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List of United Kingdom general elections

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For by-election results, see List of United Kingdom by-elections (2010–present). For information on UK elections in general, see Elections in the United Kingdom. For earlier elections, see Elections in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

United Kingdom general elections (elections for the House of Commons) have occurred in the United Kingdom 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. There have been 58 general elections held in the UK up to and including the 2024 general election.

Election results

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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[note 1] (blue), Liberals/Liberal Democrats[note 2] (orange), Labour (red) and others (grey)[1][2][3]

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 1928. Before 1918, general elections did not occur on a single day and polling was spread over several weeks.

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 government) following that election. For example, at the 1929 general 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 objective 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.

List of elections

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19th century

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Election No. Dates Prime minister appointed by monarch
(during term) 		Winning party Government
vote share 		Seat majority Seats Monarch
1802
(MPs) 		1st 5 July – 28 August 1802 Henry Addington Tory N/A N/A 658 George III
(William Pitt the Younger)[a]
1806
(MPs) 		2nd 29 October – 17 December 1806 The Lord Grenville Whig N/A N/A 658
1807
(MPs) 		3rd 4 May – 9 June 1807 The Duke of Portland Tory N/A N/A 658
(Spencer Perceval)[a]
1812
(MPs) 		4th 5 October – 10 November 1812 The Earl of Liverpool
1818
(MPs) 		5th 17 June – 18 July 1818
1820
(MPs) 		6th 6 March – 14 April 1820 George IV
1826
(MPs) 		7th 7 June – 12 July 1826 George Canning[a]
(The Viscount Goderich)
(The Duke of Wellington)
1830
(MPs) 		8th 29 July – 1 September 1830 The Duke of Wellington[b][4] William IV
1831
(MPs) 		9th 28 April – 1 June 1831 The Earl Grey Whig N/A 135 658
1832
(MPs) 		10th 10 December 1832 – 8 January 1833[5] The Earl Grey 67.0% 225
(The Viscount Melbourne)[c][6]
10 December 1832 – 8 January 1833[7] (The Duke of Wellington) Conservative 29.2% −308 658
(Sir Robert Peel)
1835
(MPs) 		11th 6 January – 6 February 1835 Sir Robert Peel[d][8] 42.8% −113
6 January – 6 February 1835 (The Viscount Melbourne) Whig 57.2% 113 658
1837
(MPs) 		12th 24 July – 18 August 1837 The Viscount Melbourne[e][9] 52.4% 29 Victoria
1841
(MPs) 		13th 29 June – 22 July 1841 The Viscount Melbourne[f][10] 46.2% N/A
29 June – 22 July 1841 (Sir Robert Peel)[g][11] Conservative 51.6% 77 658
29 June – 22 July 1841 (Lord John Russell) Whig 46.2% N/A 658
1847
(MPs) 		14th 29 July – 26 August 1847 Lord John Russell[h][12] 53.8% −72 656
29 July – 26 August 1847 (The Earl of Derby) Conservative 42.6% N/A 656
1852
(MPs) 		15th 7–31 July 1852 The Earl of Derby[i][13] 41.9% 7 654
