For comparison purposes the following definitions have been adopted.
Gain - victory by a party which was not victorious at the immediate previous election.
Loss - defeat of a party which was victorious at the immediate previous election.
Hold - victory by a party which was victorious at the immediate previous election.
Win - victory by a party. Ambiguous term that could mean either a gain or a hold.
Incumbent - the party which held the seat at the immediate previous election, irrespective of any intervening change of candidate or candidate's change of party.
Third Party - In England, since 1922, the "third party" has been the Liberal party through its Alliance with the SDP and their successors up to the present day Liberal Democrats. Additionally, in Scotland and Wales the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are also considered to be Third Parties. Prior to 1922, the third party was the Labour party.
Minor Party - parties smaller than the Third Party
Uncontested - an election where only one candidate is put forward. No votes are actually cast and the candidate is by definition the victor.
Notional - boundary changes occur about every 10–15 years. Invariably the political composition of many seats is changed as a result, sometimes decisively. Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher have compiled notional results for the last few sets of boundary changes, predicting what the result would have been at the previous election under the new boundaries. While accurate overall, the results in a few seats indicate that they may have been mistaken.
For more information about what is meant by the term "swing", see Swing (politics)
1945 General Election - 12.0% swing from Conservative to Labour 1
1931 General Election - 11.7% swing from Labour to Conservative
1997 General Election - 10.2% swing from Conservative to Labour
1906 General Election - 5.4% swing from Conservative to Liberal
1 Generally excluded because there had not been an election since 1935 when National Labour candidates had contributed 1.6 percentage points to the National vote total
National swings since 1945
1997 General Election - 10.2% swing from Conservative to Labour
1979 General Election - 5.3% swing from Labour to Conservative
2010 General Election - 5.1% swing from Labour to Conservative
Brent North, 1997 - 18.8%
Hemel Hempstead, 2010 - 14.4% (Conservative hold)
Cannock Chase, 2010 - 14.0% (Largest Conservative gain)
Glasgow North East, 2015 - 39.3%
A party's share of the vote at a general election is not always matched at subsequent general elections, but given the five-year maximum term of a Parliament, reductions of 20% or more are unusual.
1945 General Election - Conservatives: -11.6%
1997 General Election - Conservatives: -11.2%
1983 General Election - Labour: -9.3%
1929 General Election - Conservatives: -8.7%
February 1974 General Election - Conservatives: -8.5%
North Down, 1997: - 27.0%
Tatton, 1997: - 24.7%
Manchester East, 1906: - 22.4%
Gordon, 1997: - 21.9%
Woking, 1997: - 20.7%
Blaenau Gwent, 2005: - 39.7%
Glasgow North East, 2015: - 34.7%
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, 2015: - 32.7%
Glenrothes, 2015: - 31.7%
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, 2015: - 31.2%
West Dunbartonshire, 2015: -30.0%
Brent Central, 2015: - 35.8%
Sheffield Central, 2015: -31.2%
Dunfermline and West Fife, 2015: -31.1%
Hereford and South Herefordshire, 2015: -30.5%
Edinburgh South, 2015: -30.3%
Until 2015, the greatest drop in Liberal vote share was 29.9% at Plymouth Devonport in 1992.
Independent Labour Party, Glasgow Bridgeton, 1950: - 60.6%
Ulster Unionist Party, North Antrim, 1970: - 41.5%
Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 1959: - 40.8%
Ulster Unionist Party, Belfast North, 2001: - 39.8%
These records detail the change in the share of the vote by parties when compared to the same constituency in the previous General Election. In some cases, such as Brent East in 2005 for the Liberal Democrats, the figures should be framed by the context of a by-election in that constituency between the two Elections.
It should also be noted that boundary changes between elections will make comparison between altered seats difficult if not impossible.
Birmingham Hall Green, 2015: + 26.9%
Liverpool Wavertree, 1997: + 23.1%
Crosby, 1997: + 22.4%
Brent Central, 2015: +20.9%
Brent North, 1997: + 20.4%
Plymouth Devonport, 1992: + 20.3%
North East Cambridgeshire, 1997: + 20.2%
Blaenau Gwent, 2010: + 20.1%
Hove, 1997: + 20.1%
Brent East, 2005: + 36.9%
Redcar, 2010: + 25.0%
Liverpool Broadgreen, 1987: + 24.7%
Kingston and Surbiton, 2001: + 23.5%
Birmingham Ladywood, 2005: + 23.3%
Manchester East, 1906: + 22.4%
Birmingham Hodge Hill, 2005: + 21.4%
Sheffield Hallam, 1997: + 20.6%
Manchester Withington, 2005: + 20.4%
Glasgow North East, 2015: + 43.9%
Glasgow North, 2015: + 41.2%
Glasgow South West, 2015: + 40.8%
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, 2015: + 39.8%
Dunfermline and West Fife, 2015: +39.6%
Glasgow North West, 2015: +39.3%
West Dunbartonshire, 2015: + 38.9%
Motherwell and Wishaw, 2015: + 38.3%
Glenrothes, 2015: + 38.2%
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, 2015: + 37.9%
Bristol West, 2015: + 23.0%
Heywood and Middleton, 2015: +29.6%
Thanet South, 2015: +26.9%
Dagenham and Rainham, 2015: +26.3%
Largest share of the vote won by any candidate, since 1918:
George Currie, Ulster Unionist, North Down, 1959: 98.0%
George Currie, Ulster Unionist, North Down, 1955: 96.9%
Knox Cunningham, Ulster Unionist, South Antrim, 1959: 95.1%
Phelim O'Neill, Ulster Unionist, North Antrim, 1959: 94.9%
Will Thorne, Labour, Plaistow, 1918: 94.9%
The most votes received by a single individual in a general election was Sir Cooper Rawson who polled 75205 votes when being reelected as MP for Brighton in 1931. However Brighton was a two-member constituency with a larger than average electorate.
The largest majority received by an individual is also Sir Cooper Rawson, reelected with a majority of 62253 at Brighton in 1931. The largest majority received by a woman is 38823 by the Countess of Iveagh elected MP for Southend in 1931.
All general election victors receiving less than 33.33% of the vote are listed. The list is complete from 1945 onwards. Seats with more than one member are omitted.
Since 1918:
Paul Shea, Conservative, Belfast West, 2015: 0.1%
Lucille Nicholson, Conservative, Mid Ulster, 2015: 0.3%
Claire-Louise Leyland, Conservative, Tyrone West, 2015: 0.4%
Hamish Badenoch, Conservative, Foyle, 2015: 0.4%
Robert Rigby, Conservative, Newry and Armagh, 2015: 0.4%
Amandeep Singh Bhogal, Conservative, Upper Bann, 2015: 0.4%
Felicity Buchan, Conservative, South Down, 2015: 0.7%
Gary McLelland, Liberal Democrat, Glasgow East, 2015: 0.7%
Eileen Baxendale, Liberal Democrat, Glasgow North East, 2015: 0.8%
Carol Freeman, Conservative, Antrim North, 2015: 0.9%
B. Price, Conservative, Upper Bann, 1997: 0.9%
R. Smith, Liberal, South Antrim, 1970: 0.9%
The Conservatives' worst vote outside Northern Ireland was 1.1% for A. Seaton in Pontypridd in 1918.
