Electoral history of the Conservative Party (UK) explained

The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party and also known colloquially as the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party, and has been described as both right-wing and centre-right.

This article encompasses detailed results of previous UK general elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections, devolved national elections, devolved London elections and European Parliament elections which the Conservative Party have participated in.

Background

It is the current governing party, having won the 2019 general election, and has been the primary governing party in the United Kingdom since 2010. On the political spectrum the party has been described as right-wing by various sources and as centre-right[1] by others, and encompasses various ideological factions including one-nation conservatives, Thatcherites, and traditionalist conservatives.

As of September 2023, the party has 354 members of Parliament, 260 members of the House of Lords, 9 members of the London Assembly, 31 members of the Scottish Parliament, 16 members of the Welsh Parliament, 4 directly elected mayors, 30 police and crime commissioners, and around 5,647 local councillors.[2] It holds the annual Conservative Party Conference.[3]

The Conservative Party was founded in 1834 from the Tory Party and was one of two dominant political parties in the 19th century, along with the Liberal Party.[4] [5] In 1912, the Liberal Unionist Party merged with the party to form the Conservative and Unionist Party. Since the 1920s, the Labour Party emerged to be the Conservatives' main rival and the Conservative–Labour political rivalry has shaped modern British politics for the last century.

National results

UK general elections

United Kingdom general elections are held under the first past the post voting system.[6] Each constituency in the United Kingdom will elect one Member of Parliament; overall 650 Members of Parliament are currently elected at each election.[6] Following the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, the date of the general election is at the discretion of the prime minister within a five-year period from the last general election.[6] The next general election will be held on 4 July 2024.[7]

In the 1931 general election, the Conservatives earned their best result to date, by vote share (55.5%) and seat number (474).[8] In the post-war era, the 1983 general election was the most successful for the Conservatives in terms of seats won (397), whereas 1955 was the most successful election for vote share (49.7%).[8] However, the 1997 general election was the least successful election since 1918 for the Conservatives, winning 165 seats and gaining 30.7% of the vote.[8]

This chart shows the electoral performance of the Conservative Party in each general election since 1835.[9] [10]

For results of the Tories, the party's predecessor, see here.

+ Parliament of the United Kingdom
ElectionLeaderVotesSeatsPositionGovernmentRef
No.ShareNo.±Share
1835Robert Peel261,26940.8% 9841.5% 2nd[11]
1837379,69448.3% 4147.7% 2nd
1841379,69456.9% 5355.8% 1st
1847Earl of Derby205,48142.7%Includes Peelites 4249.5% 1st
1852311,48141.9%Includes Peelites 550.5% 1st
1857239,71234.0% 6640.4% 2nd
1859193,23234.3% 3445.6% 2nd
1865346,03540.5% 943.9% 2nd
1868[12] Benjamin Disraeli903,31838.4% 1841.2% 2nd
18741,091,70844.3% 7953.7% 1st
18801,462,35142.5% 11336.3% 2nd
1885[13] Marquess of Salisbury1,869,56043.4% 1036.9% 2nd
18861,417,62751.4% 14658.7% 1st
18922,028,58647.0% 7946.9% 2nd
18951,759,48449.3% 9761.3% 1st
19001,637,68350.2% 960.0% 1st
1906Arthur Balfour2,278,07643.4% 24623.3% 2nd
data-sort-value="1910-1"January 19102,919,23646.8% 11640.6% 2nd
data-sort-value="1910-2"December 19102,270,75346.6% 140.5% 2nd
Merged with Liberal Unionist Party in 1912 to become the Conservative and Unionist Party
1918[14] Bonar Law4,003,84838.4%332 elected with Coupon 10853.6% 1st
19225,294,46538.5% 3555.9% 1st
1923Stanley Baldwin5,286,15938.0% 8641.3% 1st
19247,418,98346.8% 12467.0% 1st
1929[15] 8,252,52738.1% 15242.3% 2nd
193111,377,02255.0% 21076.4% 1st
193510,025,08347.8% 8362.8% 1st
1945Winston Churchill8,716,21136.2% 18930.8% 2nd
195011,507,06140.0% 8545.1% 2nd
195113,724,41848.0% 2048.3% 1st
1955data-sort-value="eden"Anthony Eden13,310,89149.7% 2251.4% 1st
1959data-sort-value="macm"Harold Macmillan13,750,87549.4% 2154.8% 1st
1964data-sort-value="dougl"Alec Douglas-Home12,002,64243.4% 4747.3% 2nd
1966Edward Heath11,418,45541.9% 4839.7% 2nd
1970[16] 13,145,12346.4% 8052.4% 1st
data-sort-value="1974-1"February 197411,872,18037.9% 3346.8% 2nd
data-sort-value="1974-2"October 197410,462,56535.8% 2043.6% 2nd
1979Margaret Thatcher13,697,92343.9% 6253.4% 1st
198313,012,31642.4% 3861.1% 1st
198713,760,93542.2% 2157.8% 1st
1992John Major14,093,00741.9% 4051.6% 1st
19979,600,94330.7% 17125.0% 2nd
2001data-sort-value="hag"William Hague8,357,61531.7% 125.2% 2nd
2005data-sort-value="how"Michael Howard8,785,94132.4% 3230.7% 2nd
2010David Cameron10,703,65436.1% 9647.1% 1st[17]
201511,299,60936.8% 2450.8% 1st[18]
2017data-sort-value="may"Theresa May13,636,68442.3% 1348.8% 1st
with DUP confidence and supply[19] 		[20]
2019data-sort-value="johnson"Boris Johnson13,966,45443.6% 4856.2% 1st[21]
2024data-sort-value="sunak"Rishi Sunak6,827,31123.7% 25118.6% 2nd[22]
Note:

Police and Crime Commissioner elections

ElectionLeaderVotesCommissionersPosition
No.ShareNo.±Share
2012David Cameron1,480,32327.6%34.8%1st
20162,601,56029.3%450.0%1st
2021Boris Johnson4,900,50144.5%1076.9%1st
2024Rishi Sunak2,727,82035.2%1151.4%1st

Devolved national elections

Scottish Parliament elections

See also: Scottish Parliament and Scottish Conservatives.

ElectionLeaderVotes (Constituency)Colspan=2Votes (List)SeatsPositionGovernment
No.ShareNo.ShareNo.±Share
1999364,22515.6%359,10915.4%14.0%3rdLabour–Liberal Democrats
2003318,27916.6%296,92915.6% 014.0% 3rdLabour–Liberal Democrats
2007334,74316.6%284,00513.9% 113.4% 3rdScottish National minority
2011276,65213.9%245,96712.4% 211.6% 3rdScottish National
2016501,84422.0%524,22222.9% 1624.0% 2ndScottish National minority
2021592,52621.9%637,13123.5% 024.0% 2ndScottish National minority

Senedd elections

See also: Senedd and Welsh Conservatives.

ElectionLeaderVotes (Constituency)Colspan=2Votes (List)SeatsPositionGovernment
No.ShareNo.ShareNo.±Share
1999Rod Richards162,13315.8%168,20616.5%15.0%3rd
2003Nick Bourne169,83219.9%162,72519.2% 218.3% 3rd
2007218,73922.4%209,15321.4% 120.0% 3rd
2011237,38825.0%213,77322.5% 223.3% 2nd
2016Andrew R. T. Davies215,59721.1%190,84618.8% 318.3% 3rd
2021289,80226.1%278,56025.1% 526.7% 2nd

Northern Ireland devolved elections

See also: Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Conservatives. Prior to 1973, the Ulster Unionist Party acted as the de facto Northern Ireland branch of the Conservative Party. The UUP's results may be seen here.

ElectionLeaderVotesSeatsPositionGovernment
No.ShareNo.±Share
Elections to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996
1996Barbara Finney3,5950.480.0%12th
Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998
19981,8350.23 00.0% 14th
20031,6040.20 00.0% 14th
20073,4570.50 00.0% 10th
2011
2016Alan Dunlop2,5540.40 00.0% 11th
2022Matthew Robinsontbc

Devolved London elections

London Mayoral elections

See also: London Mayor and London Conservatives.

ElectionLeaderCandidateVotes (1st pref.)Votes (run-off)Position
No.ShareNo.Share
2000William HagueSteven Norris464,43427.1%564,13742.1%
2004Michael Howard542,42329.1%667,18044.6%
2008David CameronBoris Johnson1,043,76143.2%1,168,73853.2%
2012971,93144.0%1,054,81151.5%
2016Zac Goldsmith909,75535.0%994,61443.2%
2021Boris JohnsonShaun Bailey893,05135.3%977,60144.8%
2024Rishi SunakSusan Hall812,39732.7%

London Assembly elections

See also: London Assembly and London Conservatives.