7–31 July 1852 (The Earl of Aberdeen)[j][14] Peelite N/A N/A 654
7–31 July 1852 (The Viscount Palmerston) Whig 57.9% N/A 654
1857
(MPs) 		16th 27 March – 24 April 1857 The Viscount Palmerston[k][15] 64.8% 100
27 March – 24 April 1857 (The Earl of Derby) Conservative 33.5% N/A 654
1859
(MPs) 		17th 28 April – 18 May 1859 The Earl of Derby[l][16] 34.2%
28 April – 18 May 1859 (The Viscount Palmerston) Liberal 65.8% 59 654
1865
(MPs) 		18th 11–24 July 1865 The Viscount Palmerston[a] 59.5% 81 658
(The Earl Russell)[m][17] N/A
11–24 July 1865 (The Earl of Derby) Conservative 40.5% N/A 658
(Benjamin Disraeli)
1868
(MPs) 		19th 17 November – 7 December 1868 William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 61.2% 115 658
1874
(MPs) 		20th 31 January – 17 February 1874 Benjamin Disraeli Conservative 44.3% 49 652
1880
(MPs) 		21st 31 March – 27 April 1880 William Ewart Gladstone[18] Liberal 54.7% 51 652
31 March – 27 April 1880 (The Marquess of Salisbury) Conservative 42.5% N/A 652
1885
(MPs) 		22nd 24 November – 18 December 1885 The Marquess of Salisbury[19] Conservative[n] 43.0% 670
24 November – 18 December 1885 (William Ewart Gladstone)[20] Liberal 47.7% −16 670
1886
(MPs) 		23rd 1–27 July 1886 The Marquess of Salisbury Conservative & Liberal Unionists 51.4% 58 670
1892
(MPs) 		24th 4–26 July 1892 The Marquess of Salisbury[21] 47.0% N/A
4–26 July 1892 (William Ewart Gladstone) Liberal 45.4% −126 670
(The Earl of Rosebery)[22]
4–26 July 1892 (The Marquess of Salisbury)[o] Conservative & Liberal Unionists 47.0% N/A 670
1895
(MPs) 		25th 13 July – 7 August 1895 The Marquess of Salisbury 49.3% 153
1900
(MPs) 		26th 26 September – 24 October 1900[p] The Marquess of Salisbury 50.2% 135
(Arthur Balfour) N/A
26 September – 24 October 1900[p] (Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman)[o] Liberal 45.1% N/A 670
  1. ^ a b c d Died in office.
  2. ^ Was defeated on a motion to examine the accounts of the Civil List on 15 November 1830 and resigned the following day.
  3. ^ Was dismissed by William IV on 14 November 1834.
  4. ^ Peel was defeated on a report about the Irish Church on 7 April 1835 and resigned the following day.
  5. ^ Defeated on a motion of no confidence on 4 June 1841 and advised the Queen to dissolve Parliament, which she did on 23 June.
  6. ^ Ministry met the House of Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 27 August 1841 and resigned on 30 August 1841.
  7. ^ Was defeated on an Irish Coercion Bill on 25 June 1846 and resigned on 29 June 1846.
  8. ^ Was defeated on a militia bill on 20 February 1852 and resigned on 23 February.
  9. ^ Was defeated on the Budget on 16 December 1852 and resigned on 19 December 1852.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Ministry met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 10 June 1859 and resigned on 11 June 1859.
  13. ^ Was defeated on Parliamentary reform proposals on 18 June 1866 and resigned on 26 June 1866.
  14. ^ Hung parliament.
  15. ^ a b Immediately advised the dissolution of Parliament upon becoming Prime Minister.
  16. ^ a b Known as a Khaki election which is an election heavily influenced by wartime or postwar sentiment.