The Liberal Democrats' worst vote outside Scotland was 1.3%, achieved in Dudley North, Thurrock and Barking in 2015.
Labour's worst vote was 2.2% for S. P. Gordon in Glasgow Bridgeton in 1935 and in 2010 for Jonathan Todd in Westmorland and Lonsdale.
Candidates winning fewer than ten votes
Since 1918:
1: Catherine Taylor-Dawson, Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket, Cardiff North (2005)
5: Martin Kyslun, Independent, West Derbyshire (2005)
7: Dorian Vanbraam, Renaissance Democrat, Putney (1997)
0 votes: John Edmund Wentworth Addison, Conservative, Ashton-under-Lyne, 1886 1
1 vote: Henry Duke, Conservative, Exeter, December 1910 2
2 votes: Abraham Flint, National Labour, Ilkeston, 1931
Since 1945
2 votes: Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat, Winchester, 1997 3
3 votes: Gwynoro Jones, Labour, Carmarthen, February 1974
3 votes: Harmar Nicholls, Conservative, Peterborough, 1966
4 votes: Michelle Gildernew, Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 2010
4 votes: George Ward, Conservative, Worcester, 1945
6 votes: Eric Gandar Dower, Conservative, Caithness and Sutherland, 1945
7 votes: Derek Spencer, Conservative, Leicester South, 1983
7 votes: Dennis Hobden, Labour, Brighton Kemptown, 1964
9 votes: Paul Tyler, Liberal, Bodmin, February 1974
10 votes: Peter Emery, Conservative, Reading, 1964
10 votes: Lester Hutchinson, Labour, Manchester Rusholme, 1945
11 votes: Anthony Meyer, Conservative, Eton and Slough, 1964
12 votes: Adrian Sanders, Liberal Democrat, Torbay, 1997
12 votes: John Jackson, Conservative, South East Derbyshire, 1959
13 votes: Ernle Money, Conservative, Ipswich, 1970
14 votes: Julian Amery, Conservative, Preston North, 1964
15 votes: John Foster, Conservative, Northwich, 1945
16 votes: Edward Shackleton, Preston South, 1951
19 votes: Walter Sweeney, Conservative, Vale of Glamorgan, 1992
20 votes: John Hollingworth, Conservative, Birmingham All Saints, 1959
21 votes: Ken Hargreaves, Conservative, Hyndburn, 1983
22 votes: Harmar Nicholls, Conservative, Peterborough, February 1974
22 votes: Margaret Bain, SNP, East Dunbartonshire, October 19744
25 votes: Jack Beattie, Irish Labour, Belfast West, 1951
27 votes: William Molloy, Labour, Ealing North, 1964
27 votes: Byron Davies, Conservative, Gower, 2015
28 votes: Walter Robert Dempster Perkins, Conservative, Stroud and Thornbury, 1950
29 votes: Robert Atkins, Conservative, Preston North, 1979
30 votes: George Thompson, SNP, Galloway, October 1974
Notes:
1 At the election, the sitting Conservative Member, John Wentworth Addison, tied with his Liberal opponent, A.B. Rowley, on 3,049 votes each. The returning officer, acting under the law at the time, gave a casting vote to Addison, giving him an effective majority of one.
2 At the election, the Liberal candidate, Harold St. Maur was declared elected by a majority of 4 votes, but on petition, after a lengthy hearing and several recounts at the High Court, the previous Conservative Member Henry Duke was declared elected by a single vote.
3 The 1997 general election result was declared void, and at the subsequent by-election the Liberal Democrat majority swelled to over 20,000 votes.
4 As well as being the smallest majority at this election only 429 votes separated the top three candidates.
7: Peterborough, 1966
7: Brighton Kemptown, 1964
6: Hyndburn, 1983
5: Carmarthen, February 1974
5: Ilkeston, 1931
Highest turnouts in any general election since 1918:
Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 1951: 93.4%
Darwen, 1924: 92.7%
All turnouts below 35% from 1918:
Lambeth Kennington, 1918: 29.7%
Birmingham Deritend, 1918: 30.7%
Bethnal Green North East, 1918: 31.2%
Birmingham Duddeston, 1918: 32.4%
Limehouse, 1918: 33.4%
Liverpool Riverside, 2001: 34.1%
Aberdeenshire and East Kincardineshire, 1918: 34.2%
Until 2001, the lowest turnout after 1918 was 37.4% in Orkney and Shetland in 1922.
Most candidates
Any number of candidates can be nominated for election under current UK electoral law. The only restrictions are that a candidate must be a Commonwealth or Irish citizen, not legally disqualified, with the valid nomination of ten electors from the constituency. Candidates must pay a £500 deposit which is only refunded if the candidate wins 5% or more of the votes cast.
Thirteen constituencies have seen more than ten candidates stand in a general election:
Sedgefield, 2005: 15
Uxbridge and South Ruislip, 2015: 13
Hackney South and Shoreditch, 2010: 12
Luton South, 2010: 12
Witney, 2015: 12
Finchley, 1983: 11
Isle of Wight, 2010: 11
Bethnal Green and Bow, 2010: 11
Camberwell and Peckham, 2010: 11
Bethnal Green and Bow, 2015: 11
Camberwell and Peckham, 2015: 11
Hackney South and Shoreditch, 2015: 11
Thanet South, 2015: 11
The two cases from before 2010 were both the constituency of the Prime Minister. Before 1983, the consecutive records were 6 candidates in 1918, 7 in Tottenham in February 1974 and 9 in Devon North in 1979.
Fewest candidates
The last four seats to be uncontested at a general election were Armagh, Londonderry, North Antrim and South Antrim, at the 1951 general election. The last mainland seats to be uncontested were Liverpool Scotland and Rhondda West, at the 1945 general election.
Three seats were contested only by Labour and Conservative candidates at the 1979 general election: Birmingham Handsworth, Dudley West and Salford East.
Buckingham was the only seat contested by only three candidates at the 2015 general election. Traditionally, the Speaker of the House of Commons is not opposed by major parties, so the only opposition to John Bercow was candidates from the Green Party and from UKIP.
Durable general election candidates
A selection of politicians who have contested seats in at least thirteen general elections are listed:
On rare occasions an MP has been defeated at a general election, returned at a by-election, only to be defeated again at the subsequent general election. Shirley Williams is distinguished by achieving this while in two different parties.
