United Kingdom general election records explained

In the 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

• 1931 general election – 14.4% swing from Labour to National Government
• 1945 general election – 11.8% swing from Conservative/National Liberal to Labour^[1]
• 2024 general election – 10.8% swing from Conservative to Labour
• 1997 general election – 10.2% swing from Conservative to Labour

Seat swings

• From Conservative to Reform: Clacton, 2024 - 45.1% (Reform gain)
• From Labour to Independent: Blyth, Feb 1974 - 42.3% (Independent gain)
• From Conservative to Liberal Democrat: North Shropshire, 2024 - 41.3% (Liberal Democrat gain)
• From Labour to SNP: Glasgow North East, 2015 – 39.3%^[2] (SNP gain)
• From Conservative to Green: North Herefordshire, 2024 - 32.7% (Green gain)
• From Labour to Liberal Democrat: Brent East, 2005 – 29% (Liberal Democrat gain)
• From Liberal Democrat to Labour: Brent Central, 2015 – 28.3% (Labour gain)
• From Labour to Green: Bristol Central, 2024 - 28.2% (Green gain)
• From SNP to Labour: Alloa and Grangemouth, 2024 – 26.6% (Labour gain)
• From Conservative to Labour: South West Norfolk, 2024 – 26.2% (Labour gain)
• From SNP to Conservative: Gordon, 2017 20.4% (Conservative gain)
• From Labour to Conservative: Bassetlaw, 2019 – 18.4% (Conservative gain)
• From Liberal Democrat to Conservative: North Norfolk, 2019 – 17.5% (Conservative gain)
• From Conservative to SNP: Perth and East Perthshire, October 1974 – 11% (SNP gain).

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

Decrease	Party		Election
19.9		2024
15.1		2015
11.9		1924
11.6		1945
10.8		2017
7.9		2019

Constituency

Decrease	Party		Constituency	Election
65.1			1918
60.6			1950
53.1			1979
45.8			1970
45.7			1974 Feb
44.0			2024
43.4			2024
43.0			2024
41.5			1970
41.2			2024
40.5			2024
39.8			2001
39.7			2005
39.7		North Shropshire	2024
39.3		Blackburn	2024
38.6			2024
38.4		Castle Point	2024
37.9		South Holland and the Deepings	2024
37.4			1935
36.8			2017
36.2		Dewsbury and Batley	2024
36.0		Basildon and Billericay	2024
35.9		Rayleigh and Wickford	2024
35.8			2015
35.0			2005
34.7			2015
34.7			2015
34.5			2015
34.1			2024
33.9		Birmingham Perry Bar	2024
33.4		Maldon	2024
33.0			1950
32.7			2015
32.4			2024
31.9			2024
31.7			2015
31.6			1959
31.5		North Herefordshire	2024
31.2			2015
31.2			2015
31.1			2015
31.0			2024
30.8			2024
30.5			2024
30.5			2015
30.5			1979
30.3			2015
30.0			2010

Other parties

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

Decrease	Party		Constituency	Election
27.0			1997
26.0			1987
25.3			1979

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.

Increase	Party		Constituency	Election
74.1			1945
43.9			2015
43.8			1951
42.9			2024
41.3			2005
41.2			2015
40.8			2015
39.8			2015
39.6			2015
39.3			2015
38.9			2015
38.3			2015
38.2			2015
37.9			2015
37.6			2015
36.9			2005
36.5			2015
36.1			2015
36.1			1950
35.9		North Down	2019
35.9			2024
35.0			2015
34.7			2015
34.2			2015
34.1			2015
33.9			2024
33.0			2015
33.0			2015
32.8			2015
32.6			2015
32.2			2015
31.7			2015
31.7			2015
31.6			1959
31.4			2015
31.3			2024
31.3			2015
31.3E		Belfast South	2019
31.0			2015
30.9			2024
30.8			2015
30.8			2015
30.6			1974 Feb
30.6			2024
30.4			2015
30.3			2017
30.0			2015

Other parties

Increase	Party		Constituency	Election
29.6			2015
29.0			2017
24.2			1970
23.7			1966

Largest winning share of the vote

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

Candidate	Party		Constituency	Election	% Share
George Currie		North Down	1959	98.0
George Currie		North Down	1955	96.9
Knox Cunningham		South Antrim	1959	95.1
Phelim O'Neill		North Antrim	1959	94.9
Will Thorne		Plaistow	1918	94.9

Largest winning share of the vote by general election

Candidate	Party			Constituency	Election	% Share
Dan Carden		Labour	Liverpool Walton	2024	70.6
Dan Carden		Labour	Liverpool Walton	2019	84.7
Dan Carden		Labour	Liverpool Walton	2017	85.7^[3]

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,^[4] 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.^[1]

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.^[1] 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:^[5]

Majority	Party		Election	Leader
492		1931	Ramsay MacDonald
209		1924	Stanley Baldwin
179		1997	Tony Blair
174		2024	Keir Starmer
167		2001	Tony Blair
145		1945	Clement Attlee
144		1983	Margaret Thatcher

Lowest winning share of the vote

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

Name	Party		Constituency	Election	% Share
		Belfast South	2015	24.5^[6]
		Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber	1992	26.0
		South West Norfolk	2024	26.7
		Portsmouth Central	1922	26.8
		Blackburn	2024	27.0
		Belfast North	1979	27.6
		East Londonderry	2024	27.9
		North Antrim	2024	28.3
		Exmouth and Exeter East	2024	28.7
		East Antrim	2024	28.9
		Sittingbourne and Sheppey	2024	29.1
		Ceredigion	2017	29.2
		Norwich South	2010	29.4
		Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr	2024	29.4
		Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe	2024	29.5
		Dumfries and Galloway	2024	29.6
		East Ham North	1922	29.7
		Perth	2001	29.7
		Argyll and Bute	2001	29.9

Lowest share of the vote

Major parties less than 1% of the vote

Since 1918:

% share	Candidate	Party		Constituency	Election
0.1	Paul Shea			2015
0.1	Hannah Westropp			2024
0.2	Samantha Rayner			2024
0.2	Stephen Lynch			2024
0.3	Lucille Nicholson			2015
0.4	Hamish Badenoch			2015
0.4	Barry Hetherington			2024
0.4	Robert Rigby			2015
0.4	Amandeep Singh Bhogal			2015
0.4	Claire-Louise Leyland			2015
0.5	Claire Scull			2024
0.6	Clare Salier			2017
0.7	Felicity Buchan			2015
0.7	Gary McLelland			2015
0.8	Eileen Baxendale			2015
0.8	Karen Roberts			2017
0.8	Liz St Clair-Legge			2017
0.9	Flo Clucas			2017
0.9	Ben France			2017
0.9	Carol Freeman			2015
0.9	Brian Price			1997
0.9	Cameron Sullivan			2017

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:

Votes	Candidate	Party	Constituency	Election
1	Catherine Taylor-Dawson			2005
3		Give Me Back Elmo		2017^[7]
5	Martin Kyslun			2005
5				2019^[8]
7	Dorian Vanbraam	Renaissance Democrat		1997^[9]
7	Andres Mendoza			2017^[10]
8	Bobby Smith	Give Me Back Elmo	Uxbridge and South Ruislip	2019^[11]

Both W. M. Somerville and John Magee in Drogheda at the 1852 United Kingdom general election received no votes^[12] and George Griffith in Bewdley at the 1874 United Kingdom general election received one vote.^[13] 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).^[14]

Smallest majorities

Vote Majority	Candidate	Party		Constituency	Election
0	John Edmund Wentworth Addison		Ashton-under-Lyne	1886
1	Henry Duke		Exeter	1910
2	Abraham Flint		Ilkeston	1931

Since 1945

Vote Majority	Candidate	Party		Constituency	Election
2	Stephen Gethins		North East Fife	2017
2	Mark Oaten		Winchester	1997
3	Gwynoro Jones		Carmarthen	1974 Feb
3	Harmar Nicholls		Peterborough	1966
4	Michelle Gildernew		Fermanagh and South Tyrone	2010
4	George Ward		Worcester	1945
6	Eric Gandar Dower		Caithness and Sutherland	1945
7	Derek Spencer		Leicester South	1983
7	Dennis Hobden		Brighton Kemptown	1964
9	Paul Tyler		Bodmin	1974 Feb
10	Peter Emery		Reading	1964
10	Lester Hutchinson		Manchester Rusholme	1945
11	Anthony Meyer		Eton and Slough	1964
12	Adrian Sanders		Torbay	1997
12	John Jackson		South East Derbyshire	1959
13	Ernle Money		Ipswich	1970
14	Julian Amery		Preston North	1964
15	David Pinto-Duschinsky		Hendon	2024
15	John Foster		Northwich	1945
16	Edward Shackleton		Preston South	1951
18	Neil Duncan-Jordan		Poole	2024
19	Walter Sweeney		Vale of Glamorgan	1992
20	Emma Dent Coad		Kensington	2017
20	Richard Holden		Basildon and Billericay	2024
21	John Hollingworth		Birmingham All Saints	1959
21	Ken Hargreaves		Hyndburn	1983
21	Pete Wishart		Perth and North Perthshire	2017
22	Ian Austin		Dudley North	2017
22	Harmar Nicholls		Peterborough	1974 Feb
22	Margaret Bain		East Dunbartonshire	1974 Oct
25	Jack Beattie		Belfast West	1951
27	William Molloy		Ealing North	1964
27	Byron Davies		Gower	2015
28	Walter Robert Dempster Perkins		Stroud and Thornbury	1950
29	Robert Atkins		Preston North	1979
30	Paul Farrelly		Newcastle-under-Lyme	2017
30	George Thompson		Galloway	1974 Oct

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.

Seats	Party		Election	% of Seats
418		1997	63.6%
397		1983	61.1%
72		2024	11.1%
56		2015	8.6%
21		1955	3.3%
17		1983	2.6%
12		1959	1.9%
10		2017	1.54%
8		1945	1.3%
7		2017	1.1%
6		1983	0.92%
5		2024	0.77%
4		2024	0.65%
4		1992	0.62%
4		1992	0.62%
3		1945
3		Feb. 1974
2		1945
2		1945
2		1945
2		1945
2		National	1945
2		National Independent	1945
2		1945
2		1970
1		2010
1		1945
1		Feb. 1974
1		2001
1		1951
1		1945
1		Oct. 1974
1		1979
1		1951
1		1970
1		1966
1		2005
1		2024
1		1997
1		2015
1		1983
1		1979

Most recounts

• 7: Peterborough, 1966^[1]
• 7: Brighton Kemptown, 1964
• 6: Hyndburn, 1983
• 5: Hastings and Rye, 2017
• 5: Carmarthen, February 1974
• 5: Ilkeston, 1931

Highest turnout

Highest turnouts in any general election since 1918:

• Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 1951: 93.4%^[15]
• Darwen, 1924: 92.7%

Lowest turnout

All turnouts below 35% from 1918 onwards:

Constituency	Election	Turnout (%)
	1918	29.7
	1918	30.7
	1918	31.2
	1918	32.4
	1918	33.4
	2001	34.1
	1918	34.2

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.^[16]

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).

Candidates	Constituency	Election	Incumbent
15		2005	Tony Blair
13		2024	Rishi Sunak
13		2017	Theresa May
13		2015	None
12		2024	None
12		2024	Keir Starmer
12		2024	Anneliese Dodds
12		2019	Boris Johnson
12		2015	David Cameron
12		2010	Meg Hillier
12		2010	None
11		1983	Margaret Thatcher^[17]
11		2010	Andrew Turner
11		2010	None
11		2010	Harriet Harman
11		2015	Rushanara Ali
11		2015	Harriet Harman
11		2015	Meg Hillier
11		2015	None
11		2024	Rushanara Ali
11		2024	None
11		2024	None
11		2024	Fabian Hamilton
11		2024	Tan Dhesi

Before 1983, the consecutive records were 6 candidates in Paddington North in 1918,^[18] 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.^[19]

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.^[20]

Seats changing hands

Largest number of seats changing hands

• 2024 general election – 303 (notional)
• 1931 general election – 289
• 1945 general election – 279
• 1922 general election – 210
• 1924 general election – 206
• 1997 general election – 185

Smallest number of seats changing hands

• 2001 general election – 27
• 1951 general election – 27
• 1955 general election – 28
• October 1974 general election – 28
• 1959 general election – 39

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.

