United Kingdom general election, 2015 (England)

Updated on Sep 20, 2024

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7 May 2015 (2015-05-07) Next → 191 seats, 28.1% 43 seats, 24.2% 191 43 Start date May 7, 2015		298 seats, 39.6% 191 seats, 28.1% 298 191 319 206

Winner David Cameron

The United Kingdom general election, 2015, was held on 7 May 2015 across 533 constituencies within England.

Political context

The general election was fought with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats having been in coalition since 2010, with Labour being the main opposition; though with election the Conservatives holding the majority of English seats. It was also fought following the victory of the UK Independence Party in the European Elections and in to by-elections the year before (2014). Along with George Galloway of the Respect Party winning the Bradford West by-election, 2012 from Labour.

Results overview

The Conservatives emerged as the largest party increasing both its number of seats and votes winning seats both from the Liberal Democrats and the Labour party, as well as holding on to many of their key marginal seats.

Labour though increasing both in number of votes and seats after making gains against the Liberal Democrats along with limited gains against the Conservative Party failed to become the largest party losing its Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls to the Conservatives, with its leader Ed Miliband resigning as Labour leader.

The Liberal Democrats lost the vast majority of its seats barely keeping that of its former leader Nick Clegg who resigned on the morning of the election results.

UKIP made large gains in the percentage of votes, though failed to retain Rochester and Strood or to take any seats, leading to the resignation of its leader Nigel Farage.

The Green party increased its share of the vote and held Brighton Pavilion but also failed to make any gains.

Campaign events

31 March: First official day of the election campaign

13 April: Labour Party launched its manifesto

14 April: Conservative Party and Green Party launched their manifestos

15 April: UKIP and the Liberal Democrats launched their manifestos

7 May: BBC Exit poll showed the Conservative party as the largest party

8 May: Conservative Party emerges as the largest party in England, gaining a majority of M.P.s in the House of Commons and forming the next Government of the United Kingdom as a Majority.

Target seats

The recorded swing in each case is calculated as two-way swing from the party that won in 2010 to the party targeting the seat. Negative swing implies that the targeting party lost votes to the incumbent party.

Green Party

Swing for the Greens is measured as one-party swing, i.e. the change in the party's share of the vote.

Result

England vote share after 533 of 533 seats

Conservative: 319 seats in total. 32 seats gained. 11 seats lost.+21 net change in seats. 10,483,611 total votes taken. 41.0% share of the total vote +1.4% change in share of the votes

Labour: 206 seats in total. 21 seats gained. 6 seats lost. +15 net change in seats. 8,087,684 total votes taken. 31.6% share of the total vote +3.6% change in share of the votes

Liberal Democrat 6 seats in total. 0 seats gained. 37 seats lost. -37 net change in seats. 2,098,404 total votes taken. 8.2% share of the total vote -16.0% change in share of the votes

UKIP: 1 seats in total. 1 seats gained. 0 seats lost. +1 net change in seats. 3,611,367 total votes taken. 14.1% share of the total vote +10.7% change in share of the votes

Green Party : 1 seats in total. 0 seats gained. 0 seats lost. 0 net change in seats. 1,073,242 total votes taken. 4.2% share of the total vote +3.2% change in share of the votes

References

United Kingdom general election, 2015 (England) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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