20th century

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Election No. Date Prime minister appointed by monarch
(during term) 		Winning party Government
vote share 		Seat majority Seats Turnout[23] Monarch
1906
(MPs) 		27th 12 January – 8 February 1906 Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman Liberal 48.9% 129 670 N/A Edward VII
(H. H. Asquith)
1910
(MPs) 		28th 15 January – 10 February 1910 H. H. Asquith Liberal (minority government)[a] 43.5% −122 670 N/A
1910
(MPs) 		29th 3–19 December 1910 H. H. Asquith 44.2% −126 George V
(David Lloyd George)
The election that would have been due by 1916 as a result of the Parliament Act 1911 was not held due to the First World War (1914–1918).
1918
(MPs) 		30th 14 December 1918 David Lloyd George Liberal (coalition)[b] 53.0% 238 707 57.2%
14 December 1918 (Bonar Law)[c] Conservative 53.0% 238 707 57.2%
1922
(MPs) 		31st 15 November 1922 Bonar Law 38.5% 74 615 73.0%
(Stanley Baldwin)
1923
(MPs) 		32nd 6 December 1923 Stanley Baldwin[24] Conservative (minority government)[a] 38.0% N/A 615 71.1%
(Ramsay MacDonald) Labour (minority government) 30.7% −98
1924
(MPs) 		33rd 29 October 1924 Stanley Baldwin Conservative 46.8% 210 615 77.0%
1929
(MPs) 		34th 30 May 1929[d] Ramsay MacDonald Labour (minority government)[a] 37.1% −42 615 76.3%
1931
(MPs) 		35th 27 October 1931 Ramsay MacDonald National Labour (National Government) 67.2% 492 615 76.4%
1935
(MPs) 		36th 14 November 1935 Stanley Baldwin Conservative (National Government) 51.8% 242 615 71.1%
(Neville Chamberlain) George VI
(Sir Winston Churchill) Conservative (war-time coalition) 97.7% 609
Conservative (caretaker government) 51.8% 242
The election due by 1940 was not held due to the Second World War (1939–1945).[25]
1945
(MPs) 		37th 5 July 1945 Clement Attlee Labour 47.7% 146 640 72.8%
1950
(MPs) 		38th 23 February 1950 46.1% 5 625 83.9%
1951
(MPs) 		39th 25 October 1951 Sir Winston Churchill Conservative 48.0%[e] 17 625 82.6%
(Sir Anthony Eden) Elizabeth II
1955
(MPs) 		40th 26 May 1955 Sir Anthony Eden 49.7% 60 630 76.8%
(Harold Macmillan)
1959
(MPs) 		41st 8 October 1959 Harold Macmillan 49.4% 100 78.7%
(Sir Alec Douglas-Home)
1964
(MPs) 		42nd 15 October 1964 Harold Wilson Labour 44.1% 4 630 77.1%
1966
(MPs) 		43rd 31 March 1966 48.0% 98 75.8%
1970
(MPs) 		44th 18 June 1970 Edward Heath Conservative 46.4% 30 630 72.0%
1974
(MPs) 		45th 28 February 1974 Harold Wilson Labour (minority government)[a] 37.2% −33 630 78.8%
1974
(MPs) 		46th 10 October 1974 Harold Wilson Labour 39.2% 3 635 72.8%
(James Callaghan)
1979
(MPs) 		47th 3 May 1979 Margaret Thatcher Conservative 43.9% 43 635 76.0%
1983
(MPs) 		48th 9 June 1983 42.4% 144 650 72.7%
1987
(MPs) 		49th 11 June 1987 Margaret Thatcher 42.2% 102 75.3%
(John Major)
1992
(MPs) 		50th 9 April 1992 John Major 41.9% 21 651 77.7%
1997
(MPs) 		51st 1 May 1997 Tony Blair Labour 43.2% 179 659 71.4%
  1. ^ a b c d Hung parliament.
  2. ^ Coalition Coupon. The Conservative party (led by Bonar Law) won the most votes and seats, but David Lloyd George became Prime Minister as leader of the Liberal party as part of a major cross-party deal.
  3. ^ Bonar Law immediately advised the dissolution of Parliament upon becoming Prime Minister on 23 October 1922.
  4. ^ Known as the 'flapper' election because it was the first election in which women aged 21–29 had the right to vote.
  5. ^ In the 1951 general election, although the Labour Party won a plurality of votes (48.8%), it was the Conservative Party with 48% of the voteshare that won a 17-seat majority and would go on to form the next government.