Name	Parties	Contests	Successful	First	Last	Notes
Winston Churchill	Liberal, Conservative	16	14	1900	1959	Stood in five by-elections, first in 1899
Charles Pelham Villiers	Liberal, Liberal Unionist	15	15	1835	1895
Kenneth Clarke	Conservative	15	13	1964	2017
Edward Heath	Conservative	14	14	1950	1997
T. P. O'Connor	Irish Nationalist	14	14	1885	1929
Dennis Skinner	Labour	14	13	1970	2019
Peter Tapsell	Conservative	14	13	1959	2010	Also stood in 1957 by-election
Gerald Kaufman	Labour	14	12	1955	2015	Did not stand 1964 or 1966
Manny Shinwell	Labour	14	12	1918	1966	Also stood in 1928 by-election
Peter Bottomley	Conservative	14	11	1974 Feb	2024	Also stood in 1975 by-election
Michael Foot	Labour	14	11	1935	1987	Also stood in 1960 by-election
David Winnick	Labour	14	10	1964	2017	Did not stand February 1974
David Lloyd George	Liberal	13	13	1892	1935	Also stood in 1890 by-election
Edward Turnour	Conservative	13	13	1906	1950	Also stood in 1904 by-election
Tony Benn	Labour	13	12	1951	1997	Stood in four by-elections, first in 1950
Margaret Beckett	Labour	13	11	1974 Feb	2019

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.

• George Galloway, 2010 and 2015^b
• William McCrea, 1997 and 2001^a
• Shirley Williams, 1979 and 1983
• Christopher Addison, 1931 and 1935
• 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

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.

• 9: Robert McIntyre, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, Feb 1974 and Oct 1974^a
• 6: Dave Nellist, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015^a and 2024
• 6: George Nicholls, Dec 1910, 1918, 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1929 (and by-elections in 1913 and 1925)^a
• 4: Fred Maddison, Dec 1910, 1918, 1922 and 1923^a
• 4: Tom Howard, 1935, 1945, 1950 and 1951 (and a by-election in 1947)^e
• 3: Gordon Birtwistle, 2017, 2019 and 2024^b
• 3: Alan Reid, 2017, 2019 and 2024^b
• 3: Mike Carr, 1997, 2001 and 2005^a
• 3: Tom Mitchell, 1959, 1964 and 1966^b
• 3: Sydney Walter Robinson, 1929, 1931 and 1945 (and a by-election in 1926)^a
• 3: Maurice Alexander, 1923, 1924, 1931^e
• 3: Thomas Edward Wing, 1922, 1924 and 1929 (and a by-election in 1920)^c
• 3: Alexander Boulton, Dec 1910, 1923 and 1924^d

Notes:

• ^a in various seats
• ^b in the same seat
• ^c two previous seats and another
• ^d one previous seat and another
• ^e one previous seat and others

Interval

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

!Years!Candidate!Year of defeat!Year of re-election

17	Paul Tyler	1974 October	1992
14	Dan Norris	2010	2024
13	Walter Ayles	1931	1945
	George Isaacs
	Somerville Hastings
	Jennie Lee
	Leah Manning
	Lucy Noel-Buxton
13	Jonathan Evans	1997	2010

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.

• Nigel Farage, elected for Clacton in 2024, after standing in Salisbury in 1997, Bexhill and Battle in 2001, South Thanet in 2005 and 2015, and Buckingham in 2010, as well as two by-elections.
• Alex Easton, elected for North Down in 2024, after standing in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
• Roger Mullin, elected for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in 2015, after standing in South Ayrshire in February 1974 and October 1974, Kirkcaldy in 1987, Paisley North in a by-election in 1990 and in 1992.
• Craig Mackinlay, elected for South Thanet in 2015, after standing in Gillingham in 1992, 1997, and 2005, and Totnes in 2001.
• David Ward, elected for Bradford East in 2010, after standing in Bradford North in 1992, 2001 and 2005 (and a by-election in 1990).
• Alasdair McDonnell, elected for Belfast South in 2005, after standing in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2001 (and a by-election in 1982), and previously in North Antrim in 1970.
• 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.
• Michael Ward, elected for Peterborough in October 1974, after standing in February 1974, 1970 and 1966.
• Tommy Lewis, elected for Southampton in 1929, after standing in 1918, 1922, 1923 and 1924.
• A. E. Stubbs, elected for Cambridgeshire in 1945, after standing in 1918, 1922 and 1923, and in another constituency in 1929, 1931 and 1935.
• Frank Smith, elected for Nuneaton in 1929, after standing in 1924, and in various other constituencies in 1923, 1922, 1918, 1910, 1895 and 1892 (and also two by-elections in 1909 and one in 1894).
• Edwin Scrymgeour, elected for Dundee in 1922, after standing in January 1910, December 1910 and 1918 (and also in the 1908 and 1917 by-elections).
• Daniel Zeichner, elected for Cambridge in 2015, after standing in 2010, and previously in Mid Norfolk in 2005, 2001 and 1997.

Among women, namely:

• Felicity Buchan, elected for Kensington in 2019, after previously standing in South Shields in 2017 and South Down in 2015.
• Theodora Clarke, elected for Stafford in 2019, after previously standing in Bristol East in 2017 and 2015.
• Daisy Cooper, elected for St Albans in 2019, after standing in 2017, and previously in Mid Sussex in 2015 and Suffolk Coastal in 2010.
• Dehenna Davison, elected for Bishop Auckland in 2019, after standing in Sedgefield in 2017 and Kingston upon Hull North in 2015.
• Jane Hunt, elected for Loughbrough in 2019, after standing in Nottingham South in 2017 and 2015, and Leicester East in 2010 (and also a 2011 by-election).
• Wera Hobhouse, elected for Bath in 2017, after standing in North East Somerset in 2015 and Heywood and Middleton in 2010.
• Nicky Morgan, elected for Loughborough in 2010, after standing in 2005, and previously in Islington South and Finsbury in 2001.
• Tessa Munt, elected for Wells in 2010, after standing in 2005, and previously in South Suffolk in 2001 (and also a by-election that year).
• Liz Truss, elected for South West Norfolk in 2010, after standing in Calder Valley in 2005 and Hemsworth in 2001.
• Rosie Cooper, elected for West Lancashire in 2005, after standing in Liverpool Broadgreen in 1992, Knowsley North in 1987 (and also a 1986 by-election) and Liverpool Garston in 1983.
• Ann Keen, elected for Brentford and Isleworth in 1997, after standing in 1992 and 1987.
• Siobhain McDonagh, elected for Mitcham and Morden in 1997, after standing in 1992 and 1987.
• Margaret Thatcher, elected for Finchley in 1959, after previously standing in Dartford as Margaret Roberts in 1951 and 1950.
• Barbara Ayrton-Gould, elected for Hendon North in 1945, after standing in Manchester Hulme in 1935, Northwich in 1929 and 1924, and Lambeth North in 1922.
• Grace Colman, elected for Tynemouth in 1945, after standing in Sheffield Hallam in 1935 and Hythe in 1931 and 1929.
• Jean Mann, elected for Coatbridge in 1945, after standing in West Renfrewshire in 1935 and 1931.
• Ethel Bentham, elected for Islington East in 1929, after standing in 1924, 1923 and 1922.
• Helen Shaw, elected for Bothwell in 1929, after standing in 1924 and 1923.

Former MPs making a comeback at a general election

• 2024: Douglas Alexander, Heidi Alexander, Mary Creagh, Nick Dakin, James Frith, Andrew George, Stephen Gethins, Tessa Munt, Pamela Nash, Dan Norris, Melanie Onn, Jo Platt, Emma Reynolds, Gareth Snell, Anna Turley
• 2019: Caroline Ansell, James Davies, Flick Drummond, Margaret Ferrier, Richard Fuller, Jason McCartney, Karl McCartney, Anne McLaughlin, John Nicolson, Sarah Olney, Kirsten Oswald, Amanda Solloway, Owen Thompson, Edward Timpson, Craig Williams
• 2017: Vince Cable, Ed Davey, David Drew, Michelle Gildernew, Zac Goldsmith, John Grogan, Stephen Lloyd, Tony Lloyd, Esther McVey, Chris Ruane, Jo Swinson, Chris Williamson
• 2015: Boris Johnson, Joan Ryan, Dawn Butler, Rob Marris, Alex Salmond
• 2010: John Cryer, Geraint Davies, Jonathan Evans, Chris Leslie, Stephen Twigg
• 2005: David Evennett, Christopher Fraser, William McCrea, Malcolm Rifkind
• 2001: Henry Bellingham, Alistair Burt, Derek Conway, Charles Hendry, Greg Knight, Andrew Mitchell, Bob Spink
• 1997: Gerry Adams, Christopher Chope, Alan Clark, Frank Doran, Huw Edwards, Michael Fallon, Ronnie Fearn, Mike Hancock, Sylvia Heal, Gerald Howarth, Ashok Kumar, Richard Livsey, Humfrey Malins, John Maples, Francis Maude, Jonathan Sayeed, John Smith
• 1992: Michael Ancram, Bryan Davies, Warren Hawksley, John Horam, Gerry Malone, Piers Merchant, Richard Ottaway, Nick Raynsford, John Spellar, Derek Spencer, Iain Sproat, Mark Robinson, Paul Tyler
• 1987: Bob Cryer, Margaret Ewing, John Garrett, Bruce Grocott, Joan Lestor, Jim Marshall, Ann Taylor, Andrew Welsh, Audrey Wise
• 1983: Margaret Beckett, Robin Corbett, Bryan Gould, Edward Loyden, Andrew MacKay, Max Madden, Brian Sedgemore
• 1979: Michael Ancram, Sydney Chapman, David Clark, Eric Cockeram, Ednyfed Hudson Davies, Terry Davis, Dick Douglas, Peggy Fenner, Peter Griffiths, John Gummer, Barry Henderson, James Hill, John Wilkinson, David Winnick
• October 1974: Donald Anderson, Jeremy Bray, Gwynfor Evans, Robert Hicks, Evan Luard, John Mackintosh, Fergus Montgomery, Enoch Powell, Nicholas Scott, Keith Speed
• February 1974 Ronald Atkins, Gwyneth Dunwoody, John Ellis, David Ennals, Ioan Evans, Winifred Ewing, Gerald Fowler, Frank Hooley, Sydney Irving, Colin Jackson, John Lee, Eric Moonman, Stanley Newens, Christopher Price, Gwilym Roberts, Arnold Shaw, Frederick Silvester, Richard Wainwright, Alan Lee Williams, Michael Winstanley
• 1970: William Clark, Albert Cooper, Julian Critchley, Charles Curran, Patrick Duffy, Anthony Fell, Edward Gardner, Alan Glyn, Alan Green, Patricia Hornsby-Smith, Geoffrey Howe, James Kilfedder, Martin McLaren, Anthony Meyer, Peter Thomas, Richard Thompson, David Walder, Montague Woodhouse
• 1966: Richard Body, Peter Tapsell

