1970 United Kingdom general election explained

Election Name:1970 United Kingdom general election
Country:United Kingdom
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1966 United Kingdom general election
Previous Year:1966
Outgoing Members:List of MPs elected in the 1966 United Kingdom general election
Next Election:February 1974 United Kingdom general election
Next Year:Feb 1974
Elected Members:List of MPs elected in the 1970 United Kingdom general election
Seats For Election:All 630 seats in the House of Commons
Majority Seats:316
Elected Mps:List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1970
Election Date:18 June 1970
Opinion Polls:
  1. Opinion poll summary
Turnout:72.0%, 3.8%
Leader1:Edward Heath
Leader Since1:28 July 1965
Party1:Conservative Party (UK)
Leaders Seat1:Bexley
Last Election1:253 seats, 41.9%
Seats1:330
Seat Change1:77
Popular Vote1:13,145,123
Percentage1:46.4%
Swing1:4.5%
Leader2:Harold Wilson
Leader Since2:14 February 1963
Party2:Labour Party (UK)
Leaders Seat2:Huyton
Last Election2:364 seats, 48.0%
Seats2:288
Seat Change2:75
Popular Vote2:12,208,758
Percentage2:43.1%
Swing2:4.9%
Image3:Liberal Party logo (pre1988).png
Leader3:Jeremy Thorpe
Leader Since3:18 January 1967
Party3:Liberal Party (UK)
Leaders Seat3:North Devon
Last Election3:12 seats, 8.5%
Seats3:6
Seat Change3:6
Popular Vote3:2,117,035
Percentage3:7.5%
Swing3:1.0%
Map Size:200px
Map2 Image:File:1970 UK GE Westminster diagram.svg
Map2 Caption:Composition of the House of Commons after the election
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Prime Minister after election
Before Election:Harold Wilson
Before Party:Labour Party (UK)
After Election:Edward Heath
After Party:Conservative Party (UK)

The 1970 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 18 June 1970. It resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, which defeated the governing Labour Party under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The Liberal Party, under its new leader Jeremy Thorpe, lost half its seats. The Conservatives, including the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), secured a majority of 30 seats. This general election was the first in which people could vote from the age of 18, after passage of the Representation of the People Act the previous year, and the first UK election where party, and not just candidate names were allowed to be put on the ballots.[1]

Most opinion polls prior to the election indicated a comfortable Labour victory, and put Labour up to 12.4% ahead of the Conservatives. On election day, however, a late swing gave the Conservatives a 3.4% lead and ended almost six years of Labour government, although Wilson remained leader of the Labour Party in opposition. Writing in the aftermath of the election, the political scientist Richard Rose described the Conservative victory as "surprising" and noted a significant shift in votes between the two main parties.[2] The Times journalist George Clark wrote that the election would be "remembered as the occasion when the people of the United Kingdom hurled the findings of the opinion polls back into the faces of the pollsters".[3]

The result would provide the mandate for Heath as Prime Minister to begin formal negotiations for the United Kingdom to become a member state of the European Communities (EC)—or the "Common Market" as it was more widely known at the time, before it later became the European Union; the UK officially joined the EC on 1 January 1973, along with the Republic of Ireland and Denmark.

Frontbench Labour politicians George Brown and Jennie Lee were voted out at this election.

This marked the end of a series of elections where both main parties won over 40% of the vote. This would not occur again for the Conservatives for nine years; Labour would wait 27.

The result was cast as a two-party politics outcome, with no third party reaching 10% of the (total) vote. Such an outcome would not happen again until the 2017 election.

The election was the last in which a nationwide UK party gained seats in Northern Ireland. The UUP sat with the Conservative Party at Westminster, traditionally taking the Conservative parliamentary whip. To all intents and purposes the UUP functioned as the Northern Ireland branch of the Conservative Party. However, hardline unionist Ian Paisley unseated the UUP incumbent in North Antrim, a clear sign that the UUP's complete dominance over unionist politics in Northern Ireland was already starting to weaken. In 1972, in protest over the permanent prorogation of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, Westminster UUP MPs withdrew from the alliance.

