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UK general election records is an annotated list of notable records from United Kingdom general elections.

Prior to 1945, electoral competition in the United Kingdom exhibited features which make meaningful comparisons with modern results difficult.

Among the most significant were:-

• Frequent interventions and withdrawals of parties in different seats.
• Frequent Coalitions between parties, splits within parties and floor-crossing by members.
• Uncontested elections and truces between parties, in particular during both World Wars.
• Generally more significant competition from independent candidates and minor parties.
• Multi-member seats and University seats.
• Higher frequency of general elections, although parliaments were extended during both World Wars.
• Generally higher turnouts.
• Generally higher variation in size of constituency electorates.

Since 1945, the evolution of a stable 3-party system has tended to negate each of the above features so that, broadly speaking, elections are more comparable.

In Northern Ireland, as ever, the pattern of party competition is completely different to that on the mainland and comparisons remain problematic.

Hence, unless otherwise stated records are based on results since the 1945 General Election, and earlier exceptional results are listed separately.

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, it a few seats results indicate they were probably mistaken.

Contents 1 Numerical records 1.1 Largest swings 1.1.1 From Conservative to Labour 1.1.2 From Labour to Conservative 1.2 Largest fall in percentage share of vote 1.2.1 Conservative reductions in vote 1.2.2 Labour reductions in vote 1.2.3 Liberal/Liberal Democrat 1.2.4 Nationalist parties 1.2.5 Other parties 1.3 Largest increase in percentage share of vote 1.3.1 Conservative 1.3.2 Labour 1.3.3 Liberal/Liberal Democrat 1.3.4 Nationalist 1.4 Largest share of the vote 1.5 Lowest share of the vote 1.5.1 Major parties winning 2% or less of the vote 1.5.2 Candidates winning fewer than ten votes 1.6 Smallest majorities 1.6.1 Most recounts 1.7 Highest turnout 1.8 Lowest turnout 1.9 Most candidates 1.10 Fewest candidates 2 Candidate records 2.1 Durable general election candidates 2.2 MPs defeated at consecutive general elections 2.3 Former MPs unsuccessful at subsequent general elections 2.3.1 Attempts 2.3.2 Interval 2.4 Future MPs unsuccessful at previous general elections 2.5 Former MPs making a comeback at a general election 2.6 Shortest-serving general election victors 2.6.1 Since 1945 2.6.2 Pre-1945 2.7 Youngest general election victors 2.7.1 Babies of the House elected at general elections 2.8 Youngest to leave the House 2.9 Oldest general election victors 2.9.1 at first election 2.9.2 at last election 2.10 First women general election victors 2.11 First ethnic minority general election victors 2.12 general elections losers awarded seats on disqualification of winner 2.13 Two or more sitting MPs contest general election 3 Frequency and duration records 3.1 Longest period without a general election 3.2 Shortest period between general elections 3.3 Longest period without a change in government 3.4 Election days 4 Causes of general elections 4.1 Loss of a vote of confidence 4.2 New Prime Minister seeks a mandate 4.3 Prime Minister seeks to gain/increase their majority 4.4 Prime Minister's choice of date 4.5 Parliament had run its course 5 Miscellaneous records 5.1 Incumbents fall directly from first place to fourth place 5.2 Incumbents fall directly from first place to third place 5.3 Outgoing Government gains seats 5.3.1 Conservative 5.3.2 Labour 5.4 Incoming Government loses seats 5.4.1 Conservative 5.4.2 Labour 5.5 Seats gained from fourth place 5.6 Seats gained from third place 5.7 General election victors had not contested previous election 5.8 Incumbent party did not contest 5.9 Major party did not run 5.9.1 Conservative 5.9.2 Labour 5.9.3 Liberal Democrats 5.10 Victories by minor parties 5.11 Minor parties other strong performance 5.12 Miscellaneous notable results 6 General elections having historic significance 7 See also 8 References

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

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.