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

Candidate	Party		Constituency	Year	Days
Alfred Dobbs		Smethwick	1945	1^1
John Sunderland		Preston	1945	122^1
John Whittaker		Heywood and Radcliffe	1945	137^1
Philip Clarke		Fermanagh and South Tyrone	1955	152^3x
Thomas Mitchell		Mid-Ulster	1955	152^3x
Barry McElduff		West Tyrone	2017	222^4
Harry West		Fermanagh and South Tyrone	1974 Feb	224^2
James Godfrey MacManaway		Belfast West	1950	238^3
Harry Harpham		Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough	2015	273^1
Judith Chaplin		Newbury	1992	316^1
Peter Law		Blaenau Gwent	2005	355^1

Pre-1945

Candidate	Party		Constituency	Year	Days
Thomas Higgins		Galway North	1906	0^1
James Annand		East Aberdeenshire	1906	16^1
Joseph Nicholas Bell		Newcastle East	1922	32^1
Harry Wrightson		Leyton West	1918	32^1
Hugh Anderson		Londonderry North	1918	66^4
Pierce McCan		East Tipperary	1918	68^1x
Alexander Theodore Gordon		Aberdeen and Kincardine Central	1918	68^1
Charles Mathew		Whitechapel and St. George's	1922	85^1
Robert Climie		Kilmarnock	1929	126^1b
George Henry Williamson		Worcester	1906	128^3
Harold St. Maur		Exeter	1910-11	129^3
John Thom		Dunbartonshire	1931	142^4b
Richard Mathias		Cheltenham	1910-11	144^3
George Hillman		Wakefield	1931	144^1
John Barker		Maidstone	1900	147^3a
Edward Clarke		City of London	1906	150^4b
Frederick Guest		East Dorset	1910	154^3a
Eugene O'Sullivan		East Kerry	1910	170^3
David MacDonald		Bothwell	1918	176^1
Thomas Agar-Robartes		Bodmin	1906	183^3a
Herbert Sparkes		Tiverton	1922	188^1
Hilton Philipson		Berwick-on-Tweed	1922	197^3
Armine Wodehouse		Saffron Walden	1900	200^1
Frederick Rutherfoord Harris		Monmouth	1900	210^3a
Moreton Frewen		Cork North-East	1910-11	220^4
Arthur Willey		Leeds Central	1922	229^1
Ellis Ellis-Griffith		Carmarthen	1923	252^4b
William Ward		Wednesbury	1931	273^5b
Alfred Holland		Clay Cross	1935	290^1
Charles Harvey Dixon		Rutland and Stamford	1922	311^1b
Arthur Henniker-Hughan		Galloway	1924	340^1
George Spero		Fulham West	1929	341^4b
Martin Morris		Galway Borough	1900	342^5

Notes

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

Youngest general election victors

• Mhairi Black, Scottish National Party, elected in 2015 aged 20 years 237 days.^[21]

Babies of the House elected at general elections

See Baby of the House of Commons

Youngest to leave the House

Party!Election of Leave!Age!Notes

Thomas Teevan		1951	24	^1
Edward Stanley		1918	24	^2 (re-elected 1922)
Patrick Joseph Whitty		1918	24	^2
Henry Harrison		1892	24	^1
Stuart Donaldson		2017	25	^1
Arthur Evans		1923	25	^1 (re-elected 1924 as Conservative)
Denis Shipwright		1923	25	^1
Joseph Sweeney		1922	25	^2x
John Esmonde		1918	25	^3
Bernadette Devlin McAliskey		1974 Feb	26	^1
Jennie Lee		1931	26	^1 (re-elected 1945)
Frank Owen		1931	26	^1
Hugh Lucas-Tooth		1929	26	^1 (re-elected 1945)
Bryan Ricco Cooper		1910 Dec	26	^1
John Wodehouse		1910 Jan	26	^3
Christopher Ward		1970	27	^1
Liam Mellows		1922	27	^2x
David Reed		1974 Feb	28	^2
Mhairi Black		2024	29	^3
Nicola Richards		2024	29	^3
Andrew Mackay		1979	29	^1 (re-elected 1983)
Michael Ancram		1974 Oct	29	^1 (re-elected 1979)
Margo MacDonald		1974 Feb	29	^1
Charles Rhys		1929	29	^1 (re-elected 1931)
Dehenna Davison		2024	30	^3
Kirstene Hair		2019	30	^1
Pamela Nash		2015	30	^1
Owen Carron		1983	30	^1x
Helene Hayman		1979	30	^1
		1979	30	^1
Graham Tope		1974 Feb	30	^1
Stanley Henig		1970	30	^1
John Profumo		1945	30	^1
Noel Lindsay		1935	30	^1
W. E. D. Allen		New Party	1931	30	^3
Arthur Evans		1929	30	^3 (re-elected 1931)
Esmond Harmsworth		1929	30	^3

Notes:

¹ Defeated

² Constituency abolished

³ Retired

^x did not take his seat

Oldest to lose their seats

Age	Candidate	Party		Constituency	Election
87	Dennis Skinner			2019
83	David Winnick			2017
80	Charles William Bowerman			1931
79	Peter Bottomley			2024
77	Thomas Dyke Acland			1886
76	Arthur Shirley Benn			1935
76	Frank Smith			1931
76	Edward Evans			1959
76	Cecil Walker			2001
75	James Sexton			1931
75	Fenner Brockway			1964
75	Syd Bidwell			1992
75	Richard Taylor			2010
75	Marion Fellows			2024
74	Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell			1906
74	George Edwards			1924
74	Enoch Powell			1987
74	Peggy Fenner			1997
74	Tom Clarke			2015
74	Michael Fabricant			2024
73	James Fergusson			1906
73	Robert Hobart			1910 Jan
73	James Hindle Hudson			1955
72	George Edwards			1922
72	Robert Aske			1945
72	Albert Stubbs			1950
72	Caroline Ganley			1951
71	John Cobbold			1868
71	Sir Mark MacTaggart-Stewart			1906
71	Arthur Strauss			1918
71	Sir William Middlebrook			1922
71	Sir Davison Dalziel			1923
71	Ben Tillett			1931
71^1	David Hardie			1931
71	Leo Amery			1945
71	Henry Guest			1945
71				1997
71	Gordon Birtwistle			2015
71	Giles Watling			2024
71	Vince Cable			2015
70	Marshall Stevens			1922
70	Thomas Jewell Bennett			1923
70				1929
70	John Potts			1931
70	Jonah Walker-Smith			1945
70	Dryden Brook			1955
70	Charles William Gibson			1959
70	Sir Samuel Storey		Stretford	1966
70	Hugh Jenkins			1979
70	Dudley Smith			1997
70	James Hill			1997

¹Based 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.^[22]

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 then new seat of South Donegal in Ireland at the 1885 general election. He died aged reportedly 78 on 1 January 1887. Others:

!Age!Candidate!Election

75	Caleb Wright	1885
74^1	Sir George Harrison	1885
74	Frank Smith	1929
73	William Beadel	1885
73	Ashton Lister	1918
71	Robert Williams	1807
71	Jim Allister	2024
71	Sir John Elley	1835
70–71^2	John Fleming	1818
70	James Caulfeild	1852
70	Frank James	1892
70	Samuel Young	1892
70^3	Robert Cameron	1895
70^4	George Walker	1945
70^5	Piara Khabra	1992
69	William Cobbett	1832
69	Robert Brooks	1859
69	Robert Stickney Blaine	1885
69	Sir Robert Hobart	1906
69	Sir William Peter Griggs	1918
69	Sir George Andreas Berry	1922
69	Alfred Smith	1929
68	Sir William Earle Welby	1802
68	Frank Hornby	1931
68	William Nicol	1859
68	William Raeburn	1918
68	Sir Alfred Waldron Smithers	1918
68	Ethel Bentham	1929
68	Marie Rimmer	2015
68	Mick Whitley	2019
67	George Williams	1832
67	Sir George Berkeley	1852
67	William Henry Sykes	1857
67	William John Lysley	1859
67	Spencer Charrington	1885
67	Henry Howe Bemrose	1895
67	Sir Maurice Dockrell	1918
67	Edwin Perkins	1922
67	Andrew Gilzean	1945
67	Albert Stubbs	1945
67	John McQuade	1979
67	Ernest Roberts	1979
67	Roger Mullin	2015
67	Jo Gideon	2019
66-67	John Forster FitzGerald	1852
66	Rupert Lowe	2024
66	William Beckett	1841
66	Sir Benjamin Guinness	1865
66	Dadabhai Naoroji	1892
66	William Beale	1906
66	George Henry Faber	1906
66	David Sanders Davies	1918
66	Henry Foreman	1918
66	Marshall Stevens	1918
66	Albert Edward Jacob	1924
66	Sir Frederick Mills	1931
66	William Allan Reid	1931
66	Richard Taylor	2001
66	Gordon Birtwistle	2010
66	Glyn Davies	2010
66	Marion Fellows	2015
65	Patricia Ferguson	2024
65	William Moffat	1802
65	James Simmons	1806
65	Peter Rainier	1807
65	Thomas Bernard	1874
65	Hugh Law	1874
65	Alfred Lafone	1886
65	Robert Pearce	1906
65	Alfred Jephcott	1918
65	Alexander Sprot	1918
65	Joseph Leckie	1931
65	Caroline Ganley	1945
65	Mervyn Wheatley	1945
65	George Kerevan	2015
65	Maureen Burke	2024

¹ 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.

² Exact birth date not known but Fleming, who was brought up as an adopted orphan, is usually stated to have been born in 1747.

³ Exact birthdate not known but Cameron is normally stated to have been born in 1825 and was reportedly this age at election.

⁴ Exact birthdate not known but Walker is normally stated to have born in 1874 and was reportedly this age at election.

⁵ 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

• Charles Pelham Villiers, Wolverhampton South, 1895: 93
• Samuel Young, East Cavan, 1910(D): 88
• David Logan, Liverpool Scotland, 1959: 87
• Sir Charles Burrell, New Shoreham, 1859: 85
• Isaac Holden, Keighley, 1892: 85
• Robert Cameron, Houghton-le-Spring, 1910(D): 85
• Dennis Skinner, Bolsover, 2017: 85
• Walter Wilkins, Radnorshire, 1826: 84
• William Hodgson Barrow, South Nottinghamshire, 1868: 84
• Winston Churchill, Woodford, 1959: 84
• Gerald Kaufman, Manchester Gorton, 2015: 84
• William Plumer, Higham Ferrers, 1820: 83
• Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, Mid Glamorganshire, 1886: 83
• S. O. Davies, Merthyr Tydfil, 1970: 83 ¹
• Piara Khabra, Ealing Southall, 2005: 83
• The Earl of Carhampton, Ludgershall, 1820: 82
• William Ewart Gladstone, Midlothian, 1892: 82
• Paul Flynn, Newport West, 2017: 82
• Sir Thomas Miller, Portsmouth, 1812: 81
• Manny Shinwell, Easington, 1966: 81
• John Rankin, Glasgow Govan, 1970: 81
• David Winnick, Walsall North, 2015: 81
• Whitshed Keene, Montgomery Boroughs, 1812: c.80–81²
• Sir John Aubrey, Horsham, 1820: 80
• William Gore-Langton, Somerset East, 1841: 80
• Lord Palmerston, Tiverton, 1865: 80
• Joseph Warner Henley, Oxfordshire, 1874: 80
• Michael Thomas Bass, Derby, 1880: 80
• James Patrick Mahon, Clare, 1880: 80
• Sir Gilbert Greenall, Warrington, 1886: 80
• John Mowbray, Oxford University, 1895: 80
• John Rankin, Glasgow Govan, 1970: 80
• Edward Heath, Old Bexley and Sidcup, 1997: 80
• Peter Tapsell, Louth and Horncastle, 2010: 80
• Ann Clwyd, Cynon Valley, 2017: 80
• Murdoch Macdonald, Inverness, 1945: 79
• Ian Paisley, Antrim North, 2005: 79
• Geoffrey Robinson, Coventry North-West, 2017: 79
• Bill Cash, Stone, 2019: 79
• Barry Sheerman, Huddersfield, 2019: 79
• John Brocklehurst, 1865: 76
• Margaret Beckett, Derby South, 2019: 76
• Alice Cullen, Glasgow Gorbals, 1966: 75
• Irene Ward, Tynemouth, 1970: 75
• Gwyneth Dunwoody, Crewe and Nantwich, 2005: 74
• Eleanor Rathbone, Combined English Universities, 1945: 73
• Glenda Jackson, Hampstead and Kilburn, 2010: 73
• Angela Watkinson, Hornchurch and Upminster, 2015: 73
• Marie Rimmer, St Helens South and Whiston, 2019: 72
• Louise Ellman, Liverpool Riverside, 2017: 71
• Caroline Ganley, Battersea South, 1950: 70
• Ann Coffey, Stockport, 2017: 70
• Kate Hoey, Vauxhall, 2017: 70

¹ 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.

