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United Kingdom general election records

United Kingdom general elections occur at least every five years. About 650 constituencies return a member of Parliament. Prior to 1945, electoral competition in the United Kingdom exhibited features which make meaningful comparisons with modern results difficult. Hence, unless otherwise stated, records are based on results since the 1945 general election, and earlier exceptional results are listed separately.

Glossary

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.
  • Major party – A party that has a realistic chance of leading government. Since 1945, every UK government has been led by the Conservatives or Labour. Parties in electoral pacts whose members take the whip of a major party and have no de facto independence are also counted as part of the major parties. For Labour, this includes the Co-operative Party. For the Conservatives, this includes the Unionist Party and the National Liberal Party. In Northern Ireland the situation is more fluid, but both the UUP and the DUP have been major parties for the unionist bloc and the Nationalist Party, the SDLP and Sinn Féin have been major parties for the nationalist bloc.
  • 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. In Northern Ireland, where the party landscape is unstable and many apparently independent candidates are supported by other parties, "minor party" refers to parties and independents that are not members of the main nationalist or unionist blocs.
  • Uncontested – an election where only one candidate is put forward. No votes are actually cast and the candidate is by default the victor.
  • Notional – boundary changes occur about every 10–15 years. 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.

Numerical records

For more information about what is meant by the term "swing", see Swing (politics)

National swings

Seat swings

Largest fall in percentage share of vote

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 since 1911, reductions of 10% or more (on the national level) or around 30% or more (in individual constituencies) are unusual.

National

Constituency

Other parties

The Scottish National Party and Democratic Unionist Party have never lost 30% or more of the vote in a single constituency.

Largest increase in percentage share of vote

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.

Other parties

Largest winning share of the vote

The five largest shares of the vote won by any candidate, since 1918, are as follows:

Largest winning share of the vote by general election

Largest number of votes

The largest number of votes cast for a single party nationally in a general election was 14,094,116 for the Conservatives under John Major in 1992, although this resulted in a parliamentary majority of just 21 seats.

The most votes received by a single individual in a general election was Sir Cooper Rawson who polled 75,205 votes when being reelected as MP for Brighton in 1931. Brighton was a two-member constituency with a larger than average electorate. The most votes received by an individual in a single-seat constituency was 69,762 for Reginald Blair in Hendon in 1935.

Largest majority

The largest majority received by an individual is also Sir Cooper Rawson, re-elected with a majority of 62,253 (35.2% of votes) at Brighton in 1931. The largest majority received by a woman is 38,823 (71.4% of votes) by the Countess of Iveagh elected MP for Southend in 1931.

The largest majorities received by the winning party at a general election are as follows:

Lowest winning share of the vote

All general election victors receiving less than 30% of the vote since 1945 onwards.

Lowest share of the vote

Major parties less than 1% of the vote

Since 1918:

The Conservatives' worst vote outside Northern Ireland was 1.1% for A. Seaton in Pontypridd in 1918.

Labour's worst vote was 2.2% for Samuel McLaren in Glasgow Bridgeton in 1935 and in 2010 for Jonathan Todd in Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Candidates winning fewer than ten votes

Candidates in general elections since 1918 who won fewer than ten votes:

Both W. M. Somerville and John Magee in Drogheda at the 1852 United Kingdom general election received no votes and George Griffith in Bewdley at the 1874 United Kingdom general election received one vote. However, in the pre-secret ballot era, some candidates stood at the hustings but for various reasons did not contest the poll, and hence could be recorded with no or few votes although in effect they were not standing. Examples include George J. Harney at Tiverton at the 1847 United Kingdom general election (no votes), William Johnston in Downpatrick at the 1857 United Kingdom general election (one vote), Humphrey Brown at the 1859 Tewkesbury by-election (no votes) and Dr Frederick R. Lees at the 1860 Ripon by-election (no votes).

Smallest majorities

Since 1945

Notes:

Most seats won by party (1945–present)

The election given is the first time they reached this number. Many of the smaller parties have had the same number of seats in numerous elections. Table is sorted by seats, and then by alphabetical order.

Most recounts

Highest turnout

Highest turnouts in any general election since 1918:

Lowest turnout

All turnouts below 35% from 1918 onwards:

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.

The election with the largest number of candidates was the 2024 general election, with 4,515.

There have been 24 occasions when there were more than ten candidates on a single ballot in a general election. Large numbers of candidates are common in London seats and in the seat of the incumbent Prime Minister (marked in bold in the below list).

Before 1983, the consecutive records were 6 candidates in Paddington North in 1918, 7 in Tottenham in February 1974 and 9 in Devon North in 1979.

Fewest candidates

The general election with the fewest candidates was 1931, where only 1,292 candidates stood – with the National Government, the major parties did not stand against each other in many seats. Since 1945, the election with the fewest candidates is 1951, with 1,376.

