# List of United Kingdom general elections

United Kingdom general elections (elections for the House of Commons) have occurred in the United Kingdom since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliament of Ireland, before being co-opted to serve in the first Parliament of the United Kingdom, so that Parliament is not included in the table below. There have been 58 general elections held in the UK up to and including the 2024 general election.

## Election results

In 1801, the right to vote in the United Kingdom was severely restricted. Universal suffrage, on an equal basis for men and women over the age of 21, was established in 1928. Before 1918, general elections did not occur on a single day and polling was spread over several weeks.
The majority figure given is for the difference between the number of MPs elected at the general election from the party (or parties) of the government, as opposed to all other parties (some of which may have been giving some support to the government, but were not participating in a coalition). The Speaker is excluded from the calculation. A negative majority means that there was a hung parliament (or minority government) following that election. For example, at the 1929 general election, Labour was 42 seats short of forming a majority, and so its majority is listed as −42. If the party in office changed the figure is re-calculated, but no allowance is made for changes after the general election.
No attempt is made to define a majority before 1832, when the Reform Act disenfranchised the rotten boroughs; before then the Tory party had an undemocratically entrenched dominance. Particularly in the early part of the period, the complexity of factional alignments, with both the Whig and Tory traditions tending to have some members in government and others in opposition factions simultaneously, make it impossible to produce an objective majority figure. The figures between 1832 and about 1859 are approximate due to problems of defining what was a party in government, as the source provides figures for all Liberals rather than just the Whig component in what developed into the Liberal Party. The Whig and Peelite Prime Ministers in the table below are regarded as having the support of all Liberals.