² 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:

• Sir Gilbert Greenall was 79 when he returned to the house in 1885, after a 5-year absence, as the member for Warrington, for which he previously sat from 1874–1880.
• Robert Carden was 78 when he returned to the house in 1880, after a 21-year absence, as the member for Barnstaple. He had sat for Gloucester from 1857–59.
• Sir Harry Verney was 78 when he returned to the house in 1880, after a 6-year absence, as the member for Buckingham, for which he previously sat from 1857–74.
• Sir John Chetwode was 77 when he returned to the house in 1841, after a 22-year absence, as member for Buckingham. He was previously MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1815–18.
• Sir John Baker was 77 when he returned to the house in 1906, after a 5-year absence, as member for Portsmouth, for which he previously sat in 1892–1900.
• Sir Richard Green-Price was 76 when he returned to the house in 1880, after an 11-year absence, as member for Radnorshire. He had previously sat for Radnor Boroughs 1863–69.
• Sir Mark MacTaggart-Stewart was 75 when he returned to the house in January 1910 after a 4-year absence, as member for Kirkcudbrightshire, for which he previously sat in 1885–1906.
• John Courtenay was 74 when he returned to the house in 1812, after a 5-year absence, as member for Appleby, which he had previously sat for until 1807.
• Thomas Perronet Thompson was 74 when he returned to the house in 1857, after a four year absence, as member of Bradford, for which he previously sat in 1846-52.
• Alfred Lafone was 74 when he returned to the house in 1895, after a three-year absence, as member for Bermondsey, for which he previously sat in 1886–92.
• John Potts was 74 when he returned to the house in 1935, after a four-year absence. He had sat for Barnsley from 1922–31.
• Vince Cable was 74 when he returned to the house in 2017, after a 2-year absence, as member for Twickenham, for which he previously sat in 1997–2015.
• George Edwards was 73 when he returned to the house in 1923, after a year's absence, as member for South Norfolk, for which he previously sat in 1920–22.
• James Barr was 73 when he returned to the house in 1935 as MP for Coatbridge, after four years' absence. He was previously MP for Motherwell 1924–31.
• William Kirk was 72 or 73 when he returned to the house in 1868, after a 9-year absence, as member for Newry, for which he previously sat in 1852–59.
• Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland was 72 when he returned to the house in 1807 as MP for East Grinstead, after five months' absence. He was previously MP for Great Bedwyn 1802–06, and East Grinstead before then.
• Sir Davison Dalziel was 72 when he returned to the house in 1924 as MP for Brixton, after nearly a year's absence. He previously sat for the same seat in 1910–23.
• Arthur Shirley Benn was 72 when he returned to the house in 1931 as MP for Sheffield Park, after two years' absence. He previously sat for Plymouth Drake in 1918–29.
• Joseph Alpass was 72 when he returned to the house in 1945 as MP for Thornbury, after 13 years absence. He previously sat for Bristol Central in 1929–31.
• Cahir Healy was 72 when he returned to the house in 1950, after a 15-year voluntary absence, as member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. He had sat for the predecessor constituency between 1922–24 and 1931–35.
• John Arthur Roebuck was 71 when he returned to the house in 1874, after a 6-year absence, as member for Sheffield, for which he previously sat in 1847–68.
• Mathew Wilson was 71 when he returned to the house in 1874, after a 20-year absence, as member for Northern West Riding of Yorkshire. He had previously sat in two periods for Clitheroe between 1841–53.
• Sir Alexander Sprot was 71 when he returned to the house in 1924 after nearly two years' absence, as member for North Lanarkshire. He had previously sat for East Fife in 1918–22.
• Tommy Lewis was 71 when he returned to the house after a 14-year absence in 1945, as member for Southampton, for which he previously sat between 1929–31.
• William Gore-Langton was 70 when he returned to the house after a five-year absence in 1831, as member for Somerset which he previously represented until 1826.
• Edward Greene was 70 when he returned to the house after seven months' absence in 1886 United Kingdom general election, as member for Stowmarket. He had been MP for Bury St Edmunds until 1885.
• William Joseph Corbet was 70 when he returned to the house after a three-year absence in 1895, as member for East Wicklow, for which he previously sat in 1885–92.
• Charles James Monk was 70 when he returned to the house after nearly 10-year absence in 1895, as member for Gloucester. He previously sat for the borough constituency of that name in two periods between 1859 and 1885.
• Edward Reed was 70 when he returned to the house after a 5-year absence in 1900, as member for Cardiff, for which he previously sat in 1880–95.
• Robert Pearce was 70 when he returned to the house after nearly a year's absence in December 1910, as member for Leek, for which he previously sat between 1906 and January 1910.
• John Ashley Warre was 69 when he returned to the house after a 23-year absence in 1857, as member for Ripon. He previously sat for Hastings in 1831–34.
• Henry Eaton was 69 when he returned to the house after a 5-year absence in 1885, as member for Coventry, for which he previously sat in 1865–80.
• Samuel Storey was 69 when he returned to the house after a 14-year absence in January 1910, as member for Sunderland, for which he previously sat in 1881–95.
• Harry Foster was 69 when he returned to the house after 13 years absence in 1924, as member for Portsmouth Central. He was previously MP for Lowestoft in two periods between 1892 and 1910.
• Alan Clark was 69 when he returned to the house after a 5-year absence in 1997, as member for Kensington and Chelsea. He previously sat for Plymouth Sutton between 1974–92.
• William Mitford was 68 when he returned to the house after a 6-year absence in 1812, as member for New Romney. He previously sat for Bere Alston until 1806.
• John Charles Herries was 68 when he returned to the house after a 6-year absence in 1847, as member for Stamford. He previously sat for Harwich between 1823–41.
• Philip Pleydell-Bouverie was 68 when he returned to the house after a 24-year absence in 1857 as member for Berkshire. He was previously MP for Downton 1831–32.
• George Clive was 68 when he returned to the house after a 5-year absence in 1874, as member for Hereford, for which he previously sat in 1857–68.
• John Hubbard was 68 when he returned to the house after a 5-year absence in 1874, as member for the City of London. He was previously MP for Buckingham in 1859–68.
• J. T. Hibbert was 68 when he returned to the house after a 6-year absence in 1892, as member for Oldham, for which he previously sat in 1877–86.
• George Renwick was 68 when he returned to the house after an 8-year absence in 1918, as member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central. He had previously sat for the undivided Newcastle upon Tyne seat in two periods between 1900 and 1910.
• Sir Alfred Law was 68 when he returned to the house after a 7-year absence in 1929, as member for High Peak. He was previously M.P. for Rochdale in 1918–22.
• Nic Dakin was 68 when he returned to the house after an absence of 4 years, in 2024, as member for Scunthorpe, for which he previously sat in 2010-2019.
• Sir Harry Burrard-Neale was 67 when he returned to the house after an absence of 9 years, in 1832, as member for Lymington, for which he previously sat on several occasions, the last ending in 1823.
• Sir Frederick Smith was 67 when he returned to the house after an absence of 4 years, in 1857, as member for Chatham, for which he previously sat in 1852–53.
• Sir Henry Bulwer was 67 when he returned to the house after a voluntary absence of 21 years, in 1868 as member for Tamworth. He was previously MP for Marylebone in 1835–37.
• Somerville Hastings was 67 when he returned after a 14-year absence in 1945, as member for Barking. He had previously been MP for Reading in 1923–24 and 1929–31.
• Tony Lloyd was 67 when he returned after a 5-year absence in 2017 as member for Rochdale. He had previously sat as MP for Manchester Central in 1997–2012.
• Sir George Philips was 66 when he returned after a two years absence in 1832 as member for South Warwickshire. He was previously MP for Wootton Bassett 1820–30.
• Alfred Billson was 66 when he returned after a 5-year absence in 1906 as member for North West Staffordshire. He had previously sat as MP for Halifax in 1897–1900.
• Sir Thomas Bramsdon was 66 when he returned after a year's absence in 1923, as member for Portsmouth Central, for which he previously sat between 1918–22.
• J.R. Clynes was 66 when he returned after 4 years' absence in 1935, as member for Manchester Platting, for which he previously sat 1906-31
• Arthur Hayday was 66 when he returned after 4 years' absence in 1935, as member for Nottingham West, for which he previously sat in 1918–31.
• Jack Kinley was 66 when he returned after 14 years' absence in 1945, as member for Bootle, for which he previously sat in 1929–31.
• Robert Aglionby Slaney was 65 when he returned after near 5-year's absence in 1857, as member for Shrewsbury, for which he had previously sat in three periods between 1826 and 1852.
• Joseph Arch was 65 when he returned after 6 years absence in 1892 as member for North West Norfolk, for which he previously sat in 1885-86.
• Arthur Hayter was 65 when he returned after 5 years absence in 1900, as member for Walsall, for which he had previously sat in 1893–95.
• John Barker was 65 when he returned after nearly 5 years absence in 1906 as member for Penryn and Falmouth. He was previously MP for Maidstone in 1900–01.
• David Marshall Mason was 65 when he returned after 13 years absence in 1931 as member for Edinburgh East. He was previously MP for Coventry 1910–18.
• Sir Herbert Williams was 65 when he returned after 4 years absence in 1950 for Croydon East. He was previously MP for Croydon South 1932-45.
• David Drew was 65 when he returned after 7 years absence in 2017, as member for Stroud, for which he had previously sat between 1997–2010.

First women general election victors

• Constance Markievicz, Dublin St Patrick's, 1918 – but did not take her seat at Westminster.
• Nancy Astor, Plymouth Sutton,^y and Margaret Wintringham, Louth,^z 1922 – first to take their seats after a general election.

Notes:^y had entered parliament in by-election 1919^z had entered parliament in by-election 1921

First ethnic minority general election victors

• Dadabhai Naoroji, Finsbury Central, 1892
• Mancherjee Bhownagree, Bethnal Green, 1895 and 1900
• Shapurji Saklatvala, Battersea North, 1922 and 1924
• Diane Abbott, first ethnic minority woman to win, Hackney North and Stoke Newington, 1987

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.^[23] 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.