George Galloway, 2010b and 2015
William McCrea, 1997b, 2001a and 2015
Shirley Williams, 1979 and 1983
Christopher Addison, 1931 and 1935
Arthur Henderson, 1918, 1922 and 1923b
Notes:
a returned to Parliament at a subsequent general election
b returned to Parliament at a subsequent by-election
It is unusual for a defeated MP to pursue more than a couple of attempts at re-election.
Robert McIntyre, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, Feb 1974 and Oct 1974a
George Nicholls, Dec 1910, 1918, 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1929 (and by-elections in 1913 and 1925)a
Fred Maddison, Dec 1910, 1918, 1922 and 1923a
Dave Nellist, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2010 and 2015a
Mike Carr, 1997, 2001 and 2005a
Tom Mitchell, 1959, 1964 and 1966b
Sydney Walter Robinson, 1929, 1931 and 1945 (and a by-election in 1926)a
Maurice Alexander, 1923, 1924, 1931e
Thomas Edward Wing, 1922, 1924 and 1929 (and a by-election in 1920)c
Alexander Boulton, Dec 1910, 1923 and 1924d
Notes:
a in various seats
b in the same seat
c two previous seats and another
d one previous seat and another
e one previous seat and others
Attempts at a comeback usually occur almost immediately
Joseph Jackson Cleary, 1955: 20 years after his defeat
Jonathan Evans, 2010: 13 years after his defeat
It is unusual for a candidate who has been unsuccessful on more than a couple of occasions to finally win a seat.
Roger Mullin, elected for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in 2015, after standing in South Ayrshire in February 1974 and October 1974, Kirkcaldy in 1987, Paisley North in a byelection in 1990 and in 1992.
David Ward, elected for Bradford East in 2010, after standing in Bradford North in 1992, 2001 and 2005 (and a by-election in 1990).
Alasdair McDonnell, elected for Belfast South in 2005, after standing in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2001 (and a by-election in 1982), and previously in North Antrim in 1970.
Gregory Campbell, elected for East Londonderry in 2001, after standing in 1997, and previously in Foyle in 1983, 1987 and 1992.
Martin McGuinness, elected for Mid Ulster in 1997, after standing in Foyle in 1983, 1987 and 1992.
Michael Ward, elected for Peterborough in October 1974, after standing in February 1974, 1970 and 1966.
Tommy Lewis, elected for Southampton in 1929, after standing in 1918, 1922, 1923 and 1924.
Frank Smith, elected for Nuneaton in 1929, after standing in 1924, and in various other constituencies in 1923, 1922, 1918, 1910, 1895 and 1892 (and also two by-elections in 1909 and one in 1894).
Edwin Scrymgeour, elected for Dundee in 1922, after standing in January 1910, December 1910 and 1918 (and also in the 1908 and 1917 by-elections).
Daniel Zeichner, elected for Cambridge in 2015, after standing in 2010, and previously in Mid Norfolk in 2005, 2001 and 1997.
2015: Boris Johnson, Joan Ryan, Dawn Butler, Rob Marris, Alex Salmond
2010: John Cryer, Geraint Davies, Jonathan Evans, Chris Leslie, Stephen Twigg
2005: David Evennett, Christopher Fraser, William McCrea, Malcolm Rifkind
2001: Henry Bellingham, Alistair Burt, Derek Conway, Charles Hendry, Greg Knight, Andrew Mitchell, Bob Spink
1997: Gerry Adams, Christopher Chope, Alan Clark, Frank Doran, Huw Edwards, Michael Fallon, Ronnie Fearn, Mike Hancock, Sylvia Heal, Gerald Howarth, Ashok Kumar, Richard Livsey, Humfrey Malins, John Maples, Francis Maude, Jonathan Sayeed, John Smith
1992: Michael Ancram, Bryan Davies, Warren Hawksley, John Horam, Gerry Malone, Piers Merchant, Richard Ottaway, Nick Raynsford, John Spellar, Derek Spencer, Iain Sproat, Mark Robinson, Paul Tyler
1987: Bob Cryer, Margaret Ewing, John Garrett, Bruce Grocott, Joan Lestor, Jim Marshall, Ann Taylor, Andrew Welsh, Audrey Wise
1983: Margaret Beckett, Robin Corbett, Bryan Gould, Edward Loyden, Andrew MacKay, Max Madden, Brian Sedgemore
1979: Michael Ancram, Sydney Chapman, David Clark, Eric Cockeram, Ednyfed Hudson Davies, Terry Davis, Dick Douglas, Peggy Fenner, Peter Griffiths, John Gummer, Barry Henderson, James Hill, John Wilkinson, David Winnick
October 1974: Donald Anderson, Jeremy Bray, Gwynfor Evans, Robert Hicks, Evan Luard, John Mackintosh, Fergus Montgomery, Enoch Powell, Nicholas Scott, Keith Speed
February 1974 Ronald Atkins, Gwyneth Dunwoody, John Ellis, David Ennals, Ioan Evans, Winifred Ewing, Gerald Fowler, Frank Hooley, Sydney Irving, Colin Jackson, John Lee, Eric Moonman, Stanley Newens, Christopher Price, Gwilym Roberts, Arnold Shaw, Frederick Silvester, Richard Wainwright, Alan Lee Williams, Michael Winstanley
1970: William Clark, Albert Cooper, Julian Critchley, Charles Curran, Patrick Duffy, Anthony Fell, Edward Gardner, Alan Green, Patricia Hornsby-Smith, Geoffrey Howe, James Kilfedder, Martin McLaren, Anthony Meyer, Peter Thomas, Richard Thompson, David Walder, Montague Woodhouse
1966: Richard Body, Peter Tapsell
For a comprehensive list of MPs with total service of less than 365 days see List of United Kingdom MPs with the shortest service
Notes
1 died
2 defeated at next general election
3 disqualified
4 resigned
5 succeeded to the Peerage
a returned to Parliament at a subsequent election
b had served previously as an MP
x Since Clarke and Mitchell were elected on abstentionist tickets, and were serving jail sentences at the time, their calculated length of service is somewhat theoretical.
Mhairi Black, Scottish National Party, elected in 2015 aged 20 years 237 days.