## List of elections
### 19th century

| Election | No. | Dates | Prime minister appointed by monarch (during term) | Winning party | Government vote share | Seat majority | Seats | Monarch |
| 1802 (MPs) | 1st | 5 July – 28 August 1802 | Henry Addington | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George III |
| 1802 (MPs) | 1st | 5 July – 28 August 1802 | (William Pitt the Younger) | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George III |
| 1806 (MPs) | 2nd | 29 October – 17 December 1806 | The Lord Grenville | Whig | N/A | N/A | 658 | George III |
| 1807 (MPs) | 3rd | 4 May – 9 June 1807 | The Duke of Portland | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George III |
| 1807 (MPs) | 3rd | 4 May – 9 June 1807 | (Spencer Perceval) | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George III |
| 1812 (MPs) | 4th | 5 October – 10 November 1812 | The Earl of Liverpool | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George III |
| 1818 (MPs) | 5th | 17 June – 18 July 1818 | The Earl of Liverpool | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George III |
| 1820 (MPs) | 6th | 6 March – 14 April 1820 | The Earl of Liverpool | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George IV |
| 1826 (MPs) | 7th | 7 June – 12 July 1826 | George Canning | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George IV |
| 1826 (MPs) | 7th | 7 June – 12 July 1826 | (The Viscount Goderich) | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George IV |
| 1826 (MPs) | 7th | 7 June – 12 July 1826 | (The Duke of Wellington) | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | George IV |
| 1830 (MPs) | 8th | 29 July – 1 September 1830 | The Duke of Wellington | Tory | N/A | N/A | 658 | William IV |
| 1831 (MPs) | 9th | 28 April – 1 June 1831 | The Earl Grey | Whig | N/A | 135 | 658 | William IV |
| 1832 (MPs) | 10th | 10 December 1832 – 8 January 1833 | The Earl Grey | Whig | 67.0% | 225 | 658 | William IV |
| 1832 (MPs) | 10th | 10 December 1832 – 8 January 1833 | (The Viscount Melbourne) | Whig | 67.0% | 225 | 658 | William IV |
| 1832 (MPs) | 10th | 10 December 1832 – 8 January 1833 | (The Duke of Wellington) | Conservative | 29.2% | −308 | 658 | William IV |
| 1832 (MPs) | 10th | 10 December 1832 – 8 January 1833 | (Sir Robert Peel) | Conservative | 29.2% | −308 | 658 | William IV |
| 1835 (MPs) | 11th | 6 January – 6 February 1835 | Sir Robert Peel | Conservative | 42.8% | −113 | 658 | William IV |
| 1835 (MPs) | 11th | 6 January – 6 February 1835 | (The Viscount Melbourne) | Whig | 57.2% | 113 | 658 | William IV |
| 1837 (MPs) | 12th | 24 July – 18 August 1837 | The Viscount Melbourne | Whig | 52.4% | 29 | 658 | Victoria |
| 1841 (MPs) | 13th | 29 June – 22 July 1841 | The Viscount Melbourne | Whig | 46.2% | N/A | 658 | Victoria |
| 1841 (MPs) | 13th | 29 June – 22 July 1841 | (Sir Robert Peel) | Conservative | 51.6% | 77 | 658 | Victoria |
| 1841 (MPs) | 13th | 29 June – 22 July 1841 | (Lord John Russell) | Whig | 46.2% | N/A | 658 | Victoria |
| 1847 (MPs) | 14th | 29 July – 26 August 1847 | Lord John Russell | Whig | 53.8% | −72 | 656 | Victoria |
| 1847 (MPs) | 14th | 29 July – 26 August 1847 | (The Earl of Derby) | Conservative | 42.6% | N/A | 656 | Victoria |
| 1852 (MPs) | 15th | 7–31 July 1852 | The Earl of Derby | Conservative | 41.9% | 7 | 654 | Victoria |
| 1852 (MPs) | 15th | 7–31 July 1852 | (The Earl of Aberdeen) | Peelite | N/A | N/A | 654 | Victoria |
| 1852 (MPs) | 15th | 7–31 July 1852 | (The Viscount Palmerston) | Whig | 57.9% | N/A | 654 | Victoria |
| 1857 (MPs) | 16th | 27 March – 24 April 1857 | The Viscount Palmerston | Whig | 64.8% | 100 | 654 | Victoria |
| 1857 (MPs) | 16th | 27 March – 24 April 1857 | (The Earl of Derby) | Conservative | 33.5% | N/A | 654 | Victoria |
| 1859 (MPs) | 17th | 28 April – 18 May 1859 | The Earl of Derby | Conservative | 34.2% | N/A | 654 | Victoria |
| 1859 (MPs) | 17th | 28 April – 18 May 1859 | (The Viscount Palmerston) | Liberal | 65.8% | 59 | 654 | Victoria |