Party!Notes

2024	Alloa and Grangemouth	Kenny MacAskill		Both candidates were elected in 2019 for the SNP, but MacAskill defected to Alba. Neither won re-election, with the seat being won by Brian Leishman for Labour.
		John Nicolson
	Clwyd East	James Davies		Both candidates were elected as Conservatives, but Roberts was suspended and ran as an independent. Neither won re-election, with the seat being won by Labour.
		Rob Roberts
	Hitchin	Bim Afolami
		Alistair Strathern
	Honiton and Sidmouth	Simon Jupp
		Richard Foord
	North Shropshire	Helen Morgan
		Simon Baynes
	Tamworth	Sarah Edwards
		Eddie Hughes
2019	Altrincham and Sale West	Graham Brady		Smith was elected in 2017 for Labour, but had since defected to the Liberal Democrats.
		Angela Smith
	Wokingham	John Redwood		Both candidates were elected in 2017 for the Conservatives, but Lee had since defected to the Liberal Democrats.
		Phillip Lee
	Finchley and Golders Green	Mike Freer		Berger was elected in 2017 for Labour, but had since defected to the Liberal Democrats.
		Luciana Berger
	Kensington	Emma Dent Coad		Gyimah was elected for the Conservatives, but then defected to the Liberal Democrats. Neither incumbent won re-election, with the seat being won by the Conservatives.
		Sam Gyimah
2010	Poplar and Limehouse	Jim Fitzpatrick
		George Galloway
	Brent Central	Dawn Butler
		Sarah Teather
2005	Dumfries and Galloway	Russell Brown
		Peter Duncan
	Bethnal Green and Bow	Oona King		Both candidates were elected in 2001 for Labour, but Galloway had since left the party and founded Respect.
		George Galloway
2001	Brentwood and Ongar	Eric Pickles		Bell contested the seat over allegations the Conservative branch was infiltrated by a local church, after unseating Neil Hamilton in 1997 over corruption allegations.^[24]
		Martin Bell
1992	Glasgow Garscadden	Donald Dewar		Both candidates were elected in 1987 for Labour, but Douglas defected to the SNP.
		Dick Douglas
1987	South Hams	Willie Hamilton		Hamilton was nominated for South Hams while intending to retire from parliament as the MP for Central Fife.
		Anthony Steen
1983	Meriden	Iain Mills
		John Sever
	Islington North	Michael O'Halloran		Grant and O'Halloran both defected to the SDP from Labour. Grant was selected as the SDP candidate and O'Halloran ran as Independent Labour. The seat was won by Labour.
		John Grant
	Southwark and Bermondsey	Simon Hughes
		John Tilley
	Crosby	Shirley Williams
		Malcolm Thornton
	Glasgow Hillhead	Roy Jenkins
		Neil Carmichael
1974 Feb	Bradford West	John Wilkinson
		Edward Lyons
	Blyth	Eddie Milne		Both candidates were elected in 1970 for Labour, but Milne was deselected and ran as an independent.
		Ivor Richard
	Plymouth Devonport	Joan Vickers
		David Owen
	Brentford and Isleworth	Michael Barnes
		Barney Hayhoe
	Paddington	Arthur Latham
		Nicholas Scott
1955	Grantham	Joseph Godber
		Woodrow Wyatt
	Reading	Ian Mikardo
		Frederic Bennett
	Bradford North	William Taylor
		Maurice Webb
1950	Carmarthen	Rhys Hopkin Morris
		Lynn Ungoed-Thomas
	Renfrewshire West	Thomas Scollan
		John Maclay
	Glasgow Kelvingrove	John Lloyd Williams
		Walter Elliot
	Newport	Peter Freeman
		Ivor Thomas
	Sudbury and Woodbridge	John Hare
		Roland Hamilton
	Stafford and Stone	Hugh Fraser
		Stephen Swingler
	Newark	Sidney Shephard
		George Deer
	Carlton	Kenneth Pickthorn
		Florence Paton
	Thurrock	Leslie Solley		Both candidates were elected in 1945 for Labour, but Solley was suspended from the party and ran for the Labour Independent Group.
		Hugh Delargy
	Walthamstow West	Clement Attlee		Hutchinson was suspended from the party and ran for the Labour Independent Group. Neither MP was the incumbent in this seat.
		Lester Hutchinson
	Walsall	William Wells
		John Barlow
	Poole	Mervyn Wheatley
		Evelyn King
	Middlesbrough East	Alfred Edwards		Both candidates were elected in 1945 for Labour, but Edwards had since defected to the Conservatives.
		Hilary Marquand
	Liverpool West Derby	David Maxwell Fyfe
		Bertie Kirby
	Gateshead East	Arthur Moody		Both candidates were elected in 1945 for Labour, but Zilliacus was suspended from the party (and had also left the Labour Independent Group) and ran as an independent.
		Konni Zilliacus
	Exeter	John Maude		Horabin was elected in 1945 for the Liberals but had defected to Labour. He moved constituency to avoid campaigning against former colleagues.
		Thomas Horabin
	Blackburn West	Ralph Assheton
		John Edwards
	Stepney	Walter Edwards
		Philip Piratin
	Shoreditch and Finsbury	Ernest Thurtle		Both candidates were elected in 1945 for Labour, but Platts-Mills was suspended from the party and ran for the Labour Independent Group.
		John Platts-Mills
1945	Lewisham East	Assheton Pownall
		Herbert Morrison
	St Marylebone	Alec Cunningham-Reid		Both candidates were elected in 1935 for the Conservatives, but two competing local Conservative Associations nominated different candidates.
		Wavell Wakefield
	Putney	Hugh Linstead		Acland was elected in 1935 for the Liberals, but had since defected to the Common Wealth Party.
		Richard Acland
	Harrow West	Norman Bower
		Hugh Lawson
	Stratford West Ham	Thomas Groves		Groves was elected in 1935 for Labour but not reselected and ran as an independent. Neither MP won reelection, with the seat being held for Labour by Henry Nicholls.
		Redvers Michael Prior
	Mossley	Austin Hopkinson
		George Woods

Frequency and duration records

Longest period without a general election

The longest possible duration of a Parliament is currently five 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.

Party!Appointed!Removed!Duration

	4 May 1979	2 May 1997	17 years, 11 months and 28 days
	2 May 1997	11 May 2010	13 years and 9 days
	5 December 1905	25 May 1915	9 years, 5 months and 20 days
	Coalition government ^a	24 August 1931	26 July 1945	13 years, 11 months and 2 days

^a 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

• South Staffordshire, 2005
• Barnsley, 1951
• Manchester Moss Side, 1950
• Kingston upon Hull Central, 1945
• Rugby, 1929
• West Derbyshire, 1923
• Kennington, 1918

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)
• 2005
• 2001
• 1987
• 1983
• February 1974
• 1970
• 1959
• 1950
• 1929

Parliament had run its course

• 2015
• 2010
• 1997
• 1992
• 1964

Collapse of cooperation within Government

• 1922

End of World War

• 1945
• 1918

Miscellaneous records

Incumbents fall directly from first place to fourth place

Constituency	Election	Losing party		Gaining party
	2024^1
	2024
	2015
	2001^2
	1931^3

¹ Sitting Conservative MP defected to Reform UK and won re-election.

² UUP had been unopposed by DUP at previous elections.

³ Sitting Labour MP stood instead for the Independent Labour Party and took second place.

Incumbents fall directly from first place to third place

Constituency	Election	Losing party		Gaining party
Amber Valley	2024
Bangor Aberconwy	2024
Blackpool South	2024
Basildon South and East Thurrock	2024
Bridgend	2024
Caerfyrddin	2024
Dover and Deal	2024
Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes	2024
Great Yarmouth	2024
Hazel Grove	2024
Hull West and Haltemprice	2024
Leigh and Atherton	2024
Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr	2024
Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor	2024
Spen Valley	2024
Stoke-on-Trent Central	2024
Telford	2024
Thurrock	2024
Wakefield and Rothwell	2024
Whitehaven and Workington	2024
Ashfield	2019
Clacton	2017
Southport	2017
Bristol West	2015
Brent Central	2015
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk	2015
Dumfries and Galloway	2015
Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine	2015
Bristol North West	2010
Colne Valley	2010
Watford	2010
Belfast South	2005
Conwy	1997
Aberdeen South	1997
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber	1997
Stockton South	1983^1
Plymouth Devonport	1983^1
Caithness and Sutherland	1983^1
Erith and Crayford	1983^1
Renfrew West and Inverclyde	1983^1
Southampton Itchen	1983^1
Clwyd South West	1983^1
West Hertfordshire	1983
Stevenage	1983
East Dunbartonshire	1979
North Down	1979 ^2
Mid Ulster	1974 Feb
Bolton West	1964
Glasgow Bridgeton	1950 ^3
Rugby	1950
Hammersmith North	1950
Grantham	1950
Cheltenham	1950
Stepney	1950
West Fife	1950
Caithness and Sutherland	1945

¹ The sitting Labour MP had defected to the SDP in 1981.

² The sitting Ulster Unionist Party MP had defected to sit as an Independent Unionist.

³ 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

Gaining Party! colspan="2"

Losing Party
Leicester East	2024
Bethnal Green and Bow	2010
Blaenau Gwent	2010
Chesterfield	2010
Dunfermline and West Fife	2010
Glasgow East	2010
Christchurch	1997
Glasgow Cathcart	1979
Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire	1979
East Dunbartonshire	1979
Carmarthen	1979
Ashfield	1979
Birmingham Stechford	1979
Walsall North	1979
Workington	1979
Berwick and East Lothian	1974 Feb
East Dunbartonshire	1974 Feb
Upminster	1974 Feb
Ipswich	1974 Feb
North West Norfolk	1974 Feb
Ripon	1974 Feb
Sutton and Cheam	1974 Feb
Bromsgrove and Redditch	1974 Feb
Colne Valley	1970
Birmingham Ladywood	1970
Swindon	1970
Oldham West	1970
Dudley	1970
Acton	1970
Walthamstow West	1970
Glasgow Pollok	1970
Hamilton	1970
Carmarthen	1970
Birmingham Perry Barr	1964
Eton and Slough	1964
Smethwick	1964
South West Norfolk	1964
South Dorset	1964
Anglesey	1951
Merioneth	1951
Caithness and Sutherland	1945
Berwick upon Tweed	1945
Caernarvon	1945
Isle of Ely	1945
Barnstaple	1945
Wallasey	1945
Skipton	1945
Birmingham King's Norton	1929
Midlothian and Peebles Northern	1929
Lancaster	1929

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.
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

Losing Party! colspan="2"

Gaining Party
Birmingham Perry Barr	2024
Blackburn	2024
Bristol Central	2024
Dewsbury and Batley	2024
Islington North	2024
Leicester East	2024
Leicester South	2024
Enfield North	2015
Ealing Central and Acton	2015
Lancaster and Fleetwood	2015
Dewsbury	2015
Wolverhampton South West	2015
Brentford and Isleworth	2015
City of Chester	2015
Wirral West	2015
Eastbourne	2010
Wells	2010
Solihull	2010
Dunfermline and West Fife	2010
Chesterfield	2010
Camborne and Redruth	2010
Cornwall South East	2010
Harrogate and Knaresborough	2010
Hereford and South Herefordshire	2010
Montgomeryshire	2010
Newton Abbot	2010
Oxford West and Abingdon	2010
Richmond Park	2010
Romsey and Southampton North	2010
Truro and Falmouth	2010
Winchester	2010
Glasgow Cathcart	1979
Berwick and East Lothian	1974 Feb
East Dunbartonshire	1974 Feb
Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire	1974 Feb
Dundee East	1974 Feb
Blyth	1974 Feb
Lincoln	1974 Feb
Cardigan	1974 Feb
Colne Valley	1974 Feb
Rochdale	1974 Feb
North Antrim	1970
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	1970
Mid Ulster	1970
Birmingham Perry Barr	1964
Eton and Slough	1964
Smethwick	1964
South West Norfolk	1964
Belfast West	1951			Irish Labour
Carmarthen	1945
Mile End	1945
Birmingham King's Norton	1929
Bethnal Green North East	1929
Newcastle East	1929
Motherwell	1924
Barrow-in-Furness	1924
Lincoln	1924
Liverpool West Toxteth	1924
Birmingham King's Norton	1924
Bilston	1924
Peckham	1924
London University	1924
Ayr Burghs	1906
Barkston Ash	1906
Govan	1906
Hastings	1906
Maidstone	1906
Oswestry	1906
Rye	1906
St Albans	1906
St Andrews Burgh	1906
Whitby	1906
North Lonsdale	1906			Liberal Unionist

