393 | 38.0 | 154 | 30.8 | 52 | 37.1 | 287 |
Labour Party (Ireland) | 0.1 | 1 | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Liberal Party | 2.5 | 6 | 9.1 | 9 | 9.04 | 12 | 6.7 | 21 | 6.5 | 32 | 23.6 | 59 |
Liberal Party (Lloyd George) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.5 | 4 | - | - | |
Liverpool Protestant | - | - | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | - | - |
National
|
- | - | - | - | 0.5 | 2 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.5 | 4 | - | - |
National Independent | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.2 | 2 | 0.2 | 2 | - | - |
National Labour | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | - | - | 1.5 | 8 | 1.5 | 13 | - | - |
National Liberal | 3.7 | 19 | 3.4 | 16 | 2.9 | 11 | 3.7 | 33 | 3.7 | 35 | - | - |
National Party of Scotland | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
New Party
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 0 | - | - |
Plaid Cymru | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Scottish National Party | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Scottish Prohibition | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 |
Sinn Féin | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1922–1924
In the years after the secession of the
The 1922 election was won by the Conservatives, with the Labour party in second place and the Liberals split. In 1923, the Conservatives lost their majority and the Labour Party were put into office for the first time with the support of the re-united Liberals. However, this minority government only lasted 10 months and the 1924 election saw the return of the Conservatives with a large majority and the Liberal Party reduced to a rump of 40 MPs, from which they never really recovered.
Party | 1924 | 1923 | 1922 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | Popular vote (%) | Seats | |
Agricultural Party | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 0 |
Belfast Labour Party | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Communist | 0.2 | 1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 1 |
Constitutionalist
|
1.2 | 7 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 |
Conservative | 46.8 | 412 | 38.0 | 258 | 38.5 | 344 |
Independent | 0.2 | 2 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.8 | 3 |
Independent Conservative | 0.0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.9 | 3 |
Independent Labour | 0.0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 |
Independent Liberal | - | - | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 |
Independent Nationalist | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 |
Irish Nationalist | 0.0 | 1 | 0.4 | 3 | 0.4 | 3 |
Labour Party | 33.3 | 151 | 30.7 | 191 | 29.7 | 142 |
Labour Party (Northern Ireland) | 0.1 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Liberal Party | 17.8 | 40 | 29.7 | 158 | 18.9 | 62 |
National Liberal | - | - | - | - | 9.9 | 53 |
Scottish Prohibition | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 |
Sinn Féin | 0.2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
See also
References
- ^ "Tony Blair's time in power". BBC News. 6 February 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Electoral commission report on 2005 election
- ^ "BBC summary of elections since 1945". BBC News. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ "1959 election". BBC News. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ "February 1974 election". BBC News. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ "Report on the 1945 election". BBC News. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2013.