See Baby of the House of Commons
Thomas Leslie Teevan 1951, aged 24 1
Edward Stanley 1918, aged 24 2 (re-elected 1922)
Patrick Joseph Whitty 1918, aged 24 2
Henry Harrison 1892, aged 24 1
Joseph Sweeney 1922, aged 25 2x
Arthur Evans 1923, aged 25 1 (re-elected 1924)
Denis Shipwright 1923, aged 25 1
John Esmonde 1918, aged 25 3
Frank Owen 1931, aged 26 1
John Wodehouse Jan 1910, aged 26 3
Hugh Lucas-Tooth 1929, aged 26 1 (re-elected 1945)
Bryan Ricco Cooper Dec 1910, aged 26 1
Bernadette Devlin McAliskey February 1974, aged 26 1
Jennie Lee 1931, aged 26 1 (re-elected 1945)
Liam Mellows 1922, aged 27 2x
Christopher Ward 1970, aged 27 1
Hugh Lucas-Tooth 1929, aged 28 1 (re-elected 1945)
David Reed February 1974, aged 28 2
Michael Ancram October 1974, aged 29 1 (re-elected 1979)
Charles Rhys 1929, aged 29 1 (re-elected 1931)
Andrew Mackay 1979, aged 29 1 (re-elected 1983)
Margo MacDonald February 1974, aged 29 1
Pamela Nash 2015, aged 30 1
Helene Hayman 1979, aged 30 1
John Ryan 1970, aged 30 1
Graham Tope February 1974, aged 30 1
Owen Carron 1983, aged 30 1x
Arthur Evans 1929, aged 30 3 (re-elected 1931)
W.E.D. Allen 1931, aged 30 3
Stanley Henig 1970, aged 30 1
Esmond Harmsworth 1929, aged 30 3
Notes:
1 Defeated
2 Constituency abolished
3 Retired
x did not take his seat
Charles William Bowerman 1931, aged 80
Frank Smith 1931, aged 76
Edward Evans 1959, aged 76
Cecil Walker 2001, aged 76
James Sexton 1931, aged 75
Fenner Brockway 1964, aged 75
Syd Bidwell 1992, aged 75
Richard Taylor 2010, aged 75
George Edwards 1924, aged 74
Enoch Powell 1987, aged 74
Peggy Fenner 1997, aged 74
Tom Clarke 2015, age 74
Sir Robert Hobart Jan 1910, aged 73
James Hindle Hudson 1955, aged 73
George Edwards 1922, aged 72
Sir Robert Aske 1945, aged 72
Albert Stubbs 1950, aged 72
Caroline Ganley 1951, aged 72
James Hill 1997, aged 72
Ben Tillett 1931, aged 71
David Hardie 1931, aged about 711
Rhodes Boyson 1997, aged 71
Vince Cable 2015, aged 71
John Potts 1931, aged 70
Dryden Brook 1955, aged 70
Charles William Gibson 1959, aged 70
Hugh Jenkins 1979, aged 70
Dudley Smith 1997, aged 70
1Based on Hardie's earliest estimated birth year of "ca.1860", although some biographers cite a date as late as 27 January 1871, making him only 60 years old at time of that election.
Sir George Harrison, 1885: 741
Frank Smith, 1929: 74
Robert Williams, 1807: 71
John Fleming, 1818: 70-712
Samuel Young, 1892: 70
Robert Cameron, 1895, 70
George Walker, 1945: 70
Piara Khabra, 1992: 703
William Cobbett, 1832: 69
Sir Robert Hobart, 1906: 69
Sir George Andreas Berry, 1922: 69
Sir Alfred Waldron Smithers, 1918: 68
Ethel Bentham, 1929: 68
Marie Rimmer, 2015, 68
Sir Maurice Dockrell, 1918, 67
Andrew Gilzean, 1945: 67
Albert Stubbs, 1945: 67
John McQuade, 1979: 67
Ernest Roberts, 1979: 67
Roger Mullin, 2015, 67
Sir Benjamin Guinness, 1865: 66
Dadabhai Naoroji, 1892, 66
William Beale, 1906: 66
Richard Taylor, 2001: 66
Gordon Birtwistle, 2010: 66
Glyn Davies, 2010: 66
Marion Fellows, 2015: 66
Peter Rainier, 1807: 65
Hugh Law, 1874: 65
Caroline Ganley, 1945: 65
Mervyn Wheatley, 1945: 65
George Kerevan, 2015, 65
1 Exact birth date not known but Harrison was reportedly this age when he died 5 days after the general election closed and before he took his seat.
2 Exact birth date not known but Fleming, who was brought up as an adopted orphan, is usually stated to have been born in 1747.
3 Khabra's exact age has been the subject of some disagreement. He claimed a birth year of 1924, which would have made him 67 years old at first election, but his marriage certificate gives a birth year of 1921, and it is this figure which has been used above.
Charles Pelham Villiers, Wolverhampton South, 1895: 93
Samuel Young, East Cavan, 1910(D): 88
David Logan, Liverpool Scotland, 1959: 87
Isaac Holden, Keighley, 1892: 85
Robert Cameron, Houghton-le-Spring, 1910(D): 85
Winston Churchill, Woodford, 1959: 84
Gerald Kaufman, Manchester Gorton, 2015: 84
William Plumer, Higham Ferrers, 1820: 83
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, Mid Glamorganshire, 1886, 83
S. O. Davies, Merthyr Tydfil, 1970: 83 1
Piara Khabra, Ealing Southall, 2005: 83
Dennis Skinner, Bolsover, 2015: 83
The Earl of Carhampton, Ludgershall, 1820: 82
William Ewart Gladstone, Midlothian, 1892: 82
Manny Shinwell, Easington, 1966: 81
David Winnick, Walsall North, 2015: 81
Sir John Aubrey, Horsham, 1820:80
Lord Palmerston, Tiverton, 1865: 80
Joseph Warner Henley, Oxfordshire, 1874: 80
James Patrick Mahon, Clare, 1880: 80
John Mowbray, Oxford University, 1895: 80
John Rankin, Glasgow Govan, 1970: 80
Edward Heath, Old Bexley and Sidcup, 1997: 80
Peter Tapsell, Louth and Horncastle, 2010: 80
Paul Flynn, Newport West, 2015: 80
Murdoch Macdonald, Inverness, 1945: 79
Ian Paisley, Antrim North, 2005: 79
Ann Clwyd, Cynon Valley, 2015: 78
Alice Cullen, Glasgow Gorbals, 1966: 75
Irene Ward, Tynemouth, 1970: 75
Gwyneth Dunwoody, Crewe and Nantwich, 2005: 74
Eleanor Rathbone, Combined English Universities, 1945: 73
Glenda Jackson, Hampstead and Kilburn, 2010: 73
Caroline Ganley, Battersea South, 1950: 70
1 Davies was suspected of being considerably older than he claimed. There is evidence to suggest he was born in 1879, not 1886; if true, this would indicate he was 90 at his last election.
Note: All men aged 79 or over since 1945 and over 85 since 1900 are listed, as are all women aged 70 or over.
A contender for the longest gap prior to returning at a general election was possibly Henry Drummond (1786-1860), who returned to the House of Commons in the 1847 general election as member for West Surrey, after a near 35-year absence, though aged only 60. He was previously MP for Plympton Erle from 1810-12.
Others, who returned at older ages than Drummond's:
Robert Carden was 78 when he returned to the house in 1880, after a 21-year absence, as the member for Barnstaple. He had sat for Gloucester from 1857-59.
John Potts was 74 when he returned to the house in 1935, after a four-year absence. He had sat for Barnsley from 1922-31.