Seats gained from fourth place^*

• Ashfield, 2024 gained by Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party in 2019) from the Conservatives.
• North Herefordshire, 2024 gained by the Greens from the Conservatives.
• Argyll and Bute, 2015 gained by SNP from the Liberal Democrats
• Edinburgh West, 2015 gained by SNP from the Liberal Democrats
• 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

Seats gained from third place^*

• Alloa and Grangemouth, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Ayrshire Central, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Ayrshire North and Arran, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Bathgate and Linlithgow, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Edinburgh South West, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Falkirk, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Kilmarnock and Loudoun, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Renfrewshire East, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Stirling and Strathallan, 2024 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, 2024 gained by the Liberal Democrats from the SNP
• Waveney Valley, 2024 gained by the Greens from the Conservatives
• Ynys Môn, 2024 gained by Plaid Cymru from the Conservatives
• North Down, 2019 gained by Alliance from an Independent
• Aberdeen South, 2017 gained by the Conservatives from the SNP
• Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, 2017 gained by the Conservatives from the SNP
• East Renfrewshire, 2017 gained by the Conservatives from the SNP
• Gordon, 2017 gained by the Conservatives from the SNP
• Ochil and South Perthshire, 2017 gained by the Conservatives from the SNP
• Portsmouth South, 2017 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Stirling, 2017 gained by the Conservatives from the SNP
• Cambridge, 2015 gained by Labour from the Liberal Democrats
• Belfast East, 2010 gained by Alliance from the DUP
• Brighton Pavilion, 2010 gained by the Greens from Labour
• Watford, 2010 gained by the Conservatives from Labour
• Camborne and Redruth, 2010 gained by the Conservatives from the Liberal Democrats
• Falmouth and Camborne, 2005 gained by the Liberal Democrats from Labour
• Leeds North West, 2005 gained by the Liberal Democrats from Labour
• Lagan Valley, 2005 gained by the DUP from the UUP ¹
• West Tyrone, 2001 gained by Sinn Féin from the UUP
• Sittingbourne and Sheppey, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Shrewsbury and Atcham, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• St. Albans, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Oldham East and Saddleworth, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives ²
• Leeds North West, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Hastings and Rye, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Falmouth and Camborne, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Conwy, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Bristol West, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Aberdeen South, 1997 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Mid Ulster, 1997 gained by Sinn Féin from the DUP
• Cambridge, 1992 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Plymouth Devonport, 1992 gained by Labour from the SDP
• Clwyd South West, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Edinburgh South, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Strathkelvin and Bearsden, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Renfrew West and Inverclyde, 1987 gained by Labour from the Conservatives
• Colne Valley, 1983 gained by the Liberals from Labour
• Leeds West, 1983 gained by the Liberals from Labour
• Southwark and Bermondsey, 1983 gained by the Liberals from Labour ³
• Liverpool Mossley Hill, 1983 gained by the Liberals from the Conservatives
• Ross, Cromarty and Skye, 1983 gained by the SDP from the Conservatives ⁴
• East Dunbartonshire, 1979 gained by Labour from the SNP
• Lincoln, 1979 gained by the Conservatives from Labour
• East Dunbartonshire, October 1974 gained by the SNP from the Conservatives
• Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire, February 1974 gained by the SNP from Labour
• Isle of Wight, February 1974 gained by the Liberals from the Conservatives
• Ross and Cromarty, 1970 gained by the Conservatives from the Liberals
• Ross and Cromarty, 1964 gained by the Liberals from the National Liberals

Notes:

• only includes examples of genuine three-or-more party competition; does not include seats gained as a result of pacts

¹ sitting member had defected from UUP to DUP

² Liberal Democrats had won a by-election in predecessor constituency in which Labour finished second

³ by-election gain confirmed at general election.

⁴ 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.

• Basildon South and East Thurrock, 2024: Reform UK, James McMurdock
• Boston and Skegness, 2024: Reform UK Richard Tice¹
• Clacton, 2024: Reform UK Nigel Farage
• North Antrim, 2024: TUV Jim Allister
• Clacton, 2015⁴: UK Independence Party, Douglas Carswell
• Fermanagh and South Tyrone, 2015: Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott
• Bethnal Green and Bow, 2005: Respect, George Galloway
• Blaenau Gwent, 2005: Independent Peter Law
• Wyre Forest, 2001: IKHH, Richard Taylor
• North Down, 1997⁴: UKUP, Robert McCartney
• Tatton, 1997: Independent Martin Bell
• Belfast West, 1983: Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams
• Caithness and Sutherland, 1983: SDP, Robert Maclennan
• Mid Ulster, 1983: Democratic Unionist, William McCrea
• Belfast East, 1979: Democratic Unionist, Peter Robinson
• Belfast South, 1979²: Ulster Unionist, Robert Bradford
• Mid Ulster, 1979³: United Ulster Unionist, John Dunlop
• Belfast East, February 1974: Vanguard, William Craig
• Belfast South, February 1974: Vanguard, Robert Bradford
• Belfast West, February 1974⁶: SDLP, Gerry Fitt
• Lincoln, February 1974⁴: Democratic Labour, Dick Taverne
• Mid Ulster, February 1974: Vanguard, John Dunlop
• North Antrim, February 1974⁵: DUP, Ian Paisley
• Mid Ulster, 1970: Unity, Bernadette Devlin
• North Antrim, 1970: PUP, Ian Paisley
• Western Isles, 1970: SNP, Donald Stewart
• Caithness and Sutherland, 1964: Liberal, George Mackie

Notes:

• ¹ Richard Tice contested Hartlepool in 2019.
• ² Vanguard broke up in the late 1970s; the sitting MP joined the Ulster Unionists.
• ³ Vanguard broke up in the late 1970s; the sitting MP joined the United Ulster Unionists.
• ⁴ By-election gain confirmed at the general election.
• ⁵ The Protestant Unionist Party merged into the Democratic Unionist Party in 1970.
• ⁶ 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.

Election	Constituency	Incumbent party		Notes
1997	North Down		Sole UPUP MP had died and party had subsequently collapsed. The UK Unionist Party had won the 1995 by-election, meaning the UPUP were no longer incumbents in 1997.
1983	Mid Ulster		UUUP had dissolved and former MP stood down.
1974 February	Belfast West		MP had defected to the Social Democratic and Labour Party and RLP had dissolved.
1959	Caithness and Sutherland		Stood aside for Independent Unionist David Robertson.
1955	Fermanagh and Tyrone		Stood aside for Sinn Féin candidate.
1950	Chelmsford		MP had defected to Labour and party decided not to contest any further elections.
1950	Glasgow Camlachie		MP had defected to Labour, then the ILP had performed badly in the 1948 by-election.

Major party did not run

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

Conservative

• Rotherham, 2024
• Greenock, 1970
• Huddersfield West, 1959
• Pembrokeshire, 1955
• Carmarthen, 1955
• Huddersfield West, 1955
• Carmarthen, 1951
• Colne Valley, 1951
• Huddersfield West, 1951
• Carmarthen, 1950
• Huddersfield West, 1950

Labour

• Tatton, 1997
• Chelmsford, 1945
• Woodford, 1945

Liberal Democrats

• Manchester Rusholme, 2024
• Arfon, 2019^2P
• Beaconsfield, 2019^2I
• Brighton Pavilion, 2019^2G
• Bristol West, 2019^2G
• Broxtowe, 2019^2I
• Bury St Edmunds, 2019^2G
• Caerphilly, 2019^2P
• Cannock Chase, 2019^2G
• Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, 2019^2P
• Dulwich and West Norwood, 2019^2G
• Dwyfor Meirionnydd, 2019^2P
• Exeter, 2019^2G
• Forest of Dean, 2019^2G
• Isle of Wight, 2019^2G
• Llanelli, 2019^2P
• Luton South, 2019^2I
• Pontypridd, 2019^2P
• Stroud, 2019^2G
• Vale of Glamorgan, 2019^2G
• Ynys Môn, 2019^2P
• Brighton Pavilion, 2017
• Skipton and Ripon, 2017
• Wyre Forest, 2005
• Wyre Forest, 2001
• Tatton, 1997

Liberal Party (pre-Liberal Democrats)

• Birmingham Handsworth, 1979
• Dudley West, 1979
• Ormskirk, 1979
• Salford East, 1979
• Woodford, 1945

²: 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.

Election	Member	Party		Constituency
2024	Siân Berry		Green	Brighton Pavilion
	Ellie Chowns		Green	North Herefordshire
	Carla Denyer		Green	Bristol Central
	Adrian Ramsay		Green	Waveney Valley
	Lee Anderson		Reform UK^C	Ashfield
	Nigel Farage		Reform UK	Clacton
	Rupert Lowe		Reform UK	Great Yarmouth
	James McMurdock		Reform UK	Basildon South and East Thurrock
	Richard Tice		Reform UK	Boston and Skegness
	Shockat Adam		Independent	Leicester South
	Jeremy Corbyn		Independent^L	Islington North
	Adnan Hussain		Independent	Blackburn
	Ayoub Khan		Independent	Birmingham Perry Barr
	Iqbal Mohamed		Independent	Dewsbury and Batley
2019	Caroline Lucas		Green	Brighton Pavilion
2017	Caroline Lucas		Green	Brighton Pavilion
2015	Caroline Lucas		Green	Brighton Pavilion
	Douglas Carswell		UKIP^C	Clacton
2010	Caroline Lucas		Green	Brighton Pavilion
2005	Richard Taylor		Kidderminister Health Concern	Wyre Forest
	George Galloway		Respect Party^L	Bethnal Green and Bow
	Peter Law		Independent^L	Blaenau Gwent
2001	Richard Taylor		Kidderminister Health Concern	Wyre Forest
1997	Martin Bell		Independent	Tatton
1974 Feb	Dick Taverne		Democratic Labour^L	Lincoln
	Eddie Milne		Independent Labour^L	Blyth
1970	S. O. Davies		Independent Labour^L	Merthyr Tydfil
1959	David Robertson		Independent Conservative^C	Caithness and Sutherland
1950	John MacLeod		Independent Liberal and Conservative	Ross and Cromarty
1945	John MacLeod		Independent Liberal	Ross and Cromarty

• ^C: Formerly elected for Conservatives or an affiliated party.
• ^L: 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

Constituency	Election	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position	Notes
Batley and Spen	2019	Paul Halloran	6,432	12.2	3
Beaconsfield	2019	Dominic Grieve	16,765	29.0	2	Previously represented the seat for the Conservatives
Bethnal Green and Stepney	2024	Ajmal Masroor	14,207	30.5	2
Birkenhead	2019	Frank Field	7,285	17.2	2	Previously represented the seat for Labour
Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley	2024	Shakeel Afsar	7,142	17.2	2
Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley	2024	Mohammad Hafeez	6,159	14.8	3
Birmingham Ladywood	2024	Akhmed Yakoob	12,137	33.2	2	Endorsed by the Workers Party of Britain
Bradford South	2024	Rehiana Ali	3,345	10.1	5
Bradford West	2017	Salma Yaqoob	6,345	13.9	3
Bradford West	2024	Muhammed Islam	11,017	29.7	2
Buckingham	2017	Scott Raven	5,638	10.7	3	Standing against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow
Chingford and Woodford Green	2024	Faiza Shaheen	12,445	25.7	3	Candidate for Labour in 2019 and was selected in 2022 to stand but was deselected after the election was announced.
Chorley	2019	Mark Brexit-Smith	9,439	23.7	2	Standing against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle. Selected as a Brexit Party candidate, ran as an independent after the party withdrew
Ealing Southall	2001	Avtar Lit	5,764	12.3	3
East Devon	2015	Claire Wright	13,140	24.0	2
East Devon	2017	Claire Wright	21,270	35.2	2
East Devon	2019	Claire Wright	25,869	40.4	2
East Ham	2024	Tahir Mirza	6,707	17.7	2
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	2001	Jim Dixon	6,843	13.2	4
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	2010	Rodney Connor	21,300	41.5	2	Supported by the DUP and UUP
Fylde	2015	Mike Hill	5,166	11.9	4
Hereford and South Herefordshire	2017	Jim Kenyon	5,560	11.0	3
Heywood and Middleton North	2024	Chris Furlong	4,349	11.7	4	Endorsed by the Green Party of England and Wales
Holborn and St Pancras	2024	Andrew Feinstein	7,312	18.9	2
Ilford North	2024	Leanne Mohamad	15,119	32.2	2
Leicester East	2024	Claudia Webbe	5,532	11.8	4	Previously represented the seat for Labour. Endorsed by the Workers Party.
Middlesbrough	2019	Antony High	4,548	14.2	3
Nelson and Colne	1966	Patrick Downey	5,117	13.7	3	The candidate was the uncle of Lesley Anne Downey, a victim in the Moors murders case, who stood against Labour candidate and opponent to capital punishment, Sydney Silverman on a pro-hanging platform.
Preston	2024	Michael Lavalette	8,715	21.8	2
Sedgefield	2005	Reg Keys	4,252	10.3	4	Standing against the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
South Holland and the Deepings	2024	Mark Le Sage	5,031	10.9	4
South West Hertfordshire	2019	David Gauke	15,919	26.0	2	Previously represented the seat for the Conservatives
South West Norfolk	2024	James Bagge	6,282	14.2	4
West Bromwich West	1997	Richard Silvester	8,546	23.3	2	Standing against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd
West Tyrone	2005	Kieran Deeny	11,905	27.4	2