Election date

The date of 18 June was supposedly chosen because Harold Wilson wanted as Prime Minister to go to the polls before the introduction of decimal coinage in early 1971, for which his government had been responsible and which he thought was hugely unpopular, and because Wilson sought to gain some momentum by surprising the Conservatives, who were expecting an October election.

Overview

Commentators believed that an unexpectedly bad set of balance of payments figures (a £31-million trade deficit) published three days before the election and a loss of national prestige after the England football team's defeat by West Germany on 14 June in the World Cup contributed to the Labour defeat.

Other factors that were cited as reasons for the Conservative victory included union indiscipline, rising prices, the risk of devaluation, the imposition of Selective Employment Tax (SET), and a set of jobless figures released on final week of the campaign showing unemployment at its highest level since 1940. Interviewed by Robin Day, the outgoing Prime Minister Harold Wilson highlighted the possibility that "complacency engendered by the opinion polls" may have resulted in a poor turnout of Labour supporters.

As defending world champions, England's venture in the World Cup attracted a much keener public interest than the general election did. However an analysis by pollster Matt Singh for the 50th anniversary of the election concluded that the late swing had been caused by the weak economic data and that there was "no evidence" that the World Cup had influenced the outcome.[4]

American pollster Douglas Schoen and Oxford University academic R. W. Johnson asserted that Enoch Powell had attracted 2.5 million votes to the Conservatives, although the Conservative vote only increased by 1.7 million. Johnson later stated "It became clear that Powell had won the 1970 election for the Tories ... of all those who had switched their vote from one party to another, 50 per cent were working class Powellites". The Professor of Political Science Randall Hansen assessed a range of studies, including some which contended that Powell had made little or no difference to the result, but concluded that "At the very least, Powell's effect was likely to have fired up the Conservative vote in constituencies which would have voted Tory in any event". Election night commentators Michael Barratt and Jeffrey Preece dismissed any special "Powell factor", as did Conservative MPs Reginald Maudling, Timothy Raison and Hugh Dykes.

The 1970–74 Parliament has to date been the only time since the 1924–29 Parliament in which the Conservative Party were only in government for one term before returning to opposition.

The most notable casualty of the election was George Brown, deputy leader of the Labour Party, who lost to the Conservative candidate in the Belper constituency. Brown had held the seat since 1945. Labour Minister for the Arts, Jennie Lee lost her Cannock seat, held by Labour since 1935 on a swing of 10.7% to the Conservatives in what Richard Rose called "the biggest upset" of the election.[5]

Unusually for the Liberal Party, the by-elections between 1966 and 1970 had proved almost fruitless, with many Liberal candidates losing deposits. The one exception was its by-election gain of Birmingham Ladywood in June 1969; this was promptly lost in the 1970 general election. The party found itself struggling to introduce its new leader Jeremy Thorpe to the public, owing to the extensive coverage and attention paid to Enoch Powell. The election result was poor for the Liberals, with Thorpe only narrowly winning his own seat in North Devon. Indeed, of the six MPs returned, three (Thorpe, David Steel and John Pardoe) were elected by a majority of less than 1,000 votes.[6]

The BBC's election coverage was led by Cliff Michelmore, along with Robin Day, David Butler and Robert McKenzie. There were periodic cutaways to the BBC regions. This coverage has been rerun on BBC Parliament on several occasions, including on 18 July 2005 as a tribute to Edward Heath after his death the previous day. Its most recent screening was on the 20th of June 2020, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its first transmission. The BBC coverage was parodied by Monty Python's Flying Circus in its famous "Election Night Special" sketch.