| 1865 (MPs) | 18th | 11–24 July 1865 | The Viscount Palmerston | Liberal | 59.5% | 81 | 658 | Victoria |
| 1865 (MPs) | 18th | 11–24 July 1865 | (The Earl Russell) | Liberal | 59.5% | N/A | 658 | Victoria |
| 1865 (MPs) | 18th | 11–24 July 1865 | (The Earl of Derby) | Conservative | 40.5% | N/A | 658 | Victoria |
| 1865 (MPs) | 18th | 11–24 July 1865 | (Benjamin Disraeli) | Conservative | 40.5% | N/A | 658 | Victoria |
| 1868 (MPs) | 19th | 17 November – 7 December 1868 | William Ewart Gladstone | Liberal | 61.2% | 115 | 658 | Victoria |
| 1874 (MPs) | 20th | 31 January – 17 February 1874 | Benjamin Disraeli | Conservative | 44.3% | 49 | 652 | Victoria |
| 1880 (MPs) | 21st | 31 March – 27 April 1880 | William Ewart Gladstone | Liberal | 54.7% | 51 | 652 | Victoria |
| 1880 (MPs) | 21st | 31 March – 27 April 1880 | (The Marquess of Salisbury) | Conservative | 42.5% | N/A | 652 | Victoria |
| 1885 (MPs) | 22nd | 24 November – 18 December 1885 | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative | 43.0% | N/A | 670 | Victoria |
| 1885 (MPs) | 22nd | 24 November – 18 December 1885 | (William Ewart Gladstone) | Liberal | 47.7% | −16 | 670 | Victoria |
| 1886 (MPs) | 23rd | 1–27 July 1886 | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative & Liberal Unionists | 51.4% | 58 | 670 | Victoria |
| 1892 (MPs) | 24th | 4–26 July 1892 | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative & Liberal Unionists | 47.0% | N/A | 670 | Victoria |
| 1892 (MPs) | 24th | 4–26 July 1892 | (William Ewart Gladstone) | Liberal | 45.4% | −126 | 670 | Victoria |
| 1892 (MPs) | 24th | 4–26 July 1892 | (The Earl of Rosebery) | Liberal | 45.4% | −126 | 670 | Victoria |
| 1892 (MPs) | 24th | 4–26 July 1892 | (The Marquess of Salisbury) | Conservative & Liberal Unionists | 47.0% | N/A | 670 | Victoria |
| 1895 (MPs) | 25th | 13 July – 7 August 1895 | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative & Liberal Unionists | 49.3% | 153 | 670 | Victoria |
| 1900 (MPs) | 26th | 26 September – 24 October 1900 | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative & Liberal Unionists | 50.2% | 135 | 670 | Victoria |
| 1900 (MPs) | 26th | 26 September – 24 October 1900 | (Arthur Balfour) | Conservative & Liberal Unionists | 50.2% | N/A | 670 | Victoria |
| 1900 (MPs) | 26th | 26 September – 24 October 1900 | (Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman) | Liberal | 45.1% | N/A | 670 | Victoria |
* 1 2 3 4 Died in office.
* ↑ Was defeated on a motion to examine the accounts of the Civil List on 15 November 1830 and resigned the following day.
* ↑ Was dismissed by William IV on 14 November 1834.
* ↑ Peel was defeated on a report about the Irish Church on 7 April 1835 and resigned the following day.
* ↑ Defeated on a motion of no confidence on 4 June 1841 and advised the Queen to dissolve Parliament, which she did on 23 June.
* ↑ Ministry met the House of Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 27 August 1841 and resigned on 30 August 1841.
* ↑ Was defeated on an Irish Coercion Bill on 25 June 1846 and resigned on 29 June 1846.
* ↑ Was defeated on a militia bill on 20 February 1852 and resigned on 23 February.
* ↑ Was defeated on the Budget on 16 December 1852 and resigned on 19 December 1852.
* ↑ Was defeated on a vote in favour of a select committee to enquire into alleged mismanagement during the Crimean War on 29 January 1855 and resigned the next day.
* ↑ Was defeated on a Bill, which made it a felony to plot in Britain to murder someone abroad, on 19 February 1858 and resigned on the same day.
* ↑ Ministry met the Commons, but was defeated on an amendment to the Address on 10 June 1859 and resigned on 11 June 1859.
* ↑ Was defeated on Parliamentary reform proposals on 18 June 1866 and resigned on 26 June 1866.
* ↑ Hung parliament.
* 1 2 Immediately advised the dissolution of Parliament upon becoming Prime Minister.
* 1 2 Known as a Khaki election which is an election heavily influenced by wartime or postwar sentiment.