Minor parties' other strong performance

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

	Party	Constituency	Election	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position	Notes
	Belfast East	1983	Oliver Napier	9,373	24.1	3
	Belfast East	1987	John Alderdice	10,574	32.1	2
	Belfast East	1992	John Alderdice	10,650	29.8	2
	Belfast East	1997	Jim Hendron	9,288	23.8	3
	Belfast East	2001	David Alderdice	5,832	15.8	3
	Belfast East	2005	Naomi Long	15,443	36.0	2	The highest vote share ever achieved by a party with no MPs.
	Belfast East	2017	Naomi Long	3,746	12.2	3
	Belfast South	1983	David Cook	8,945	23.9	2
	Belfast South	1987	David Cook	6,963	21.3	2
	Belfast South	1992	John Montgomery	5,054	15.0	3
	Belfast South	1997	Steve McBride	5,112	12.9	4
	Belfast South	2017	Paula Bradshaw	7,946	18.2	3
	East Antrim	1983	Seán Neeson	7,620	20.0	3
	East Antrim	1987	Seán Neeson	8,582	25.6	2
	East Antrim	1992	Seán Neeson	9,132	23.3	3
	East Antrim	1997	Seán Neeson	6,929	20.2	2
	East Antrim	2001	John Matthews	4,483	12.5	3
	East Antrim	2005	Seán Neeson	4,869	15.3	3
	East Antrim	2017	Stewart Dickson	5,950	15.6	2
	Lagan Valley	1983	Seamus Close	4,593	11.3	3
	Lagan Valley	1987	Seamus Close	5,728	13.8	2
	Lagan Valley	1992	Seamus Close	6,207	12.7	2
	Lagan Valley	1997	Seamus Close	7,635	17.2	2
	Lagan Valley	2001	Seamus Close	7,624	16.6	2
	Lagan Valley	2005	Seamus Close	4,316	10.1	3
	Lagan Valley	2017	Aaron McIntyre	4,996	11.1	3
	North Antrim	1987	Gareth Williams	5,140	12.4	3
	North Down	1983	John Cushnahan	9,015	22.1	2
	North Down	1987	John Cushnahan	7,932	19.4	3
	North Down	1992	Addie Morrow	6,611	14.7	3
	North Down	1997	Oliver Napier	7,554	20.7	3
	South Antrim	1983	Gordon Mawhinney	4,612	11.9	3
	South Antrim	1987	Gordon Mawhinney	5,808	16.0	2
	South Antrim	1992	John Blair	5,244	12.4	3
	South Antrim	1997	David Ford	4,668	11.6	3
	Strangford	1983	Addie Morrow	6,171	15.8	3
	Strangford	1987	Addie Morrow	7,553	20.3	2
	Strangford	1992	Kieran McCarthy	7,585	16.9	3
	Strangford	1997	Kieran McCarthy	5,467	13.1	3
	Strangford	2017	Kellie Armstrong	5,693	14.7	2
	Ashfield	2019	Jason Zadrozny	13,498	27.6	2
	Ashfield	2024	Jason Zadrozny	6,276	15.7	3
	Barnsley Central	2019	Victoria Felton	11,233	30.4	2
	Barnsley East	2019	Jim Ferguson	11,112	29.2	2
	Bassetlaw	2019	Debbie Soloman	5,366	10.6	3
	Blaenau Gwent	2019	Richard Taylor	6,215	20.6	2
	Blaydon	2019	Michael Robinson	5,833	12.8	3
	Caerphilly	2019	Nathan Gill	4,490	11.2	4
	Chesterfield	2019	John Scotting	4,771	10.6	3
	Cynon Valley	2019	Rebecca Rees-Evans	3,045	10.1	3
	Doncaster Central	2019	Surjit Duhre	6,842	16.5	3
	Doncaster North	2019	Andy Stewart	8,294	20.4	3
	North Durham	2019	Peter Telford	4,693	11.1	3
	Don Valley	2019	Paul Whitehurst	6,247	13.7	3
	Easington	2019	Julie Maughan	6,744	19.5	3
	Hartlepool	2019	Richard Tice	10,603	25.8	3
	Hemsworth	2019	Waj Ali	5,930	13.5	3
	Houghton and Sunderland South	2019	Kevin Yuill	6,165	15.5	3
	Kingston upon Hull East	2019	Marten Hall	5,764	17.8	3
	Kingston upon Hull North	2019	Derek Abram	4,771	13.9	3
	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle	2019	Michelle Dewberry	5,638	18.0	3
	Islwyn	2019	James Wells	4,834	14.1	3
	Jarrow	2019	Richard Leslie Monaghan	4,172	10.0	3
	Makerfield	2019	Ross Wright	5,817	13.1	3
	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney	2019	David Jones	3,604	11.2	3
	North Durham	2019	Peter Telford	4,693	11.1	3
	North Tyneside	2019	Andrew Husband	5,254	10.4	3
	Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford	2019	Deneice Florence-Jukes	8,032	16.6	3
	Rhondda	2019	John Watkins	3,733	12.6	4
	Rother Valley	2019	Allen Cowles	6,264	12.9	3
	Rotherham	2019	Paul Hague	6,125	17.2	3
	Sheffield South East	2019	Kirk Kus	4,478	10.7	3
	South Shields	2019	Glenn Michael Thompson	6,446	17.0	3
	St Helens North	2019	Malcolm Webster	5,396	11.3	3
	St Helens South and Whiston	2019	Daniel Oxley	5,353	10.6	3
	Sunderland Central	2019	Viral Parikh	5,047	11.6	3
	Torfaen	2019	David Thomas	5,742	15.4	3
	Washington and Sunderland West	2019	Howard Brown	5,439	14.5	3
	Wentworth and Dearne	2019	Stephen Cavell	7,019	16.9	3
	Wigan	2019	William Molloy	5,959	13.2	3
	Barking	2005	Richard Barnbrook	4,916	16.9	3
	Barking	2010	Nick Griffin	6,620	14.8	3
	Burnley	2001	Steve Smith	4,151	11.3	4
	Burnley	2005	Len Starr	4,003	10.1	5
	Dewsbury	2005	David Exley	5,066	13.1	4
	Oldham West and Royton	2001	Nick Griffin	6,552	16.4	3
	Rotherham	2010	Marlene Guest	3,906	10.4	4
	Buckinghamshire Campaign for Democracy	Buckingham	2010	John Stevens	10,331	21.4	2	Standing against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow
	Burnley First	Burnley	2005	Harry Brooks	5,786	14.8	3
	Brighton Pavilion	2005	Keith Taylor	9,571	22.0	3
	Lewisham Deptford	2005	Darren Johnson	3,367	11.4	4
	Norwich South	2010	Adrian Ramsay	7,095	14.9	4
	Slough	2024	Azhar Chohan	11,019	25.5	2
	Liverpool West Derby	2001	Steve Radford	4,601	14.9	2
	Liverpool West Derby	2005	Steve Radford	3,606	11.8	3
	West Bromwich West	1997	Steve Edwards	4,181	11.4	3	Standing against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd
	Wyre Forest	2015	Richard Taylor	7,221	14.6	4	Taylor had served as MP for the constituency from 2001 to 2010
	South West Surrey	2017	Louise Irvine	12,093	20.0	2
	Newham Independents	West Ham and Beckton	2024	Sophia Naqvi	7,180	19.8	2
	Belfast East	1974 Oct	David Bleakley	8,122	14.1	3
	Orkney and Shetland Movement	Orkney and Shetland	1987	John Goodlad	3,095	14.5	4
	Belfast West	2015	Gerry Carroll	6,798	19.2	2	Represented in the Dáil
	Belfast West	2017	Gerry Carroll	4,132	10.2	3	Represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Dáil
	Belfast West	2019	Gerry Carroll	6,194	16.0	3	Represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Dáil
	Belfast West	2024	Gerry Carroll	5,048	12.7	2	Represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Dáil
	Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath	2001	Shafaq Hussain	4,770	13.0	3
	Belfast East	2001	David Ervine	3,669	10.0	4
	Belfast South	1997	David Ervine	5,687	14.4	3
	Protestant Unionist	Belfast North	1987	George Seawright	5,671	15.4	3
	Real Unionist	North Down	1987	Bob McCartney	14,467	35.4	2
	Glasgow Pollok	1992	Tommy Sheridan	6,287	19.3	2
	Glasgow Pollok	1997	Tommy Sheridan	3,639	11.1	3
	Glasgow North East	2005	Doris Kelly	4,036	14.2	3	Standing against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin
	Edinburgh East and Musselburgh	2024	Amanda Grimm	4,669	10.2	3
	Edinburgh North and Leith	2024	Kayleigh O'Neill	5,417	10.9	3
	Glasgow North	2024	Iris Duane	4,233	12.2	3
	Glasgow South	2024	Niall Christie	5,554	13.1	3
	North Antrim	2010	Jim Allister	7,114	16.8	2
	Buckingham	2010	Nigel Farage	8,410	17.4	3	Standing against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow
	South Staffordshire	2005	Malcolm Hurst	2,675	10.4	4	Polling day delayed following death of Liberal Democrat candidate from original ballot.
	Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North	2024	James Giles	9,089	26.6	2
	Birmingham Yardley	2024	Jody McIntyre	10,582	29.3	2
	Blackburn	2024	Craig Murray	7,105	18.3	3
	Bolton South and Walkden	2024	Jack Khan	4,673	12.7	3
	Derby South	2024	Chris Williamson	5,205	13.9	3
	Gorton and Denton	2024	Amir Burney	3,766	10.3	4
	Luton North	2024	Waheed Akbar	3,914	10.1	5
	Manchester Rusholme	2024	Mohhamed Bilal	3,660	12.6	3
	Oldham East and Saddleworth	2024	Shanaz Siddique	4,647	11.1	4
	Peterborough	2024	Amjad Hussain	5,051	12.1	4
	Rochdale	2024	George Galloway	11,587	29.2	2	Galloway had served as MP for the constituency from February to May 2024

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)^S, Workers' Party (1 seat)^B
• 2019: The Independent Group for Change (5 seats)^S
• 2017: SDLP (3 seats), UUP (2 seats), UKIP (1 seat)
• 2015: Alliance (1 seat), Respect (1 seat)^B
• 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)^S
• 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)^S

^S: Formed by a party split over the course of that parliament.

