UNITED KINGDOM GENERAL ELECTION, 1966

1959 election '•' MPs

1964 election '•' MPs

'1966 election' '•' MPs

1970 election '•' MPs

February 1974 election '•' MPs

The '1966 UK general election' on 31 March 1966 and was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected only two years previously in 1964 had an unworkable small majority of only 4 MPs. Wilson's hope that he would be returned to office with a larger majority had been encouraged by the government's victory in a by-election in Kingston upon Hull North. In the end the hope was vindicated: the Labour government was returned with a much larger majority of 96.

Contents

National opinion poll summary

Results

Summary of GB vote (excluding Northern Ireland)

Seats Changing Hands

Televised declarations

See also

Manifestos

National opinion poll summary

Research Services : 3% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 101)

National Opinion Polls : 3.5% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 115)

Gallup : 4.5% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 150)

Express (known as Harris): 7.5% swing to Labour (forecast majority of in excess of 255)

Results

The results were as follows -
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''Total votes cast on 31st March 1966: 27,264,747. All parties shown. The Conservative figure includes Ulster Unionists and National Liberals.''

Summary of GB vote (excluding Northern Ireland)

'Headline Swing': 2.70% to Labour

Seats Changing Hands

From Conservative to Labour (46 seats): Aberdeen South, Bebington, Bedford, Bedfordshire South, Berwick and East Lothian, Billericay, Birmingham Perry Barr, Bradford West, Brentford and Chiswick, Bristol North East, Bristol North West, Cambridge,
Cardiff North, Chislehurst, Conway, Croydon South, Eton and Slough, Exeter, Hampstead, Harrow East, High Peak, Hornchurch, Ilford South, Lancaster, Lewisham North, Lewisham West, Middleton and Prestwich, Monmouth, Norwood, Nottingham South, Oxford,
Plymouth Sutton, Portsmouth South, Preston North, Reading, Rugby, Rushcliffe, Sheffield, Heeley, Smethwick, Southampton Test, Stretford, The Wrekin, Uxbridge, Walthamstow East, Yarmouth and York

From Conservative to Liberal (4 seats): Aberdeenshire West, Cheadle, Cornwall, North and Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles

From Labour to Liberal (1 seat): Colne Valley

From Liberal to Labour (2 seats): Cardiganshire and Caithness and Sutherland

Televised declarations

(From BBC Parliament Replay.)
These declarations were covered live by the BBC where the returning officer was heard to say "duly elected".

Constituency	Winning party 1964		Constituency result 1966 by party						Winning party 1966
			Con	Lab	Lib	PC	SNP	Others
Cheltenham	22,683	19,768				hold
Wolverhampton North East	12,965	21,067				hold
Wolverhampton South West	21,466	14,881				hold
Salford West	13,257	19,237				hold
Salford East	9,000	18,409				hold
Exeter	18,613	22,189	4,869			'gain'
Devon North	15,631	6,127	16,797			hold
Smethwick	14,550	18,440				508 'gain'
Nelson and Colne	13,829	18,406				5,117 hold
Leyton	18,157	26,803	3,851			441 recovery
Huyton	20,182	41,132				585 hold
Billericay	38,371	40,013	7,587			'gain'
Preston South	17,931	20,720				hold
Bexley	26,377	24,044	4,405			hold
Brentford and Chiswick	14,031	14,638	2,063			'gain'
Aberdeenshire West	13,956	6,008	15,151			'gain'
Taunton	22,359	19,216	5,460			hold
Monmouth	25,654	28,619				'gain'

★ The 5,117 votes polled for the "Others" in Nelson and Colne were all polled for Patrick Downey, uncle of Lesley Ann Downey who had been murdered by the Moors Murderers. Downey advocated the return of hanging.

See also

★ MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1966

Manifestos

★ Action Not Words: The New Conservative Programme - 1966 Conservative manifesto.

★ Time for Decision - 1966 Labour Party manifesto.

★ For All the People: the Liberal Plan of 1966 - 1966 Liberal Party manifesto.