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 seats in Great Britain 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. However, in the 2017 United Kingdom general election, there were 21 seats with only three candidates and in 2019 there were 20. At the 2024 general election, there were no seats with fewer than five candidates.

Seats changing hands

Largest number of seats changing hands

Smallest number of seats changing hands

Candidate records

Durable general election candidates

A selection of politicians who have contested seats in at least thirteen general elections are listed. Additionally, Howling Laud Hope has contested 10 general elections as of 2024, but has never won a seat.

MPs defeated at consecutive general elections

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.

Notes:

  • <sup>a</sup> returned to Parliament at a subsequent general election
  • <sup>b</sup> returned to Parliament at a subsequent by-election

Former MPs unsuccessful at subsequent general elections

Attempts

It is unusual for a defeated MP to pursue more than a couple of attempts at re-election.

Notes:

  • <sup>a</sup> in various seats
  • <sup>b</sup> in the same seat
  • <sup>c</sup> two previous seats and another
  • <sup>d</sup> one previous seat and another
  • <sup>e</sup> one previous seat and others

Interval

Attempts at a comeback usually occur almost immediately. Those who succeeded after further general elections include:

Future MPs unsuccessful at previous general elections

It is unusual for a candidate who has been unsuccessful on more than a couple of occasions to finally win a seat.

Among women, namely:

Former MPs making a comeback at a general election

Shortest-serving general election victors

For a comprehensive list of MPs with total service of less than 365 days see List of United Kingdom MPs with the shortest service

Since 1945

Pre-1945

Notes

  • <sup>1</sup> died
  • <sup>2</sup> defeated at next general election
  • <sup>3</sup> disqualified
  • <sup>4</sup> resigned
  • <sup>5</sup> succeeded to the Peerage
  • <sup>a</sup> returned to Parliament at a subsequent election
  • <sup>b</sup> had served previously as an MP
  • <sup>x</sup> elected on abstentionist tickets, and serving jail sentences at the time, so the calculated length of service is somewhat theoretical.

Youngest general election victors

Babies of the House elected at general elections

See Baby of the House of Commons

Youngest to leave the House

Notes:
<sup>1</sup> Defeated
<sup>2</sup> Constituency abolished
<sup>3</sup> Retired
<sup>x</sup> did not take his seat

Oldest to lose their seats

<sup>1</sup>Based on Hardie's earliest estimated birth year of "c. 1860", although some biographers cite a date as late as 27 January 1871, making him only 60 years old at time of that election.

Oldest general election victors

At first election

Possibly the oldest known first-time seat winner was Bernard Kelly (born 1808) who was aged 77 when he became the first MP for the new seat of South Donegal in Ireland at the 1885 general election. He died aged reportedly 78 on 1 January 1887. Others:

<sup>1</sup> 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.
<sup>2</sup> Exact birth date not known but Fleming, who was brought up as an adopted orphan, is usually stated to have been born in 1747.
<sup>3</sup> Exact birthdate not known but Cameron is normally stated to have been born in 1825 and was reportedly this age at election.
<sup>4</sup> Exact birthdate not known but Walker is normally stated to have been born in 1874 and was reportedly this age at election.
<sup>5</sup> 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.

At last election

<sup>1</sup> 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.
<sup>2</sup> Keene's birthdate is given as "c. 1731" in reference works though he was reportedly 90 years old on his death in February 1822. On this the figure is based. Unopposed return, his last contested election was in 1802 when aged 70–71.
Note: All men aged 79 or over since 1945 and over 85 since 1900 are listed, as are all women aged 70 or over.

Returning to the house after a gap

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 to 1812.

Others, who returned at older ages than Drummond's:

First women general election victors

Notes:

<sup>y</sup> had entered parliament in by-election 1919 <sup>z</sup> had entered parliament in by-election 1921

First ethnic minority general election victors

First general election victors from specific religions

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 until the passage of the Jews Relief Act 1858.

The first Catholic Apostolic general election victor was Henry Drummond also at the 1847 election.

The first Baptist general election victor was George Goodman at the 1852 general election.

The first Congregationalist general election victor was Samuel Morley at the 1865 general election.

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 in that parliament, but was elected again at the 1885 general election and allowed to take the oath.

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.

The first Buddhist general election victor was Suella Braverman as Suella Fernandes at the 2015 general election.

General elections losers awarded seats on disqualification of winner

Lord Robert Grosvenor: Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 1955

Two or more sitting MPs contest general election

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.

  • Italics indicates constituency was newly created at that election
  • Bold indicates the candidate who won that constituency's seat at that election
  • An asterisk marks the MP who was incumbent in that seat, where that seat was not newly created.

