UNITED KINGDOM GENERAL ELECTION, 1951

The '1951 United Kingdom general election' was held soon after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party won, but with a very slim majority. They called an election on 25 October 1951, hoping to win more seats, but instead lost to the Conservative Party, who were able to form a government, with a workable majority (when the National Liberals were included) of 17, despite gaining fewer votes than Labour (even when the National Liberal vote total was included) and despite Labour polling more votes than in the last election. This was the only universal-suffrage election where the runner-up in the popular vote gained a majority in the Commons. However, Labour gained a plurality of seats against the pattern of votes in 1929 and in the first election of 1974.

Contents

Results

Summary of GB vote (excluding Northern Ireland)

Seats Changing Hands

See also

Manifestos

Results

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''Total votes cast: 28,596,594. All parties shown. Conservative result includes the Ulster Unionists.''

Summary of GB vote (excluding Northern Ireland)

'Headline Swing': 1.13% to Conservative

Seats Changing Hands

From Conservative to Labour (1 seat): Romford

From Conservative to Liberal (0 seats):

From Labour to Conservative (23 seats): Barry, Battersea South, Bedfordshire South, Berwick and East Lothian, Bolton East, Buckingham, Conway, Darlington, Doncaster, Dulwich, King's Lynn, Manchester Blackley, Middlesbrough West, Norfolk South West, Nottingham North West, Oldham East, Plymouth Sutton, Reading North, Rochdale, Rutherglen, Workington, Wycombe and Yarmouth

From Labour to Liberal (1 seat): Bolton West

From Liberal to Conservative (2 seats): Eye and Roxburgh

From Liberal to Labour (2 seats): Anglesey and Meirioneth

See also

★ MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1951

Manifestos

★ CONSERVATIVE PARTY: 1951- 1951 Conservative manifesto.

★ Labour Party Election Manifesto - 1951 Labour Party manifesto.

★ The Nation's Task - 1951 Liberal Party manifesto.