George Edwards was 73 when he returned to the house in 1923, after a year's absence, as member for South Norfolk. He had sat for the same constituency 1920-22.
Cahir Healy was 72 when he returned to the house in 1950, after a 15-year voluntary absence, as member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. He had sat for the predecessor constituency between 1922–24 and 1931-35.
Tommy Lewis was 71 when he returned to the house after a 14-year absence in 1945, as member for Southampton. He had sat previously for the seat between 1929-31.
John Kinley was 67 when he returned after a 14-year absence in 1945, as member for Bootle. He had sat previously for the seat between 1929-31.
Constance Markievicz, Dublin St Patrick's, 1918x
Nancy Astor, Plymouth Sutton, 1919
Notes:
x did not take her seat
Dadabhai Naoroji, Finsbury Central, 1892
Mancherjee Bhownagree, Bethnal Green, 1895 and 1900
Shapurji Saklatvala, Battersea North, 1922 and 1924
When the UK Parliament was established in 1801, non-Anglicans were prevented from taking their seats as MPs under the Test Act 1672. However, Methodists took communion at Anglican churches until 1795, and some continued to do so, and many Presbyterians were prepared to accept Anglican communion, thus ensuring that members of these creeds were represented in the Parliament. Some Unitarians were also elected.
The first Roman Catholic general election victors in the UK Parliament were at the 1830 general election. They included Daniel O'Connell and James Patrick Mahon in Clare.
The first Quaker general election victor was Edward Pease, at the 1832 general election.
The first Moravian general election victor was Charles Hindley, at the 1835 general election.
Lionel de Rothschild was the first Jewish general election victor, at the 1847 general election. He was not permitted to take his seat.
The first declared atheist to win a general election was Charles Bradlaugh at the 1880 general election. He was not permitted to take his seat.
Dadabhai Naoroji was the first Parsi general election victor at the 1892 general election.
Piara Khabra became the first Sikh general election victor, at the 1992 general election.
Terry Rooney became the first Mormon general election victor at the 1992 general election (previously taking his seat at a by-election in 1990).
The first Muslim general election victor was Mohammed Sarwar at the 1997 general election.
The first Hindu general election victor was Shailesh Vara at the 2005 general election.
Lord Robert Grosvenor: Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 1955
It is of course common for former (defeated) MPs to seek re-election, often in their old constituencies, especially if they are marginal or bellwether seats. What is quite unusual is for two MPs both sitting in the same parliament to seek re-election in the same seat. This usually occurs by reason of boundary changes or party splits.
Poplar and Limehouse, 2010: Jim Fitzpatrick* and George Galloway
Brent Central, 2010: Dawn Butler and Sarah Teather*
Dumfries and Galloway, 2005: Russell Brown* and Peter Duncan
Bethnal Green and Bow, 2005: Oona King and George Galloway*
Brentwood and Ongar, 2001: Eric Pickles* and Martin Bell
Glasgow Garscadden, 1992: Donald Dewar* and Dick Douglas
South Hams, 1987: Anthony Steen* and Willie Hamilton1
Meriden, 1983: Iain Mills* and John Sever
Islington North, 1983: John Grant and Michael O'Halloran
Southwark and Bermondsey, 1983: Simon Hughes* and John Tilley
Crosby, 1983: Shirley Williams and Malcolm Thornton*
Glasgow Hillhead, 1983: Roy Jenkins* and Neil Carmichael
Bradford West, February 1974: John Wilkinson and Edward Lyons*
Blyth, February 1974: Eddie Milne* and Ivor Richard
Plymouth Devonport, February 1974: Joan Vickers and David Owen*
Brentford and Isleworth, February 1974: Michael Barnes and Barney Hayhoe*
Paddington, February 1974: Arthur Latham* and Nicholas Scott
Grantham, 1955: Joseph Godber* and Woodrow Wyatt
Reading, 1955: Ian Mikardo* and Frederic Bennett
Bradford North, 1955: William Taylor* and Maurice Webb
Carmarthen, 1950: Rhys Hopkin Morris* and Lynn Ungoed-Thomas
Renfrewshire West, 1950: John Maclay* and Thomas Scollan
Glasgow Kelvingrove, 1950: Walter Elliot* and John Lloyd Williams
Newport, 1950: Peter Freeman* and Ivor Thomas
Sudbury and Woodbridge, 1950: John Hare* and Roland Hamilton
Stafford and Stone, 1950: Hugh Fraser* and Stephen Swingler
Newark, 1950: George Deer* and Sidney Shephard
Carlton, 1950: Kenneth Pickthorn* and Florence Paton
Thurrock, 1950: Hugh Delargy* and Leslie Solley
Walthamstow West, 1950: Clement Attlee* and Lester Hutchinson
Walsall, 1950: William Wells* and John Barlow
Poole, 1950: Mervyn Wheatley* and Evelyn King
Middlesbrough East, 1950: Hilary Marquand* and Alfred Edwards
Liverpool West Derby, 1950: David Maxwell Fyfe* and Bertie Kirby
Gateshead East, 1950: Arthur Moody* and Konni Zilliacus
Exeter, 1950: John Maude* and Thomas Horabin
Blackburn West, 1950: Ralph Assheton* and John Edwards
Stepney, 1950: Walter Edwards* and Philip Piratin
Shoreditch and Finsbury, 1950: Ernest Thurtle* and John Platts-Mills
Lewisham East, 1945: Assheton Pownall and Herbert Morrison*
St. Marylebone, 1945: Alec Cunningham-Reid and Wavell Wakefield*
Putney, 1945: Hugh Linstead* and Richard Acland
Harrow West, 1945: Norman Bower* and Hugh Lawson
Stratford West Ham, 1945: Thomas Groves and Redvers Michael Prior
Mossley, 1945: Austin Hopkinson and George Woods*
Notes: 1after announcing his retirement as member for Central Fife, long-serving Scottish Labour MP Willie Hamilton obtained his party's nomination in the hopeless prospect of South Hams in southern England. Hamilton insisted that he knew local parties often found themselves without candidates shortly before nominations closed, and was offering because it would help them out of difficulty; however by standing again and being "defeated" he qualified for an additional allowance.
* Winner
The longest possible duration of a Parliament is currently five years. All period of six years or more between general elections are listed:
10 years: 1935 - 1945
8 years: December 1910 - 1918
6 years: 1812 - 1818
6 years: 1820 - 1826
6 years: 1841 - 1847
6 years: 1859 - 1865
6 years: 1868 - 1874
6 years: 1874 - 1880
6 years: 1886 - 1892
6 years: 1900 - 1906
All period of less than a year between general elections are listed:
7 months: November 1806 - June 1807
7 months: November/December 1885 - July 1886
8 months: September 1830(?) - April/May/June 1831
8 months: February - October 1974
10 months: December 1923 - October 1924
11 months: January - December 1910
The longest continuous Conservative government was in office for almost 18 years, between 4 May 1979 and 2 May 1997.