Frequency and duration records

Longest period without a general election

The longest possible duration of a Parliament is currently five years; prior to the Parliament Act 1911, it was seven years. All period of six years or more between general elections are listed:

9 years, 7 months and 21 days: 1935 – 1945
8 years: December 1910 – 1918
6 years: 1820 – 1826
6 years: 1841 – 1847
6 years: 1859 – 1865
6 years: 1874 – 1880
6 years: 1886 – 1892

Shortest period between general elections

All periods of less than a year between general elections are listed:

7 months: November 1806 – June 1807
7 months: November/December 1885 – July 1886
7 months and 12 days: February – October 1974
8 months: September 1830 – April/May/June 1831
10 months: December 1923 – October 1924
11 months: January – December 1910

Longest continuous governments

This details the longest continuous government of each of the parties that have been in power.

<sup>a</sup> The parties making up the National Government changed throughout this period

Election days

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.

Suspended elections

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

Causes of general elections

Loss of a vote of confidence

  • 1979
  • 1924

New Prime Minister seeks a mandate

  • 2019
  • 2017
  • 1955
  • 1935
  • 1931 (MacDonald was the existing PM, but the composition of the government had entirely changed)
  • 1923

Prime Minister without a working majority seeks to gain one

  • 2019
  • October 1974
  • 1966
  • 1951

Prime Minister's choice of date

  • 2024
  • 2017 (approved by a motion of the House of Commons under the provisions of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, an act which has since been repealed)
  • 2005
  • 2001
  • 1987
  • 1983
  • February 1974
  • 1970
  • 1959
  • 1950
  • 1929

Parliament had run its course

Collapse of cooperation within Government

  • 1922

End of World War

  • 1945
  • 1918

Miscellaneous records

Incumbents fall directly from first place to fourth place

<sup>1</sup> Sitting Conservative MP defected to Reform UK and won re-election.
<sup>2</sup> UUP had been unopposed by DUP at previous elections.
<sup>3</sup> Sitting Labour MP stood instead for the Independent Labour Party and took second place.

Incumbents fall directly from first place to third place

<sup>1</sup> The sitting Labour MP had defected to the SDP in 1981.
<sup>2</sup> The sitting Ulster Unionist Party MP had defected to sit as an Independent Unionist.
<sup>3</sup> The sitting Independent Labour Party MP had defected to Labour.

Outgoing Government gains seats

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.

Italics indicates seat was regained after having been lost in a previous by-election

Incoming Government loses seats

Notes: In 2010 the Conservatives entered government as the largest party in a coalition and in 2015 they went from being part of a coalition to being a majority government in their own right.<br> In 2017 the Conservatives entered government without an overall majority and in 2019 they went from having a minority government to being a majority government in their own right.

In 2010 the Liberal Democrats entered government as a junior partner in a coalition.

Italics indicates seat was previously lost at a by-election and not regained by the incoming government at a general election

Seats gained from fourth place<sup>*</sup>

Seats gained from third place<sup>*</sup>

Notes:
<sup>*</sup> only includes examples of genuine three-or-more party competition; does not include seats gained as a result of pacts
<sup>1</sup> sitting member had defected from UUP to DUP
<sup>2</sup> Liberal Democrats had won a by-election in predecessor constituency in which Labour finished second
<sup>3</sup> by-election gain confirmed at general election.
<sup>4</sup> SDP candidate ran for the Alliance in seat with strong Liberal tradition.

General election victors had not contested previous election

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.

Notes:

  • <sup>1</sup> Richard Tice contested Hartlepool in 2019.
  • <sup>2</sup> Vanguard broke up in the late 1970s; the sitting MP joined the Ulster Unionists.
  • <sup>3</sup> Vanguard broke up in the late 1970s; the sitting MP joined the United Ulster Unionists.
  • <sup>4</sup> By-election gain confirmed at the general election.
  • <sup>5</sup> The Protestant Unionist Party merged into the Democratic Unionist Party in 1970.
  • <sup>6</sup> Sitting MP Gerry Fitt had left the Republican Labour Party for the SDLP in 1970; by 1974 Republican Labour had disintegrated.

Incumbent party did not contest

The rare occasions where the party which won the previous election did not contest the seat. Independent candidates are not included, nor Speakers of the House of Commons. Cases where candidates were suspended from their parties after nominations closed (meaning they still appeared on the ballot under the name of their former party) are also not counted. 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.

Major party did not run

Not including instances where major parties did not run in seats contested by the Speaker.

Conservative

Labour

Liberal Democrats

Liberal Party (pre-Liberal Democrats)

<sup>2</sup>: As part of the Unite to Remain pact, the Liberal Democrats stood aside in favour of Green (2G), Plaid Cymru (2P) and independent (2I) candidates in some seats.

Victories by minor parties

Victories by independent and minor party candidates since 1945, not including the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru or Northern Ireland parties. For a complete list, see the list of UK minor party and independent MPs elected.