ElectionLeaderAssembly LeaderVotes (Constituency)Votes (List)SeatsPosition
No.ShareNo.ShareNo.+Share
2000William HagueEric Ollerenshaw526,42233.2%481,05329.0%36.0%1st
2004Michael HowardBob Neill562,04731.2%533,69628.5% 036.0% 1st
2008David CameronRichard Barnes900,56937.4%835,53534.1% 244.0% 1st
2012James Cleverly722,28032.7%708,52832.0% 236.0% 2nd
2016Gareth Bacon812,41531.1%764,23029.2% 132.0% 2nd
2021Boris JohnsonSusan Hall833,02132.0%795,08130.7% 136.0% 2nd
2024Rishi SunakNeil Garratt673,03627.2%648,26926.2% 132.0% 2nd

Combined authority elections

YearLeaderMayoralties wonChange
2017
2018
2019
2021 2
2024Rishi Sunak 1

European

European Parliament elections

See also: European Parliament and Elections to the European Parliament.

ElectionParty GroupLeaderVotesSeatsPosition
No.ShareNo.±Share
1979ED6,508,49248.475.0%1st
1984EPP5,426,86638.8 1555.6% 1st
19895,331,07734.7 1339.5% 2nd
19944,274,12226.8 1320.7% 2nd
1999[23] EPP-ED3,578,21835.8 1841.4% 1st
20044,397,08726.7 834.6% 1st
2009[24] ECR4,281,28627.7 136.1% 1st
20143,792,54923.1 726.0% 3rd
20191,512,8098.8 155.5% 5th
Note:

Notes and References

  1. News: James . William . 1 October 2019 . Never mind the politics, get a Brexit deal done, says UK business . Reuters . 21 September 2019.
  2. Web site: Local Council Political Compositions . 23 January 2018 . Open Council Date UK . 8 July 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170930131243/http://www.opencouncildata.co.uk/index.php . 30 September 2017.
  3. Web site: Party Conferences. Institute for Government. 26 August 2020 . 7 September 2022.
  4. Ivor Bulmer-Thomas, The Growth of the British Party System Volume I: 1640–1923 (1965) pp. 66–81
  5. David Paterson, Liberalism and Conservatism, 1846–1905 (2001) p. 5
  6. Web site: UK Election Statistics: 1918–2023, A Long Century of Elections (p106) . Richard Cracknell, Elise Uberoi, Matthew Burton . House of Commons Library . 9 August 2023 . 21 October 2023.
  7. News: Landler . Mark . 2024-05-22 . Sunak Announces U.K. Elections for July 4, Months Earlier Than Expected . 2024-05-22 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  8. Web site: UK Election Statistics: 1918–2023, A Long Century of Elections (p8) . Richard Cracknell, Elise Uberoi, Matthew Burton . House of Commons Library . 9 August 2023 . 21 October 2023.
  9. Web site: General Election Results 1885–1979 . Election.demon.co.uk . 13 April 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120130011015/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html . 30 January 2012 . dead .
  10. Web site: 1835 General Election Results | From A Vision of Britain through Time. www.visionofbritain.org.uk. 18 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200218133806/https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/election/1835-02-06. 18 February 2020. live.
  11. Web site: 1835 General Election Results | From A Vision of Britain through Time. www.visionofbritain.org.uk. 18 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200218133806/https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/election/1835-02-06. 18 February 2020. live.
  12. The first election held under the Reform Act 1867.
  13. The first election held under the Representation of the People Act 1884 and the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
  14. The first election held under the Representation of the People Act 1918 in which all men over 21, and most women over the age of 30 could vote, and therefore a much larger electorate.
  15. The first election held under the Representation of the People Act 1928 which gave all women aged over 21 the vote.
  16. Franchise extended to all 18- to 20-year-olds under the Representation of the People Act 1969.
  17. Web site: General Election 2010 (p28, 86) . House of Commons Library . 2 February 2011 . 16 October 2023.
  18. News: General Election 2015 . House of Commons Library . 28 July 2015 . 16 October 2023.
  19. News: Theresa May and the DUP deal: What you need to know . Alex Hunt . BBC News . 26 June 2017 . 16 October 2023.
  20. News: General Election 2017: results and analysis (p8–12) . House of Commons Library . 29 January 2019 . 16 October 2023.
  21. Web site: General Election 2019: results and analysis (p8–12) . House of Commons Library . 28 January 2020 . 16 October 2023.
  22. Web site: UK General election 2024 Results . 6 July 2024 . . 6 July 2024.
  23. Electoral system changed from first past the post to proportional representation.
  24. Includes 82,892 votes and 1 seat gained from the UCUNF alliance

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