The longest continuous Labour government was in office for over 13 years, between 2 May 1997 and 11 May 2010.
The longest continuous Liberal government was in office for over 9 years, between 5 December 1905 and 25 May 1915.
The longest continuous coalition government was in office for almost 14 years, between 24 August 1931 and 26 July 1945, although its components changed significantly during that period.
Currently, all British Parliamentary elections are invariably held on a Thursday. The last general election not held on a Thursday was the 1931 election, which was held on Tuesday 27 October. Prior to this, it was common to hold general elections on any day of the week (other than Sunday), and until the 1918 general election, polling (and the declaration of results) was held over a period of several weeks.
On rare occasions, polling in an individual constituency may be suspended, usually as a result of the death of a candidate. The last occasion was at Thirsk and Malton in 2010, where polling was delayed for three weeks owing to the death of the UKIP candidate.
Previous examples occurred at
South Staffordshire, 2005
Barnsley, 1951
Manchester Moss Side, 1950
Hull Central, 1945
Rugby, 1929
West Derbyshire, 1923
Kennington, 1918
1979
1924
New Prime Minister seeks a mandate
1955
1923
October 1974
1966
1951
2005
2001
1987
1983
February 1974
1970
1959
1950
2015
2010
1997
1992
1964
1945
1918
Norwich South, 2015 Lib Dem loss, gained by Labour
Belfast North, 2001 1 UUP loss, gained by the DUP
Plymouth Devonport, 1992 2 SDP loss, gained by Labour
Glasgow Shettleston, 1950 3 ILP loss, gained by Labour
1 UUP had been unopposed by DUP at previous elections.
2 SDP had been unopposed by the Liberals at previous elections.
3 The sitting Independent Labour Party MP had defected to Labour.
Bristol West, 2015 Lib Dem loss, gained by Labour
Brent Central, 2015 Lib Dem loss, gained by Labour
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, 2015 Lib Dem loss, gained by the SNP
Dumfries and Galloway, 2015 Labour loss, gained by the SNP
Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine, 2015 Lib Dem loss, gained by the SNP
Bristol North West, 2010 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
Colne Valley, 2010 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
Watford, 2010 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
Belfast South, 2005 Ulster Unionist loss, gained by the SDLP
Conwy, 1997 Conservative loss, gained by Labour
Aberdeen South, 1997 Conservative loss, gained by Labour
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, 1997, Liberal Democrat loss, gained by Labour
Stockton South, 1983 1 Labour loss, gained by the SDP
Plymouth Devonport, 1983 1 Labour loss, gained by the SDP
Caithness and Sutherland, 1983 1 Labour loss, gained by the SDP
Erith and Crayford, 1983 1 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
Renfrew West and Inverclyde, 1983 1 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
Southampton Itchen, 1983 1 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
Clwyd South West, 1983 1 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
West Hertfordshire, 1983 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
Stevenage, 1983 Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
East Dunbartonshire, 1979 SNP loss, gained by Labour
North Down, 1979 2 UUP loss, gained by Independent Unionist
Mid Ulster, February 1974 Unity loss, gained by Vanguard Progressive Unionist
Bolton West, 1964 Liberal loss, gained by Labour
Glasgow Bridgeton, 1950 3 ILP loss, gained by Labour
Rugby, 1950 Independent loss, gained by Labour
Hammersmith North, 1950 Independent Labour loss, gained by Labour
Grantham, 1950 Independent loss, gained by the Conservatives
Cheltenham, 1950 Independent loss, gained by the Conservatives
Stepney, 1950 Communist loss, gained by Labour
West Fife, 1950 Communist loss, gained by Labour
Caithness and Sutherland, 1945 Liberal loss, gained by the Conservatives
1 The sitting Labour MP had defected to the SDP in 1981.
2 The sitting Ulster Unionist Party MP had defected to sit as an Independent Unionist.
3 The sitting Independent Labour Party MP had defected to Labour.
When there is a decisive change in electoral sentiment, a tiny number of seats will not only buck the trend by not moving as expected, but may actually move in the opposite direction. Only elections that saw a change of government are listed, since it is fairly common for a few seats to move in divergent directions when an incumbent government is re-elected; 2005 was an exception to this case, when the Labour party scored no gains.
1997
By-election losses regained
Christchurch, from the Liberal Democrats
February 1974
Gains
Berwick and East Lothian, from Labour
East Dunbartonshire, from Labour
Upminster, from Labour
Ipswich, from Labour
North West Norfolk, from Labour
By-election losses regained
Ripon, from the Liberals
Sutton and Cheam, from the Liberals
Bromsgrove and Redditch, from Labour
1964
Gains
Birmingham Perry Barr, from Labour
Eton and Slough, from Labour
Smethwick, from Labour
South West Norfolk, from Labour
By-election losses regained
South Dorset, from Labour
1945
Gains
Caithness and Sutherland, from the Liberals
Berwick upon Tweed, from the Liberals
Caernarvon, from the Liberals
Isle of Ely, from the Liberals
Barnstaple, from the Liberals
By-election losses regained
Wallasey, from Independent
Skipton, from Common Wealth
1929
Gains
Birmingham King's Norton, from Labour
By-election losses regained
Midlothian and Peebles Northern, from Labour
Lancaster, from the Liberals
2010
Gains
Bethnal Green and Bow, from Respect
Blaenau Gwent, from an independent
Chesterfield, from the Liberal Democrats
By-election losses regained
Dunfermline and West Fife, from the Liberal Democrats
Glasgow East, from the SNP
1979
Gains
Glasgow Cathcart, from the Conservatives
East Dunbartonshire, from the SNP
Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire, from the SNP
Carmarthen, from Plaid Cymru
By-election losses regained
Ashfield, from the Conservatives
Birmingham Stechford, from the Conservatives
Walsall North, from the Conservatives
Workington, from the Conservatives
1970
Gains
Colne Valley, from the Liberals
By-election losses regained
Birmingham Ladywood, from the Liberals
Swindon, from the Conservatives
Oldham West, from the Conservatives
Dudley, from the Conservatives
Acton, from the Conservatives
Hamilton, from the SNP
Walthamstow West, from the Conservatives
Glasgow Pollok, from the Conservatives
Carmarthen, from Plaid Cymru
1951
Gains
Anglesey, from the Liberals
Merioneth, from the Liberals
City of Chester, 2015 to Labour
Wirral West, 2015 to Labour
Eastbourne, 2010 to the Liberal Democrats
Wells, 2010 to the Liberal Democrats
Solihull, 2010 to the Liberal Democrats
Glasgow Cathcart, 1979 to Labour
North Antrim, 1970 (from Ulster Unionist) to Protestant Unionist Party
Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 1970 (from Ulster Unionist) to Unity
Mid Ulster, 19701 (from Ulster Unionist) to Unity
Belfast West, 1951 (from Ulster Unionist) to Irish Labour
Motherwell, 1924 to Labour
Barrow-in-Furness, 1924 to Labour
Lincoln, 1924 to Labour