  • <sup>C</sup>: Formerly elected for Conservatives or an affiliated party.
  • <sup>L</sup>: Formerly elected for Labour or an affiliated party.

Independent candidates winning 10% or more

Independent candidates who did not win, but took 10% or more of the vote in their constituency

Minor parties' other strong performance

Minor parties without representation in Parliament which won 10% or more of the votes cast:

Miscellaneous notable results

Party wipeouts

Elections at which a party represented in Commons stood candidates but lost all of its seats. Parties that did not run any candidates, or whose MPs had all left and joined other parties prior to the election, are not counted.

  • 2024: Alba (2 seats)<sup>S</sup>, Workers' Party (1 seat)<sup>B</sup>
  • 2019: The Independent Group for Change (5 seats)<sup>S</sup>
  • 2017: SDLP (3 seats), UUP (2 seats), UKIP (1 seat)
  • 2015: Alliance (1 seat), Respect (1 seat)<sup>B</sup>
  • 2010: Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (1 seat), Respect (1 seat), UUP (1 seat)
  • 2001: UK Unionist Party (1 seat)
  • 1992: Sinn Féin (1 seat)
  • 1979: Scottish Labour Party (2 seats)<sup>S</sup>
  • 1974 Oct: Democratic Labour (1 seat)
  • 1974 Feb: Unity (2 seats)
  • 1955: Sinn Féin (2 seats), Irish Labour (1 seat)
  • 1950: Communist Party of Great Britain (2 seats), Irish Labour (1 seat)<sup>S</sup>
<sup>S</sup>: Formed by a party split over the course of that parliament.
<sup>B</sup>: Seat won at a by-election, not the previous general election.

In 1997, the Conservatives saw a complete wipeout in Scotland and Wales, but won seats in England. The Welsh Liberal Democrats lost all their seats in 2015. The Welsh Conservatives once again saw a wipeout in 2024.

In some cases, party splits have led MPs to run as independents in groups that are not considered full-fledged parties. The Independents (2 MPs in 2019), Independent Social Democrats (3 MPs in 1992) and the Labour Independent Group (4 MPs in 1950) are examples of independent groupings with several members that were wiped out at general election.

Party leaders or deputy leaders losing their seats

<sup>1</sup>: Dodds was leader of the DUP at Westminster.
<sup>2</sup>: 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.
<sup>3</sup>: 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.

Incumbent Cabinet members losing their seats

<sup>1</sup>: Walker was defeated in Smethwick in the 1964 election. He was still appointed as Foreign Secretary and fought the 1965 Leyton by-election which he lost, resigning from Cabinet as a result.
<sup>2</sup>: Griffith-Boscawen was appointed Minister of Agriculture and subsequently lost the 1921 Dudley by-election. He returned to Parliament in the 1921 Taunton by-election and was promoted to Minister of Health. Subsequently in the 1922 election, he lost his Taunton seat and was unsuccessful in returning to Parliament in the 1923 Mitcham by-election

Former Prime Ministers losing their seats

First general elections for a new political party

Listed below parties which have returned MPs, either at the listed election or a later one.

Asterisked – first election where party fielded candidates but MPs elected at later general election. Otherwise all parties listed returned MPs at first contested election.

Last general elections for defunct political parties

Listed below are parties which had returned MPs and which ceased to exist after the listed election:

<nowiki>*</nowiki> After the Liberal Party and SDP merged to form the Liberal Democrats, some members opposed to the merger formed new parties, the continuation Liberal Party and continuation Social Democratic Party. These parties are legally distinct from their predecessors and have never won a seat in Parliament.

General elections following electoral developments

Participation in, and outcome of, general elections can be influenced by changes in electoral law or practice.

  • 2024: first general election following:
* Repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
* Introduction of voter identification laws in the Elections Act 2022
* Extension of franchise to all registered voters overseas, regardless of length of residence
  • 2019: first general election held because an Act of Parliament specifically called for one (the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019, enacted to bypass the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011)
  • 2017: first general election held because MPs voted for an early election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
  • 2015: first general election scheduled automatically under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
  • 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
  • 1987: first general election in which British citizens living overseas could vote
  • 1970: first general election following reduction of adult voting age to 18
  • 1964: first general election hereditary peers were allowed to stand as MPs if peerage disclaimed
  • 1955: first general election in which all seats were contested
  • 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 21 upwards) were eligible only to stand and (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
*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

See also

References

Further reading

  • Who's Who of British MPs: Volume IV, 1945–1979 by Michael Stenton and Stephen Lees (Harvester, Brighton, 1979)
  • British Parliamentary Constituencies – A Statistical Compendium by Ivor Crewe and Anthony Fox (Faber and Faber, London, 1984)
  • British Political Facts 1900–1994 by David Butler and Gareth Butler (St. Martin's Press, New York, 1994)