The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party and also known colloquially as the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party, and has been described as both right-wing and centre-right.
This article encompasses detailed results of previous UK general elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections, devolved national elections, devolved London elections and European Parliament elections which the Conservative Party have participated in.
Background
editIt is the current governing party, having won the 2019 general election, and has been the primary governing party in the United Kingdom since 2010. On the political spectrum the party has been described as right-wing[9] by various sources and as centre-right[10] by others, and encompasses various ideological factions including one-nation conservatives, Thatcherites, and traditionalist conservatives.
As of September 2023, the party has 354 members of Parliament, 260 members of the House of Lords, 9 members of the London Assembly, 31 members of the Scottish Parliament, 16 members of the Welsh Parliament, 4 directly elected mayors, 30 police and crime commissioners, and around 5,647 local councillors.[11] It holds the annual Conservative Party Conference.[12]
The Conservative Party was founded in 1834 from the Tory Party and was one of two dominant political parties in the 19th century, along with the Liberal Party.[13][14] In 1912, the Liberal Unionist Party merged with the party to form the Conservative and Unionist Party. Since the 1920s, the Labour Party emerged to be the Conservatives' main rival and the Conservative–Labour political rivalry has shaped modern British politics for the last century.
National results
editUK general elections
editUnited Kingdom general elections are held under the first past the post voting system.[15] Each constituency in the United Kingdom will elect one Member of Parliament; overall 650 Members of Parliament are currently elected at each election.[15] Following the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, the date of the general election is at the discretion of the prime minister within a five-year period from the last general election.[15] The next general election will be held on 4 July 2024.[16]
In the 1931 general election, the Conservatives earned their best result to date, by vote share (55.5%) and seat number (474).[17] In the post-war era, the 1983 general election was the most successful for the Conservatives in terms of seats won (397), whereas 1955 was the most successful election for vote share (49.7%).[17] However, the 1997 general election was the least successful election since 1918 for the Conservatives, winning 165 seats and gaining 30.7% of the vote.[17]
This chart shows the electoral performance of the Conservative Party in each general election since 1835.[18][19]
For results of the Tories, the party's predecessor, see here.
Election | Leader | Votes | Seats | Position | Government | Ref | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | ± | Share | |||||
1835 | Robert Peel | 261,269 | 40.8% | 273 / 658
|
98 | 41.5% | 2nd | Whig | [20] |
1837 | 379,694 | 48.3% | 314 / 658
|
41 | 47.7% | 2nd | Whig | ||
1841 | 379,694 | 56.9% | 367 / 658
|
53 | 55.8% | 1st | Conservative | ||
1847 | Earl of Derby | 205,481 | 42.7% | 325 / 656 Includes Peelites
|
42 | 49.5% | 1st | Whig | |
1852 | 311,481 | 41.9% | 330 / 654 Includes Peelites