### 20th century

| Election | No. | Date | Prime minister appointed by monarch (during term) | Winning party | Government vote share | Seat majority | Seats | Turnout | Monarch |
| 1906 (MPs) | 27th | 12 January – 8 February 1906 | Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman | Liberal | 48.9% | 129 | 670 | N/A | Edward VII |
| 1906 (MPs) | 27th | 12 January – 8 February 1906 | (H. H. Asquith) | Liberal | 48.9% | 129 | 670 | N/A | Edward VII |
| 1910 (MPs) | 28th | 15 January – 10 February 1910 | H. H. Asquith | Liberal (minority government) | 43.5% | −122 | 670 | N/A | Edward VII |
| 1910 (MPs) | 29th | 3–19 December 1910 | H. H. Asquith | Liberal (minority government) | 44.2% | −126 | 670 | N/A | George V |
| 1910 (MPs) | 29th | 3–19 December 1910 | (David Lloyd George) | Liberal (minority government) | 44.2% | −126 | 670 | N/A | George V |
| George V |||||||||
| 1918 (MPs) | 30th | 14 December 1918 | David Lloyd George | Liberal (coalition) | 53.0% | 238 | 707 | 57.2% | George V |
| 1918 (MPs) | 30th | 14 December 1918 | (Bonar Law) | Conservative | 53.0% | 238 | 707 | 57.2% | George V |
| 1922 (MPs) | 31st | 15 November 1922 | Bonar Law | Conservative | 38.5% | 74 | 615 | 73.0% | George V |
| 1922 (MPs) | 31st | 15 November 1922 | (Stanley Baldwin) | Conservative | 38.5% | 74 | 615 | 73.0% | George V |
| 1923 (MPs) | 32nd | 6 December 1923 | Stanley Baldwin | Conservative (minority government) | N/A | 615 | 71.1% | | George V |
| 1923 (MPs) | 32nd | 6 December 1923 | (Ramsay MacDonald) | Labour (minority government) | 30.7% | 615 | 71.1% | −98 | George V |
| 1924 (MPs) | 33rd | 29 October 1924 | Stanley Baldwin | Conservative | 46.8% | 210 | 615 | 77.0% | George V |
| 1929 (MPs) | 34th | 30 May 1929 | Ramsay MacDonald | Labour (minority government) | 37.1% | −42 | 615 | 76.3% | George V |
| 1931 (MPs) | 35th | 27 October 1931 | Ramsay MacDonald | National Labour (National Government) | 67.2% | 492 | 615 | 76.4% | George V |
| 1935 (MPs) | 36th | 14 November 1935 | Stanley Baldwin | Conservative (National Government) | 51.8% | 242 | 615 | 71.1% | George V |
| 1935 (MPs) | 36th | 14 November 1935 | (Neville Chamberlain) | Conservative (National Government) | 51.8% | 242 | 615 | 71.1% | George VI |
| 1935 (MPs) | 36th | 14 November 1935 | (Sir Winston Churchill) | Conservative (war-time coalition) | 97.7% | 609 | 615 | 71.1% | George VI |
| 1935 (MPs) | 36th | 14 November 1935 | (Sir Winston Churchill) | Conservative (caretaker government) | 51.8% | 242 | 615 | 71.1% | George VI |
| George VI |||||||||
| 1945 (MPs) | 37th | 5 July 1945 | Clement Attlee | Labour | 47.7% | 146 | 640 | 72.8% | George VI |
| 1950 (MPs) | 38th | 23 February 1950 | Clement Attlee | Labour | 46.1% | 5 | 625 | 83.9% | George VI |
| 1951 (MPs) | 39th | 25 October 1951 | Sir Winston Churchill | Conservative | 48.0% | 17 | 625 | 82.6% | George VI |
| 1951 (MPs) | 39th | 25 October 1951 | (Sir Anthony Eden) | Conservative | 48.0% | 17 | 625 | 82.6% | Elizabeth II |
| 1955 (MPs) | 40th | 26 May 1955 | Sir Anthony Eden | Conservative | 49.7% | 60 | 630 | 76.8% | Elizabeth II |
| 1955 (MPs) | 40th | 26 May 1955 | (Harold Macmillan) | Conservative | 49.7% | 60 | 630 | 76.8% | Elizabeth II |
| 1959 (MPs) | 41st | 8 October 1959 | Harold Macmillan | Conservative | 49.4% | 100 | 630 | 78.7% | Elizabeth II |
| 1959 (MPs) | 41st | 8 October 1959 | (Sir Alec Douglas-Home) | Conservative | 49.4% | 100 | 630 | 78.7% | Elizabeth II |
| 1964 (MPs) | 42nd | 15 October 1964 | Harold Wilson | Labour | 44.1% | 4 | 630 | 77.1% | Elizabeth II |
| 1966 (MPs) | 43rd | 31 March 1966 | Harold Wilson | Labour | 48.0% | 98 | 630 | 75.8% | Elizabeth II |
| 1970 (MPs) | 44th | 18 June 1970 | Edward Heath | Conservative | 46.4% | 30 | 630 | 72.0% | Elizabeth II |
| 1974 (MPs) | 45th | 28 February 1974 | Harold Wilson | Labour (minority government) | 37.2% | −33 | 630 | 78.8% | Elizabeth II |
| 1974 (MPs) | 46th | 10 October 1974 | Harold Wilson | Labour | 39.2% | 3 | 635 | 72.8% | Elizabeth II |
| 1974 (MPs) | 46th | 10 October 1974 | (James Callaghan) | Labour | 39.2% | 3 | 635 | 72.8% | Elizabeth II |
| 1979 (MPs) | 47th | 3 May 1979 | Margaret Thatcher | Conservative | 43.9% | 43 | 635 | 76.0% | Elizabeth II |
| 1983 (MPs) | 48th | 9 June 1983 | Margaret Thatcher | Conservative | 42.4% | 144 | 650 | 72.7% | Elizabeth II |
| 1987 (MPs) | 49th | 11 June 1987 | Margaret Thatcher | Conservative | 42.2% | 102 | 650 | 75.3% | Elizabeth II |
| 1987 (MPs) | 49th | 11 June 1987 | (John Major) | Conservative | 42.2% | 102 | 650 | 75.3% | Elizabeth II |
| 1992 (MPs) | 50th | 9 April 1992 | John Major | Conservative | 41.9% | 21 | 651 | 77.7% | Elizabeth II |
| 1997 (MPs) | 51st | 1 May 1997 | Tony Blair | Labour | 43.2% | 179 | 659 | 71.4% | Elizabeth II |
* 1 2 3 4 Hung parliament.
* ↑ Coalition Coupon. The Conservative party (led by Bonar Law) won the most votes and seats, but David Lloyd George became Prime Minister as leader of the Liberal party as part of a major cross-party deal.
* ↑ Bonar Law immediately advised the dissolution of Parliament upon becoming Prime Minister on 23 October 1922.
* ↑ Known as the 'flapper' election because it was the first election in which women aged 21–29 had the right to vote.
* ↑ In the 1951 general election, although the Labour Party won a plurality of votes (48.8%), it was the Conservative Party with 48% of the voteshare that won a 17-seat majority and would go on to form the next government.

### 21st century

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