21st century

[edit]
Election No. Date Prime minister appointed by monarch
(during term) 		Winning party Government
vote share 		Seat majority Seats Turnout[23] Monarch
2001
(MPs) 		52nd 7 June 2001 Tony Blair Labour 40.7% 167 659 59.4% Elizabeth II
2005
(MPs) 		53rd 5 May 2005 Tony Blair 35.2% 66 646 61.4%
(Gordon Brown)[a]
2010
(MPs) 		54th 6 May 2010 David Cameron Conservative (coalition)[b] 59.1%[c] 78[d] 650 65.1%
2015
(MPs) 		55th 7 May 2015 David Cameron Conservative 36.8% 12 650 66.1%
(Theresa May)[e]
2017
(MPs) 		56th 8 June 2017 Theresa May Conservative (confidence and supply government)[f] 42.3% −5[g] 650 68.8%[26]
(Boris Johnson)[h]
2019
(MPs) 		57th 12 December 2019 Boris Johnson Conservative 43.6% 80 650 67.3%
(Liz Truss)[i] Charles III
(Rishi Sunak)[j]
2024
(MPs) 		58th 4 July 2024 Sir Keir Starmer Labour 33.7% 174 650 59.9%
  1. ^ Brown succeeded Blair as leader of the Labour party on 24 June 2007, after being unopposed in a party leadership election. He officially became Prime Minister 3 days later.
  2. ^ Hung parliament. Formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, led by Nick Clegg (who became Deputy Prime Minister).
  3. ^ Includes the vote share of both the Conservatives (36.1%) and Liberal Democrats (23%).
  4. ^ Combined coalition total.
  5. ^ May succeeded Cameron as Prime Minister on 13 July 2016, following a short party leadership election.
  6. ^ Hung parliament.
  7. ^ Confidence and supply agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party.
  8. ^ Johnson succeeded May as Prime Minister on 24 July 2019 – two days after being elected leader of the Conservative Party in a party leadership election.
  9. ^ Truss succeeded Johnson as Prime Minister on 6 September 2022 – the day after being elected leader of the Conservative Party in the July–September party leadership election.
  10. ^ Sunak succeeded Truss as Prime Minister on 25 October 2022 – the day after being elected (without opposition) leader of the Conservative Party in the October party leadership election.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Including Tory (1832), Conservative (from 1835), Liberal Conservative (1847–1859), Liberal Unionist (1886–1910), National parties (1931–1945).
  2. ^ Including Whig (to mid-19th century), Liberal (mid-19th century to 1979), National Liberal (1922), Independent Liberal (1931), SDP-Liberal Alliance (1983–1987) and Liberal Democrat (from 1992).

References

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  1. ^ Table 2.01 "Summary Results of General Elections 1832–2005 (UK)", in Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, British electoral facts, 1832–2006 (7th ed.), 2007, ISBN 978-0-7546-2712-8, p. 59.
  2. ^ "Election 2010 Results", BBC News.
  3. ^ "Election 2015 Results", BBC News.
  4. ^ "COMMITTEE "UPON THE CIVIL LIST". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 15 November 1830.
  5. ^ "parliament.uk" (PDF). parliament.uk. commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  6. ^ "PROROGATION". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 15 August 1834.
  7. ^ "parliament.uk" (PDF). parliament.uk. commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  8. ^ "CHURCH OF IRELAND". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 7 April 1835.
  9. ^ "CONFIDENCE IN THE MINISTRY— ADJOURNED DEBATE (FIFTH DAY)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 4 June 1841.
  10. ^ "ADDRESS IN ANSWER TO THE SPEECH— ADJOURNED DEBATE, FOURTH NIGHT". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 27 August 1841.
  11. ^ "PROTECTION OF LIFE (IRELAND) BILL—ADJOURNED DEBATE—(SIXTH NIGHT)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 25 June 1846.
  12. ^ "LOCAL MILITIA". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 20 February 1852.
  13. ^ "WAYS AND MEANS—FINANCIAL STATEMENT—ADJOURNED DEBATE(FOURTH NIGHT)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 16 December 1852.
  14. ^ "ARMY (CRIMEA)—THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR, AND CONDITION OF THE ARMY. ADJOURNED DEBATE.—(SECOND NIGHT.)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 29 January 1855.
  15. ^ "SECOND READING". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 19 February 1858. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  16. ^ "DEBATE RESUMED. (THIRD NIGHT)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 10 June 1859. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  17. ^ "MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 19 June 1866.
  18. ^ Was defeated on the Budget on 8 June 1885 and resigned the next day
  19. ^ Met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 26 January 1886 and resigned on 28 January
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 11 August 1892 and resigned the same day
  22. ^ Was defeated on the Cordite Vote on 21 June 1895 and resigned that day
  23. ^ a b Rogers, Simon (16 November 2012). "UK election historic turnouts since 1918 | News". theguardian.com. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  24. ^ Met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 21 January 1924 and resigned the next day
  25. ^ Katritses, Thomas. "British By-Elections in War-Time", American Political Science Review, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Jun., 1942), pp. 525-532.
  26. ^ Bate, Alex; Baker, Carl; Uberoi, Elise; Audickas, Lukas; Dempsey, Noel; Hawkins, Oliver; Cracknell, Richard; McInnes, Roderick; Rutherford, Tom; Apostolova, Vyara (29 January 2019). "General Election 2017: full results and analysis". House of Commons Library. UK Parliament.
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