Both BBC and ITN carried their 1970 election night broadcasts in colour, although segments broadcast from some remote locations and some BBC and ITN regional bureaus were transmitted in black-and-white. Some ITV regions were not yet broadcasting in colour at the time of the 1970 elections.

The right to vote in this election was widened by the Labour government's Sixth Reform Act, which reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years. The United Kingdom was the first major democratic nation to extend suffrage to this age group.[7] [8] [9] Case law subsequently established the right for undergraduate students to vote in the constituency of their university. This followed an appeal to the High Court.[10]

Timeline

The Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, visited Buckingham Palace on 18 May and asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament on 29 May, announcing that the election would be held on 18 June. The key dates were as follows:

Friday 29 MayDissolution of the 44th Parliament and campaigning officially begins
Monday 8 JuneLast day to file nomination papers
Wednesday 17 JuneCampaigning officially ends
Thursday 18 JunePolling day
Friday 19 JuneThe Conservative Party wins power with a majority of 31
Monday 29 June45th Parliament assembles
Thursday 2 JulyState Opening of Parliament

Opinion poll summary

Summary of the final polling results before the general election.

Party Marplan Gallup National opinion polls (NOP) Opinion Research Centre (OPC) Harris
41.5% 42.0% 44.1% 46.5% 46.0%
50.2% 49.0% 48.2% 45.5% 48.0%
7.0% 7.5% 6.4% 6.5% 5.0%
1.3% 1.5% 1.3% 1.5% 1.0%
Labour lead8.7% 7.0% 4.1% -1.0% 2.0%
Fieldwork dates11–14 June 14–16 June 12–16 June 13–17 June 20 May16 June
Sample size2,267 2,190 1,562 1,583 4,841

Results

This was the first general election where 18-year-olds had the right to vote. Therefore, despite 1.1 million more people voting in 1970 compared to 1966, turnout actually fell by 3%. This 72% turnout was the lowest since the 1935 general election and compared with a post-War high of 84% in 1950. Professor Richard Rose described the low turnout, which he noted was "one of the lowest since the introduction of the democratic franchise", as surprising to politician and pollsters. Changes to electoral law as part of the Representation of the People Act 1969 had made postal voting easier and polling stations were open an hour later than in past elections, and this would have been expected to improve turnout. On top of this it was reported by Rose that an estimated 25% of 18- to 21-year-olds who were now eligible to vote had not put their names on the electoral register, meaning the turnout was even lower than the percentage figure suggested. Rose also argued that the turnout figures in Britain were "now among the lowest in the Western world."[2] Because the previous election had been in 1966, some people had not had their chance to vote in a general election until the age of 25. Labour's number of votes, 12.2 million, was ironically the same amount they had needed to win in 1964. The Conservative vote surge cost Labour in many marginal seats. Rose suggested the absolute fall in the number of Labour votes suggested that many of the party's supporters had decided to abstain. He also noted that the Labour Party's local organisation was poorer than that of the Conservatives, but did not feel this was a significant factor in Labour supporters failing to come out to vote for the Party given that this organisational difference had been the case in past elections without having this effect.[2] For the Liberals, a small 1% drop in their vote share saw them lose 6 seats, 3 of which were held by the narrowest of margins.

In the end the Conservatives achieved a swing of 4.7%, enough to give them a comfortable working majority. As for the smaller parties, they increased their number in the Commons from 2 to 6 seats.

The Scottish National Party won its first ever seat at a general election (they had won several by-elections previously, going back as far as 1945), although they did lose Hamilton, which they won in a by-election in 1967.|-|+ style="caption-side: bottom; font-weight:normal" |All parties shown.|}

Government's new majority30
Total votes cast28,305,534
Turnout72%

Seats summary

Televised declarations

These declarations were covered live by the BBC where the returning officer was heard to say "duly elected".