^B: 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

Constituency	Election	MP	Position	Party
Alloa and Grangemouth	2024	Kenny MacAskill	Deputy leader
North Down	2024	Stephen Farry	Deputy leader
Rochdale	2024	George Galloway	Leader
East Dunbartonshire	2019	Jo Swinson	Leader
Broxtowe	2019	Anna Soubry	Leader
Belfast North	2019	Nigel Dodds^1	Deputy leader
Moray	2017	Angus Robertson	Deputy leader
Belfast East	2015	Naomi Long	Deputy leader
Bradford West	2015	George Galloway	Leader
Belfast East	2010	Peter Robinson	Leader
Upper Bann	2005	David Trimble	Leader
North Down	2001	Robert McCartney	Leader
Belfast West	1992	Gerry Adams	Leader
Glasgow Govan	1992	Jim Sillars	Deputy Leader
Dundee East	1987	Gordon Wilson	Leader
Carmarthen	1979	Gwynfor Evans	Leader
Cornwall North	1979	John Pardoe	Deputy Leader
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	1974 October	Harry West	Leader
Belper	1970	George Brown	Deputy Leader
Carmarthen	1970	Gwynfor Evans	Leader
Huddersfield West	1964	Donald Wade	Deputy Leader
Anglesey	1951	Megan Lloyd George	Deputy Leader
Caithness and Sutherland	1945	Archibald Sinclair	Leader
Edinburgh Leith	1945	Ernest Brown	Leader
Darwen	1935	Herbert Samuel	Leader
Seaham	1935	Ramsay MacDonald	Leader
Burnley	1931	Arthur Henderson	Leader
Manchester Platting	1931	John Robert Clynes	Deputy Leader
Paisley	1924	H. H. Asquith	Leader
East Fife	1918	H. H. Asquith	Leader
East Mayo	1918	John Dillon	Leader
Manchester East	1906	Arthur Balfour	Leader
West Ham South	1895	Keir Hardie	Leader
Londonderry City	1892	Justin McCarthy^2	Leader
South West Lancashire	1868	William Ewart Gladstone^3	Leader

¹: Dodds was leader of the DUP at Westminster.

²: 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.

³: 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

Constituency	Election	MP	Position	Party
Portsmouth North	2024	Penny Mordaunt	Leader of the House of Commons
Chichester	2024	Gillian Keegan	Secretary of State for Education
Welwyn Hatfield	2024	Grant Shapps	Secretary of State for Defence
Cheltenham	2024	Alex Chalk	Secretary of State for Justice
Melksham and Devizes	2024	Michelle Donelan	Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Ely and East Cambridgeshire	2024	Lucy Frazer	Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Monmouthshire	2024	David TC Davies	Secretary of State for Wales
Forest of Dean	2024	Mark Harper	Secretary of State for Transport
Banbury	2024	Victoria Prentis	Attorney General for England and Wales
Plymouth Moor View	2024	Johnny Mercer	Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs
Mid Dorset and North Poole	2024	Michael Tomlinson	Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey	2015	Danny Alexander	Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Kingston and Surbiton	2015	Ed Davey	Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Twickenham	2015	Vince Cable	Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale	1997	Ian Lang	Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Edinburgh Pentlands	1997	Malcolm Rifkind	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Stirling	1997	Michael Forsyth	Secretary of State for Scotland
Enfield Southgate	1997	Michael Portillo	Secretary of State for Defence
Kettering	1997	Roger Freeman	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Braintree	1997	Tony Newton	Leader of the House of Commons
Bristol West	1997	William Waldegrave	Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Bath	1992	Chris Patten	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Hertford and Stevenage	1979	Shirley Williams	Secretary of State for Education and Science
Moray and Nairn	1974 February	Gordon Campbell	Secretary of State for Scotland
Gloucester	1970	John Diamond	Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Doncaster	1964	Anthony Barber	Minister of Health
Norwich South	1964	Geoffrey Rippon	Minister of Public Works
Shipley	1950	Arthur Creech Jones	Secretary of State for the Colonies
Bournemouth East and Christchurch	1945	Brendan Bracken	First Lord of the Admiralty
Crewe	1945	Donald Somervell	Home Secretary
Stockton-on-Tees	1945	Harold Macmillan	Secretary of State for Air
Cardiff East	1945	James Grigg	Secretary of State for War
Birmingham Sparkbrook	1945	Leo Amery	Secretary of State for India and Burma
Bassetlaw	1935	Malcolm MacDonald	Secretary of State for the Colonies
Seaham	1935	Ramsay MacDonald	Leader of the House of Commons
Birmingham Erdington	1929	Arthur Steel-Maitland	Minister of Labour
Bradford East	1924	Fred Jowett	First Commissioner of Works
Salford South	1923	Anderson Montague-Barlow	Minister of Labour
Bridgwater	1923	Robert Sanders	Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Taunton	1922	Arthur Griffith-Boscawen^2	Minister of Health

¹: 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.

²: 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

Constituency	Election	Prime Minister	Party
South West Norfolk	2024	Liz Truss
Seaham	1935	Ramsay MacDonald
Paisley	1924	H. H. Asquith
East Fife	1918	H. H. Asquith
Manchester East	1906	Arthur Balfour

First general elections for a new political party

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

• 2019: Reform UK (as "The Brexit Party")*
• 2010: TUV (in Northern Ireland)*
• 2005: Respect Party
• 2001: Independent Community and Health Concern
• 1997: UK Independence Party*
• 1997: UK Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
• 1992: Liberal Democrats
• 1992: Green Party of England and Wales*
• 1983: SDP
• 1983: Ulster Popular Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
• February 1974: Alliance Party (in Northern Ireland)*
• February 1974: Democratic Labour Party
• February 1974: Democratic Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
• February 1974: SDLP (in Northern Ireland)
• February 1974: Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (in Northern Ireland)
• 1966: Republican Labour Party (in Northern Ireland – dissolved 1973)
• 1945: Common Wealth Party (only time)
• 1935: Scottish National Party*
• 1931: National Labour Party
• 1931: Empire Free Trade Crusade (only time)
• 1931: National Liberal Party (dissolved 1968)
• 1929: Plaid Cymru (in Wales)*
• 1922: Communist Party
• 1922: National Liberal Party (only time – dissolved 1923)
• 1922: Ulster Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
• 1918: National Democratic and Labour Party (only time – dissolved 1922)
• 1918: National Party (only time – formed 1917, dissolved 1921)
• 1918: National Socialist Party (only time – became Social Democratic Federation 1919)
• 1918: Sinn Féin (in Ireland)
• 1918: Unionist Party (in Scotland)
• January 1910: All-for-Ireland League
• January 1910: Scottish Prohibition Party*
• 1900: Labour Party (as Labour Representative Committee – renamed 1906)
• 1895: Independent Labour Party
• 1892: Irish National Federation
• 1892: Irish Unionist Alliance
• 1886: Liberal Unionist Party
• 1885: Crofters Party (in Scotland)
• 1885: Irish Parliamentary Party (aka Irish Nationalist)
• 1874: Home Rule League (in Ireland)
• 1859: Liberal Party
• 1852: Independent Irish Party
• 1841: Chartist*
• 1835: Conservative Party

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:

• 2019: Independent Community & Health Concern
• 2015: Respect Party
• 2001: UK Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
• 1992: Ulster Popular Unionist Party (in Northern Ireland)
• 1987: Communist Party
• 1987: Liberal Party*
• 1987: SDP*
• 1983: United Ulster Unionist Party
• 1979: Democratic Labour Party
• October 1974: Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (in Northern Ireland)
• February 1974: Independent Labour Party
• 1970: Republican Labour Party (Northern Ireland)
• 1966: National Liberal Party (formed 1931 – dissolved 1968)
• 1964: Unionist Party (in Scotland)
• 1945: Common Wealth Party
• 1935: National Labour Party
• 1931: Scottish Prohibition Party
• 1918: Irish Parliamentary Party (aka Irish Nationalist)
• 1918: Irish Unionist Alliance
• December 1910: All-for-Ireland League
• December 1910: Liberal Unionist Party
• 1895: Crofters Party (in Scotland)
• 1895: Irish National Federation
• 1880: Home Rule League (in Ireland)
• 1859: Chartists
• 1857: Independent Irish Party
• 1857: Radicals (before amalgamation into Liberal Party which continued to be nicknamed "Radicals")
• 1857: Whig Party
• 1832: Tory Party (before reorganisation as Conservative Party which continued to be nicknamed "Tories")

* 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
• 1885: first general election held subject to the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883
• 1874: first general election held with secret ballots
• 1868: first general election following enfranchisement of all male heads of household under the Second Reform Act
• 1832: first general election following Great Reform Act which:

• 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

• List of United Kingdom MPs with the shortest service
• Records of members of parliament of the United Kingdom
• Swing (politics)
• United Kingdom by-election records
• United Kingdom European Parliament election records
• United Kingdom general elections overview

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)

Notes and References

1. Book: Craig. F. W. S.. British Parliamentary Election Statistics 1918–1968. registration. 1968. Political Reference Publications. Glasgow. 0900178000. 20.
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-scotland-32635871 Election 2015: SNP wins 56 of 59 seats in Scots landslide
3. Web site: 2017-08-10 . Labour now has all 10 of the safest seats in UK, House of Commons analysis reveals . 2024-05-13 . The Independent . en.
4. Web site: Election Statistics: UK 1918–2017. 12. 2017-04-23. House of Commons Library. 2017-07-14. 2017-08-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20170814094935/http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7529. live.
5. Web site: Noah. Keate. UK election: Top 5 biggest landslides since 1900. Politico. 2024-07-03. 2024-07-03.
6. Tim Carr, The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015
7. News: Maidenhead parliamentary constituency – Election 2017. BBC. BBC News.
8. News: Uxbridge & South Ruislip parliamentary constituency – Election 2019. BBC. BBC News.
9. Web site: Putney [Archive]]. www.politicsresources.net.
10. News: Islington North parliamentary constituency – Election 2017. BBC. BBC News.
11. News: Uxbridge & South Ruislip parliamentary constituency – Election 2019. BBC. BBC News.
12. Web site: 1852 General Election - Drogheda. UK general election results 1832-2019. 2024-07-03.
13. Web site: 1874 General Election - Bewdley. UK general election results 1832-2019. 2024-07-03.
14. Web site: Ball. Stephen. A Victorian paradox explained: popular candidates with no votes. 2013-09-11. The Victorian Commons. 2024-07-03.
15. Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, British electoral facts (Parliamentary Research Services)
16. Web site: 2024 UK general election candidate summary. 12 June 2024. democracyclub.org.uk. 16 June 2024. 9 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240609232037/https://democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2024/06/08/2024-uk-general-election-candidate-summary/. live.
17. http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2005/rp05-033.pdf Research Paper 05/33: General Election 2005
18. Book: Craig. F. W. S.. British Parliamentary Election Statistics 1918–1968. registration. 1968. Political Reference Publications. Glasgow. 0900178000. 65.
19. Web site: UK Election Statistics: 1918-2023: A century of elections. 9 August 2023. 5 July 2024. House of Commons Library.
20. Web site: 2024 UK general election candidate summary. 12 June 2024. democracyclub.org.uk. 16 June 2024. 9 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240609232037/https://democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2024/06/08/2024-uk-general-election-candidate-summary/. live.
21. Web site: Mhairi Black: the 20-year-old who beat a Labour heavyweight. Ewen. MacAskill. Rebecca. Ratcliffe. 8 May 2015. The Guardian.
22. http://huntingdead.jimdo.com/james-keir-hardie/ James Keir Hardie 1856–1915
23. Chris Pond, Parliament and Religious Disabilities
24. News: Martin Bell to run for MP again . BBC News. 8 December 2000 . 14 August 2012.