• Tatton, 1997: - 24.7%
• Gordon, 1997: - 21.9%
• Woking, 1997: - 20.7%

• Blaenau Gwent, 2005: - 39.7%
• Wyre Forest, 2001: - 26.6%
• Brent East, 2005: - 24.4%

• Plymouth Devonport, 1992: - 29.9%
• Leeds West, 1992: - 24.7%
• Greenwich and Woolwich, 1997: - 22.6% (notional)

• Independent Labour Party, Glasgow Bridgeton, 1950: - 60.6%
• Ulster Unionist Party, North Down, 1979: - 53.1%
• 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%

• Liverpool Wavertree, 1997: + 23.1%
• Crosby, 1997: + 22.4%
• Brent North, 1997: + 20.4%
• Plymouth Devonport, 1992: + 20.3%
• North East Cambridgeshire, 1997: + 20.2%
• Hove, 1997: + 20.1%

• Brent East, 2005: + 36.9%
• Liverpool Broadgreen, 1987: + 24.7%
• Kingston and Surbiton, 2001: + 23.5%
• Birmingham Ladywood, 2005: + 23.3%
• Birmingham Hodge Hill, 2005: + 21.4%
• Sheffield Hallam, 1997: + 20.6%
• Manchester Withington, 2005: + 20.4%

• SNP, Glasgow Govan, 1992: + 26.7%

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%

Since 1918:

• B. Price, Conservative, Upper Bann, 1997: 0.9%
• R. Smith, Liberal, South Antrim, 1970: 0.9%
• A. Seaton, Conservative, Pontypridd, 1918: 1.1%
• J. S. Holmes, Conservative, East Londonderry, 1997: 1.1%
• H. Simonds-Gooding, Liberal, North Down, 1970: 1.3%
• Alan Greer, Conservative, Belfast East, 2005: 1.4%
• C. J. Canning, Liberal, Dundee West, 1950: 1.9%
• E. W. Mason, Liberal, Glasgow Govan, October 1974, 1.9%
• A. W. Bowkett, Liberal, Birmingham Ladywood, 1924, 2.0%

Labour's worst vote was 2.2% for S. P. Gordon in Glasgow Bridgeton in 1935.

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)

• 2 votes: Winchester, 1997
• 3 votes: Carmarthen, February 1974
• 3 votes: Peterborough, 1966
• 4 votes: Worcester, 1945
• 6 votes: Caithness and Sutherland, 1945
• 7 votes: Leicester South, 1983
• 7 votes: Brighton Kemptown, 1964
• 9 votes: Bodmin, February 1974
• 10 votes: Reading, 1964
• 10 votes: Manchester Rusholme, 1945
• 11 votes: Eton and Slough, 1964
• 12 votes: Torbay, 1997
• 12 votes: South East Derbyshire, 1959
• 13 votes: Ipswich, 1970
• 14 votes: Preston North, 1964
• 15 votes: Northwich, 1945
• 16 votes: Preston South, 1951
• 19 votes: Vale of Glamorgan 1992
• 20 votes: Birmingham All Saints, 1959
• 21 votes: Hyndburn, 1983
• 22 votes: Peterborough, February 1974
• 22 votes: Dunbartonshire East, October 1974
• 25 votes: Belfast West, 1951
• 27 votes: Ealing North, 1964
• 28 votes: Stround and Thornberry, 1950
• 29 votes: Preston North, 1979
• 30 votes: Galloway, October 1974

• 7: Peterborough, 1966
• 7: Brighton Kemptown, 1964

Highest turnout in any general election since 1918:

• Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 1951: 93.4%

Lowest turnout in any general election since 1918:

• Liverpool Riverside, 2001: 34.1%
• Lambeth Kennington, 1918: 29.7%

Any number of candidates can be nominated for election under current UK electoral law. There are no restrictions, with the only required stipulation (other than residency rules) being the valid nomination of ten electors from the constituency. general elections often attract "fringe" or novelty candidates, single-issue candidates, or independents. As with nominations in a general election, candidates must pay a £500 deposit which is only refunded if the candidate wins 5% of the votes cast.

Only two constituencies have seen more than ten candidates stand in a general election:

• Sedgefield, 2005: 15
• Finchley, 1983: 11^[1]

The last four seats to be uncontested at a general election were Armagh, Londonderry, North Antrim and South Antrim, at the 1951 UK general election.

Three seats were contested only by Labour and Conservative candidates at the 1979 UK general election: Birmingham Handsworth, Dudley West and Salford East.

A small number of constituencies in England, such as Barnsley West and Penistone, Birkenhead, Chorley, Don Valley and Selby, were only contested by three candidates in 2005.