Constituency!colspan=2 rowspan=2
Winning party 1966Constituency result by partyWinning party 1970
ConLabLibOthers
scope=rowGuildford27,20313,1088,822 hold
scope=rowCheltenham22,82314,2138,431 hold
scope=rowSalford West14,31016,986 hold
scope=rowWolverhampton North East15,35817,2511,592 hold
scope=rowSalford East9,58315,8533,000 hold
scope=rowWolverhampton South West26,25211,7532,459318 hold
scope=rowNewcastle upon Tyne Central4,25613,6711,433 hold
scope=rowNewcastle upon Tyne North15,97812,518 hold
scope=rowExeter21,68020,4096,672 gain
scope=rowNorth Devon18,5245,26818,893175 hold
scope=rowWest Aberdeenshire18,3966,14112,8472,112 gain

Incumbents defeated

PartyNameConstituencyOffice held whilst in Parliament or by-electionDefeated byParty
Donald DewarAberdeen SouthIain Sproat
Edwin BrooksBebingtonEric Cockeram
Brian ParkynBedfordTrevor Skeet
Gwilym RobertsBedfordshire SouthDavid Madel
George BrownBelperDeputy Leader of the Labour PartyGeoffrey Stewart-Smith
Eric MoonmanBillericayRobert McCrindle
Christopher PriceBirmingham Perry BarrJoseph Kinsey
Ioan EvansBirmingham YardleyComptroller of the HouseholdDerek Coombs
Robert HowarthBolton EastLaurance Reed
Gordon OakesBolton WestRobert Redmond
Woodrow WyattBosworthAdam Butler
Norman HaseldineBradford WestJohn Wilkinson
Colin JacksonBrighouse and SpenboroughWilfred Proudfoot
Dennis HobdenBrighton KemptownAndrew Bowden
Raymond DobsonBristol North EastAssistant WhipRobert Adley
John EllisBristol North WestMartin McLaren
Robert MaxwellBuckinghamWilliam Benyon
Jennie LeeCannockMinister for the ArtsPatrick Cormack
Ted RowlandsCardiff NorthMichael Roberts
Alistair MacdonaldChislehurstPatricia Hornsby-Smith
Ednyfed Hudson DaviesConwayWyn Roberts
David WinnickCroydon SouthRichard Thompson
Sydney IrvingDartfordChairman of Ways and MeansPeter Trew
David EnnalsDoverMinister of State for Social ServicesPeter Rees
Stan NewensEppingNorman Tebbit
Gwyneth DunwoodyExeterParliamentary Secretary at the Board of TradeJohn Hannam
Falmouth and CamborneDavid Mudd
Terence BostonFavershamRoger Moate
John DiamondGloucesterChief Secretary to the TreasurySally Oppenheim
Albert MurrayGravesendParliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of TransportRoger White
HampsteadParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Overseas DevelopmentGeoffrey Finsberg
Roy RoebuckHarrow EastHugh Dykes
Peter JacksonHigh PeakSpencer Le Marchant
Alan Lee WilliamsHornchurchJohn Loveridge
Arnold ShawIlford SouthAlbert Cooper
Dingle FootIpswichSolicitor General for England and WalesErnle Money
John BinnsKeighleyJoan Hall
King's LynnChristopher Brocklebank-Fowler
Stanley HenigLancasterElaine Kellett-Bowman
Harold DaviesLeekParliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime MinisterDavid Knox
James DickensLewisham WestJohn Gummer
William HowieLutonComptroller of the HouseholdCharles Simeons
Jeremy BrayMiddlesbrough WestJohn Sutcliffe
Denis CoeMiddleton and PrestwichAlan Haselhurst
Donald AndersonMonmouthJohn Stradling Thomas
Bert HazellNorfolk NorthRalph Howell
George PerryNottingham SouthNorman Fowler
John HornerOldbury and HalesowenJohn Stokes
Evan LuardOxfordMontague Woodhouse
Ronald AtkinsPreston NorthMary Holt
Peter MahonPreston SouthAlan Green
John LeeReadingGerard Vaughan
Anne KerrRochester and ChathamPeggy Fenner
Antony GardnerRushcliffeKenneth Clarke
Frank HooleySheffield HeeleyJohn Spence
Bob MitchellSouthampton TestJames Hill
Arnold GregoryStockport NorthIdris Owen
Ernest DaviesStretfordWinston Churchill
Gerald FowlerThe WrekinAnthony Trafford
John RyanUxbridgeCharles Curran
Malcolm MacmillanWestern IslesDonald StewartScottish National Party
Hugh GrayYarmouthAnthony Fell
Kenneth BakerActonElected in the 1968 Acton by-electionNigel Spearing
Donald WilliamsDudleyElected in the 1968 Dudley by-electionJohn Gilbert
Esmond WrightGlasgow PollokElected in the 1967 Glasgow Pollok by-electionJames White
Bruce CampbellOldham WestElected in the 1968 Oldham West by-electionMichael Meacher
Christopher WardSwindonElected in the 1969 Swindon by-electionDavid Stoddart
Fred SilvesterWalthamstow WestElected in the 1967 Walthamstow West by-electionEric Deakins
Wallace LawlerBirmingham LadywoodElected in the 1969 Birmingham Ladywood by-electionDoris Fisher
Michael WinstanleyCheadleTom Normanton
Richard WainwrightColne ValleyDavid Clark
OrpingtonLiberal Chief WhipIvor Stanbrook
Alasdair MackenzieRoss and CromartyHamish Gray
Ulster UnionistHenry ClarkAntrim NorthIan PaisleyDemocratic Unionist
James HamiltonFermanagh and South TyroneFrank McManusUnity
Scottish National PartyWinnie EwingHamiltonElected in the 1967 Hamilton by-electionAlex Wilson
Plaid CymruGwynfor EvansCarmarthenElected in the 1966 Carmarthen by-electionGwynoro Jones
Democratic PartyDesmond DonnellyPembrokeshireFormer Labour MPNicholas Edwards