Liverpool West Toxteth, 1924 to Labour1
Birmingham King's Norton, 1924 to Labour
Bilston, 1924 to Labour
Peckham, 1924 to Labour
London University, 1924 to Independent
Berwick and East Lothian, February 1974 to the Conservatives
East Dunbartonshire, February 1974 to the Conservatives
Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire, February 1974 to the SNP
Dundee East, February 1974 to the SNP
Blyth, February 1974 to Independent Labour
Lincoln, February 19741 to Lincoln Democratic Labour
Cardigan, February 1974 to the Liberals
Colne Valley, February 1974 to the Liberals
Rochdale, February 19741 to the Liberals
Birmingham Perry Barr, 1964 to the Conservatives
Eton and Slough, 1964 to the Conservatives
Smethwick, 1964 to the Conservatives
South West Norfolk, 1964 to the Conservatives
Carmarthen, 1945 to the Liberals
Mile End, 1945 to the Communists
Birmingham King's Norton, 1929 to the Conservatives
Bethnal Green North East, 1929 to the Liberals
Newcastle East, 1929 to the Liberals
Dunfermline and West Fife, 2010 to the Labour Party
Camborne and Redruth, 2010 to the Conservatives
Chesterfield, 2010 to the Labour Party
Cornwall South East, 2010 to the Conservatives
Harrogate and Knaresborough, 2010 to the Conservatives
Hereford and South Herefordshire, 2010 to the Conservatives
Montgomeryshire, 2010 to the Conservatives
Newton Abbot, 2010 to the Conservatives
Oxford West and Abingdon, 2010 to the Conservatives
Richmond Park, 2010 to the Conservatives
Romsey and Southampton North, 2010 to the Conservatives
Truro and Falmouth, 2010 to the Conservatives
Winchester, 2010 to the Conservatives
York Outer, 2010 to the Conservatives
Ayr Burghs, 1906 to the Conservatives
Barkston Ash, 1906 to the Conservatives
Govan, 1906 to the Conservatives
Hastings, 1906 to the Conservatives
Maidstone, 1906 to the Conservatives
North Lonsdale, 1906 to the Liberal Unionists
Oswestry, 1906 to the Conservatives
Rye, 1906 to the Conservatives
St Albans, 1906 to the Conservatives
St Andrews Burgh, 1906 to the Conservatives
Whitby, 1906 to the Conservatives
Notes: 1 by-election loss confirmed at the General Election
Argyll and Bute, 2015 gained by SNP from the Liberal Democrats
Edinburgh West, 2015 gained by SNP from the Liberal Democrats
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, 1997 gained by Labour from the Liberal Democrats
Ceredigion and Pembroke North, 1992 gained by Plaid Cymru from the Liberals
Cambridge, 2015 gained by Labour from the Liberal Democrats
Belfast East, 2010 gained by Alliance from the DUP
Brighton Pavilion, 2010 gained by the Greens from Labour
Watford, 2010 gained by the Conservatives from Labour
Camborne and Redruth, 2010 gained by the Conservatives from the Liberal Democrats
Falmouth and Camborne, 2005 gained by the Liberal Democrats from Labour
Leeds North West, 2005 gained by the Liberal Democrats from Labour
Lagan Valley, 2005 gained by the DUP from the UUP 1
West Tyrone, 2001 gained by Sinn Féin from the UUP
Sittingbourne and Sheppey, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Shrewsbury and Atcham, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
St. Albans, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Oldham East and Saddleworth, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives 2
Leeds North West, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Hastings and Rye, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Falmouth and Camborne, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Conwy, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Bristol West, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Aberdeen South, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Mid Ulster, 1997 gained by Sinn Féin from the DUP
Cambridge, 1992 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Plymouth Devonport, 1992 gained by Labour from the SDP
Clwyd South West, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Edinburgh South, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Strathkelvin and Bearsden, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Renfrew West and Inverclyde, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
Colne Valley, 1983 gained by the Liberals from Labour
Leeds West, 1983 gained by the Liberals from Labour
Southwark and Bermondsey, 1983 gained by the Liberals from Labour 3
Liverpool Mossley Hill, 1983 gained by the Liberals from the Conservatives
Ross, Cromarty and Skye, 1983 gained by the SDP from the Conservatives 4
East Dunbartonshire, 1979 gained by Labour from the SNP
Lincoln, 1979 gained by the Conservatives from Labour
East Dunbartonshire, October 1974 gained by the SNP from the Conservatives
Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire, February 1974 gained by the SNP from Labour
Isle of Wight, February 1974 gained by the Liberals from the Conservatives
Ross and Cromarty, 1970 gained by the Conservatives from the Liberals
Ross and Cromarty, 1964 gained by the Liberals from the National Liberals
Notes:
* only includes examples of genuine three-or-more party competition; does not include seats gained as a result of pacts
1 sitting member had defected from UUP to DUP
2 Liberal Democrats had won a by-election in predecessor constituency in which Labour finished second
3 by-election gain confirmed at General Election.
4 SDP candidate ran for the Alliance in seat with strong Liberal tradition.
It is unusual for a party that had not contested the seat at the previous election to win it. Since the major mainland parties now routinely contest all seats, except the Speaker's, such rare victories tend to come from independents or splinter-parties.
Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 2015, Ulster Unionist Tom Elliot
Blaenau Gwent, 2005: Independent Peter Law
Bethnal Green and Bow, 2005: Respect, George Galloway
Wyre Forest, 2001: IKHH, Richard Taylor
North Down, 19973: UKUP, Robert McCartney
Tatton, 1997: Independent Martin Bell
Caithness and Sutherland, 1983: SDP, Robert Maclennan
Belfast West, 1983: Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams
Mid Ulster, 1983: Democratic Unionist, William McCrea
Belfast East, 1979: Democratic Unionist, Peter Robinson
Belfast South, 1979:1 Ulster Unionist, Robert Bradford
Mid Ulster, 1979:2 United Ulster Unionist, John Dunlop
Lincoln, February 19743: Democratic Labour, Dick Taverne
North Antrim, February 19744: DUP, Ian Paisley
Belfast West, February 19745: SDLP, Gerry Fitt
Belfast East, February 1974: Vanguard, William Craig
Belfast South, February 1974: Vanguard, Robert Bradford
Mid Ulster, February 1974: Vanguard, John Dunlop
North Antrim, 1970: PUP, Ian Paisley
Mid Ulster, 1970: Unity, Bernadette Devlin
Western Isles, 1970: SNP, Donald Stewart
Caithness and Sutherland, 1964: Liberal, George Mackie
Notes:
1 Vanguard broke up in the late 1970s; the sitting MP joined the Ulster Unionists.
2 Vanguard broke up in the late 1970s; the sitting MP joined the United Ulster Unionists.
3 By-election gain confirmed at the General Election.
4 The Protestant Unionist Party merged into the Democratic Unionist Party in 1970.
5 Sitting MP Gerry Fitt had left the Republican Labour Party for the SDLP in 1970; by 1974 Republican Labour had disintegrated.