A selection of politicians who have contested seats in at least thirteen general elections are listed:

• Peter Tapsell has contested thirteen consecutive general elections from 1959 to 2005.
• Tony Benn contested thirteen consecutive general elections from 1951 to 1997 (plus four by-elections).
• Edward Heath contested, and won, fourteen consecutive general elections from 1950 to 1997.
• Michael Foot contested fourteen consecutive general elections from 1935 to 1987 (plus one by-election).
• Winston Churchill contested sixteen consecutive general elections from 1900 to 1959 (plus five by-elections).
• Edward Turnour contested, and won, a seat at thirteen consecutive general elections
• David Lloyd George contested, and won, a seat at thirteen consecutive general elections (plus one by-election).
• T. P. O'Connor contested, and won, a seat at fourteen consecutive general elections
• Charles Pelham Villiers contested, and won, a seat at fifteen 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.

• William McCrea, 1997 and 2001^a
• Shirley Williams, 1979 and 1983
• Arthur Henderson, 1918, 1922 and 1923^b

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 1974. ^a
• Dave Nellist, 1997, 2001 and 2005 ^a
• Tom Mitchell, 1959, 1964 and 1966 ^b

Notes:

• ^a in various seats
• ^b in the same seat

Attempts at a comeback usually occur almost immediately

• Joseph Jackson Cleary, 1955: 20 years after his defeat

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

• Alasdair McDonnell, elected for Belfast South in 2005, after standing in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2001.
• 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.

• William McCrea, 2005
• Malcolm Rifkind, 2005
• John Horam, 1992
• Paul Tyler, 1992
• Iain Sproat, 1992
• Gerald Malone, 1992
• Michael Ancram, 1992
• Margaret Bain, 1987
• Michael Ancram, 1979
• Peter Griffiths, 1979
• Enoch Powell, October 1974
• Michael Winstanley, February 1974
• Richard Wainwright, February 1974

• Alfred Dobbs
• Paul Tyler
• Michael Winstanley
• Judith Chaplin

Notes

• ¹ died
• ² defeated at next general election
• ³ disqualified (Beattie was never elected. He was awarded the seat on the disqualification of his predecessor, only to be found to be disqualified himself)
• ⁴ retired at next general election (seat abolished by redistribution and failed to secure alternative seat)
• ⁵ retired at next general election due to personal difficulties
• ^a returned to Parliament at a subsequent election
• ^b had served previously as an MP

See Baby of the House of Commons

• Thomas Leslie Teevan 1951, aged 24
• Patrick Joseph Whitty 1918, aged 24

• Ethel Bentham, 1929: 68
• Piara Khabra, 1992: 67
• Ernest Roberts, 1979: 67
• John McQuade, 1979: 66
• Caroline Ganley, 1945: 65
• Mildred Gordon, 1987: 63

• Charles Pelham Villiers, Wolverhampton South, 1895: 93
• David Logan Liverpool Scotland, 1959: 87
• Winston Churchill, Woodford, 1959: 84
• S. O. Davies, Merthyr Tydfil, 1970: 83
• Edward Heath, Old Bexley and Sidcup, 1997: 80
• John Rankin, Glasgow Govan, 1970: 80
• T. P. O'Connor, Liverpool Scotland, 1929: 80
• Piara Khabra, Ealing Southall, 2005: 80 ¹
• Ian Paisley, Antrim North, 2005: 79 ¹
• Irene Ward, Tynemouth, 1970: 75
• Alice Cullen, Glasgow Gorbals, 1966: 75
• Gwyneth Dunwoody, Crewe and Nantwich, 2005: 74¹
• Eleanor Rathbone, Combined English Universities, 1945: 73
• Caroline Ganley, Battersea South, 1950: 70

¹ currently, 2007, still an MP.

• Constance Markiewicz, Dublin St Patrick's, 1918
• Nancy Astor, 1922
• Margaret Wintringham, 1922

• Dadabhai Naoroji, Finsbury Central, 1892
• Mancherjee Bhownagree, Bethnal Green, 1895 and 1900
• Shapurji Saklatvala, Battersea North, 1922 and 1924

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 bell-weather 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.

• Bethnal Green and Bow, 2005: Oonagh King and George Galloway
• Glasgow Garscadden, 1992: Donald Dewar and Dick Douglas
• South Hams, 1987: Anthony Steen and Willie Hamilton¹
• Crosby, 1983: Shirley Williams and Malcolm Thornton
• Glasgow Hillhead, 1983: Roy Jenkins and Neil Carmichael

Notes: ¹after announcing his retirement, long-serving Scottish Labour MP Willie Hamilton obtained his party's nomination in the hopeless prospect of South Hams. By standing again and being "defeated" he boosted his pension entitlement.

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

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 UK general election, they were held over a period of several weeks.