See also

Further reading

External links

Manifestos

Notes and References

  1. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1968/dec/10/use-of-political-descriptions-in HC Deb 10 December 1968 vol 775 cc242-87
  2. Book: Richard Rose . Richard Rose (political scientist) . The Times Guide to the House of Commons 1970 . 1970 . Times Newspapers Limited . London . 31 . Voting Trends Surveyed.
  3. Book: George Clark . The Times Guide to the House of Commons 1970 . 1970 . Times Newspapers Limited . London . 26 . The General Election Campaign, 1970.
  4. Web site: 2020-06-19. Did England's World Cup defeat win the 1970 election for the Tories?. 2020-06-19. CapX. en-GB.
  5. Book: Richard Rose . Richard Rose (political scientist) . The Times Guide to the House of Commons 1970 . 1970 . Times Newspapers Ltd . London . 31 . Voting Trends Surveyed.
  6. Book: The Times Guide to the House of Commons 1970 . 1970 . Times Newspapers Ltd . London . 250.
  7. Loughran . Thomas . Mycock . Andrew . Tonge . Jonathan . 2021-04-03 . A coming of age: how and why the UK became the first democracy to allow votes for 18-year-olds . Contemporary British History . en . 35 . 2 . 284–313 . 10.1080/13619462.2021.1890589 . 233956982 . 1361-9462.
  8. Web site: Loughran . Thomas . Mycock . Andrew . Tonge . Jonathan . 2021-11-03 . Lowering the voting age: three lessons from the 1969 Representation of the People's Act . 2022-12-31 . British Politics and Policy at LSE.
  9. Web site: Bingham . Adrian . 25 June 2019 . 'The last milestone' on the journey to full adult suffrage? 50 years of debates about the voting age . 2022-12-31 . History & Policy.
  10. Web site: Stephen D. Fisher & Nick Hillman . Do students swing elections? Registration, turnout and voting behaviour among full-time students . HEPI . 4.