The rare occasions where the party which won the previous election did not contest the seat. Independent candidates are not included, nor are Speakers of the House or Commons. Also excluded are occasions where the party had merged into an organisation which did contest the election, such as when the Social Democratic Party and Liberal Party formed the Liberal Democrats, or the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party merged into the Ulster Unionist Party.
Buckingham, 20151
Buckingham, 20101
Glasgow North East, 20051
Glasgow Springburn, 20011
West Bromwich West, 19971
Croydon North East, 19871
Cardiff West, 19791
Wirral, October 19741
Wirral, February 19741
Greenock, 1970
Huddersfield West, 1959
Pembrokeshire, 1955
Carmarthen, 1955
Huddersfield West, 1955
Carmarthen, 1951
Colne Valley, 1951
Huddersfield West, 1951
Carmarthen, 1950
Huddersfield West, 1950
Buckingham, 20101
Glasgow North East, 20051
Glasgow Springburn, 20011
West Bromwich West, 19971
Tatton, 1997
Cardiff West, 19791
Chelmsford, 1945
Woodford, 1945
Buckingham, 20101
Glasgow North East, 20051
Wyre Forest, 2005
Glasgow Springburn, 20011
Wyre Forest, 2001
West Bromwich West, 19971
Tatton, 1997
Birmingham Handsworth, 1979
Cardiff West, 19791
Dudley West, 1979
Ormskirk, 1979
Salford East, 1979
1: An occasion where a major party stood aside against the Speaker of the British House of Commons.
Victories by independent and minor party candidates since 1945. For a complete list, see the list of UK minor party and independent MPs elected.
Belfast East, 2010
Brighton Pavilion, 2010
Blaenau Gwent, 2005
Bethnal Green and Bow, 2005
Wyre Forest, 2005
Wyre Forest, 2001
Tatton, 1997
Lincoln, February 1974
Blyth, February 1974
Merthyr Tydfil, 1970
Parties without representation in Parliament which won 10% or more of the votes cast:
1: McCarthy was defeated in Londonderry City, the seat for which he had sat in the previous Parliament. He also stood in North Longford, where he was elected.
2: Gladstone was defeated in South West Lancashire, the seat for which he had sat in the previous Parliament. He also stood in Greenwich, where he was elected.
2010: The first Coalition government to arise from a general election result.
1997: Blair, New Labour
1979: Thatcher, end of the post-war consensus
1945: Labour, Welfare State
1931: National Government presides over the Great Depression and Appeasement
1923: First Labour government emerges
1910 (two Liberal general election victories) Establishment of supremacy of the Commons. The Parliament Act 1911.
1906: Liberal landslide
Listed below parties which have returned MPs, either at the listed election or a later one.
2005: Respect Party
2001: Independent Community and Health Concern
1997: UK Independence Party*
1992: Liberal Democrats
1992: Green Party of England and Wales*
1983: SDP
1983: Ulster Popular Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
1979: Alliance Party (in Northern Ireland)*
1979: Scottish Labour Party (only time - formed 1976, dissolved 1981)
February 1974: Democratic Labour Party
February 1974: Democratic Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
February 1974: SDLP (in Northern Ireland)
1945: Common Wealth Party (only time)
1935: Scottish National Party*
1931: National Labour Party
1931: Empire Free Trade Crusade (only time)
1931: National Liberal Party (dissolved 1968)
1929: Plaid Cymru (in Wales)*
1922: Communist Party
1922: National Liberal Party (only time - dissolved 1923)
1922: Ulster Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
1918: National Democratic and Labour Party (only time - dissolved 1922)
1918: National Party (only time - formed 1917, dissolved 1921)
1918: National Socialist Party (only time - became Social Democratic Federation 1919)
1918: Sinn Féin (in Ireland)
January 1910: All-for-Ireland League
January 1910: Scottish Prohibition Party*
1900: Labour Party
1892: Independent Labour Party
1892: Irish National Federation
1892: Irish Unionist Alliance
1886: Liberal Unionist Party
1885: Crofters Party (in Scotland)
1885: Irish Parliamentary Party (aka Irish Nationalist)
1874: Home Rule League (in Ireland)
1859: Liberal Party
1852: Independent Irish Party
1841: Chartist*
1835: Conservative Party
Asterisked - first election where party fielded candidates but MPs elected at later general election. Otherwise all parties listed returned MPs at first contested election.
Listed below are parties which had returned MPs and which ceased to exist after the listed election:
1992: Ulster Popular Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
1987: Communist Party
1987: Liberal Party
1987: SDP
1979: Democratic Labour Party
1966: National Liberal Party (formed 1931 - dissolved 1968)
1945: Independent Labour Party
1935: National Labour Party
1931: Scottish Prohibition Party
1918: Irish Parliamentary Party (aka Irish Nationalist)
1918: Irish Unionist Alliance
December 1910: All-for-Ireland League
December 1910: Liberal Unionist Party
1895: Crofters Party (in Scotland)
1895: Irish National Federation
1880: Home Rule League (in Ireland)
1859: Chartists
1857: Independent Irish Party
1857: Radicals (before amalgamation into Liberal Party which continued to be nicknamed "Radicals")
1857: Whig Party
1832: Tory Party (before reorganisation as Conservative Party which continued to be nicknamed "Tories")
Participation in, and outcome of, general elections can be influenced by changes in electoral law or practice.
2010: first general election following lowering of age of candidacy to 18
2001: first general election in which hereditary peers could vote, and stand as MPs without disclaiming peerage
1970: first general election following reduction of adult voting age to 18
1955: first general election in which no seats were uncontested
1950: first general election following:
extension of postal voting to civilian population
abolition of university constituencies
abolition of plural voting
abolition of remaining two-member seat constituencies
1929: first general election where all adult women (aged 21 upwards) were enfranchised
1922: first general election following secession of Southern Ireland from the UK
1918: first general election in which:
women (aged 30 upwards) were enfranchised
all adult males (aged 21 upwards) were enfranchised
polling was held on single day
postal voting (for armed forces personnel) was allowed
1885: first general election held subject to the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883
1874: first general election held with secret ballots
1868: first general election following enfranchisement of all male heads of household under the Second Reform Act
1832: first general election following Great Reform Act which:
established a unified householder franchise
comprehensively redistributed parliamentary seats, abolishing many rotten boroughs
established 21 years as the youngest age of candidacy (reduced to 18 in 2006)
1830: first general election in which Roman Catholics could stand as MPs (significant in Ireland)
1801: first general election in which Irish voters elected MPs to Westminster, following the Act of Union, on same footing to those in England, Scotland and Wales