• 1979
• 1924

1955

• October 1974
• 1966
• 1951

• 2005
• 2001
• 1987
• 1983
• February 1974
• 1970
• 1959
• 1950

• 1997
• 1992
• 1964

• Belfast North, 2001 Ulster Unionist loss, gained by the DUP
• Glasgow Shettleston, 1950¹ ILP loss, gained by Labour

¹ The sitting Independent Labour Party MP had defected to Labour.

• 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, 1983¹ Labour loss, gained by the SDP
• Plymouth Devonport, 1983¹ Labour loss, gained by the SDP
• Caithness and Sutherland, 1983¹ Labour loss, gained by the SDP
• Erith and Crayford, 1983¹ Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
• Renfrew West and Inverclyde, 1983¹ Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
• Clwyd South West, 1983¹ Labour loss, gained by the Conservatives
• East Dunbartonshire, 1979 SNP loss, gained by Labour
• North Down, 1979 UUP loss, gained by Independent Unionist
• Glasgow Bridgeton, 1950² ILP loss, gained by Labour
• West Fife, 1950 Communist loss, gained by Labour

¹ Seats where the sitting Labour MP had defected to the SDP in 1981 and performed well in the 1983 General Election, pushing the Labour party into third place.

² 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; although 2005 was an exception to this case, when the Labour party scored no gains.

• Berwick and East Lothian, February 1974 from Labour
• East Dunbartonshire, February 1974 from Labour
• Birmingham Perry Barr, 1964 from Labour
• Eton and Slough, 1964 from Labour
• Smethwick, 1964 from Labour
• South West Norfolk, 1964 from Labour

• Glasgow Cathcart, 1979 from the Conservative
• East Dunbartonshire, 1979 from the SNP
• Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire, 1979 from the SNP
• Colne Valley, 1970 from the Liberals
• Merioneth, 1951 from the Liberals

Glasgow Cathcart,1979

• 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

Notes: ¹ by-election loss confirmed at the General Election

• 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

• Leeds West, 1983 gained by the Liberals from Labour
• East Dunbartonshire, 1979 gained by Labour from the SNP
• East Dunbartonshire, October 1974 gained by the SNP from the Conservatives
• Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire, February 1974 gained by the SNP from Labour

• Blaenau Gwent, 2005: Independent Peter Law
• Bethnal Green and Bow, 2005: Respect, George Galloway
• Wyre Forest, 2001: IKHH, Richard Taylor
• North Down, 1997: UKUP, Robert McCartney
• Tatton, 1997: Independent Martin Bell
• Lincoln, February 1974: Democratic Labour, Dick Taverne
• Mid Ulster, 1970: Unity, Bernadette Devlin
• North Antrim, 1970: PUP, Ian Paisley
• Western Isles, 1970: SNP, Donald Stewart

• 1997: North Down, sole UPUP MP had died and party had subsequently collapsed.
• 1979: Mid Ulster, UUUP had dissolved and former MP stood down.
• 1959: Caithness and Sutherland, Conservatives stood aside for Independent Conservative David Robertson.
• 1950: Chelmsford, Common Wealth MP had defected to Labour and party decided not to contest any further elections.
• 1950: Glasgow Camlachie, ILP did not contest as their MP had defected to Labour, then the ILP had performed badly in the 1948 by-election.

• Glasgow North East, 2005¹
• Glasgow Springburn, 2001¹
• West Bromwich West, 1997¹
• Croydon North East, 1987¹
• Cardiff West, 1979¹
• Wirral, October 1974¹
• Wirral, February 1974¹
• Carmarthen, 1955
• Carmarthen, 1951
• Carmarthen, 1950

• Glasgow North East, 2005¹
• Glasgow Springburn, 2001¹
• West Bromwich West, 1997¹
• Tatton, 1997
• Cardiff West, 1979¹

• Glasgow North East, 2005¹
• Wyre Forest, 2005
• Glasgow Springburn, 2001¹
• Wyre Forest, 2001
• West Bromwich West, 1997¹
• Tatton, 1997
• Cardiff West, 1979¹

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.

• 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

• Brighton Pavilion, 2005: Green

• 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
• 1906: Liberal landslide

• List of United Kingdom general elections*swing (politics)

1. ^ Research Paper 05/33: General Election 2005, House of Commons Library

• 'Who's Who of British MPs: Volume IV, 1945-1979' by Michael Stenton and Stephen Lees (Harvester, Brighton, 1979) ISBN 0-85527-335-6