|
5 | 50.5% | 1st | Conservative | ||
1857 | 239,712 | 34.0% | 264 / 654
|
66 | 40.4% | 2nd | Whig | ||
1859 | 193,232 | 34.3% | 298 / 654
|
34 | 45.6% | 2nd | Whig | ||
1865 | 346,035 | 40.5% | 289 / 658
|
9 | 43.9% | 2nd | Liberal | ||
1868[fn 1] | Benjamin Disraeli | 903,318 | 38.4% | 271 / 658
|
18 | 41.2% | 2nd | Liberal | |
1874 | 1,091,708 | 44.3% | 350 / 652
|
79 | 53.7% | 1st | Conservative | ||
1880 | 1,462,351 | 42.5% | 237 / 652
|
113 | 36.3% | 2nd | Liberal | ||
1885[fn 2] | Marquess of Salisbury | 1,869,560 | 43.4% | 247 / 670
|
10 | 36.9% | 2nd | Liberal minority | [18] |
1886 | 1,417,627 | 51.4% | 393 / 670
|
146 | 58.7% | 1st | Conservative–Liberal Unionist | [18] | |
1892 | 2,028,586 | 47.0% | 314 / 670
|
79 | 46.9% | 2nd | Liberal | [18] | |
1895 | 1,759,484 | 49.3% | 411 / 670
|
97 | 61.3% | 1st | Conservative–Liberal Unionist | [18] | |
1900 | 1,637,683 | 50.2% | 402 / 670
|
9 | 60.0% | 1st | Conservative–Liberal Unionist | [18] | |
1906 | Arthur Balfour | 2,278,076 | 43.4% | 156 / 670
|
246 | 23.3% | 2nd | Liberal | [18] |
January 1910 | 2,919,236 | 46.8% | 272 / 670
|
116 | 40.6% | 2nd | Liberal minority | [18] | |
December 1910 | 2,270,753 | 46.6% | 271 / 670
|
1 | 40.5% | 2nd | Liberal minority | [18] | |
Merged with Liberal Unionist Party in 1912 to become the Conservative and Unionist Party | |||||||||
1918[fn 3] | Bonar Law | 4,003,848 | 38.4% | 379 / 707 332 elected with Coupon
|
108 | 53.6% | 1st | Coalition Liberal–Conservative | [18] |
1922 | 5,294,465 | 38.5% | 344 / 615
|
35 | 55.9% | 1st | Conservative | [18] | |
1923 | Stanley Baldwin | 5,286,159 | 38.0% | 258 / 625
|
86 | 41.3% | 1st | Labour minority | [18] |
1924 | 7,418,983 | 46.8% | 412 / 615
|
124 | 67.0% | 1st | Conservative | [18] | |
1929[fn 4] | 8,252,527 | 38.1% | 260 / 615
|
152 | 42.3% | 2nd | Labour minority | [18] | |
1931 | 11,377,022 | 55.0% | 470 / 615
|
210 | 76.4% | 1st | Conservative–Liberal–National Labour | [18] | |
1935 | 10,025,083 | 47.8% | 386 / 615
|
83 | 62.8% | 1st | Conservative–Liberal National–National Labour | [18] | |
1945 | Winston Churchill | 8,716,211 | 36.2% | 197 / 640
|
189 | 30.8% | 2nd | Labour | [18] |
1950 | 11,507,061 | 40.0% | 282 / 625
|
85 | 45.1% | 2nd | Labour | [18] | |
1951 | 13,724,418 | 48.0% | 302 / 625
|
20 | 48.3% | 1st | Conservative–National Liberal | [18] | |
1955 | Anthony Eden | 13,310,891 | 49.7% | 324 / 630
|
22 | 51.4% | 1st | Conservative–National Liberal | [18] |
1959 | Harold Macmillan | 13,750,875 | 49.4% | 345 / 630
|
21 | 54.8% | 1st | Conservative–National Liberal | [18] |
1964 | Alec Douglas-Home | 12,002,642 | 43.4% | 298 / 630
|
47 | 47.3% | 2nd | Labour | [18] |
1966 | Edward Heath | 11,418,455 | 41.9% | 250 / 630
|
48 | 39.7% | 2nd | Labour | [18] |
1970[fn 5] | 13,145,123 | 46.4% | 330 / 630
|
80 | 52.4% | 1st | Conservative | [18] | |
February 1974 | 11,872,180 | 37.9% | 297 / 635
|
33 | 46.8% | 2nd | Labour minority | [18] | |
October 1974 | 10,462,565 | 35.8% | 277 / 635
|
20 | 43.6% | 2nd | Labour | [18] | |
1979 | Margaret Thatcher | 13,697,923 | 43.9% | 339 / 635
|
62 | 53.4% | 1st | Conservative | [18] |
1983 | 13,012,316 | 42.4% | 397 / 650
|
38 | 61.1% | 1st | Conservative | ||
1987 | 13,760,935 | 42.2% | 376 / 650
|
21 | 57.8% | 1st | Conservative | ||
1992 | John Major | 14,093,007 | 41.9% | 336 / 651
|
40 | 51.6% | 1st | Conservative | |
1997 | 9,600,943 | 30.7% | 165 / 659
|
171 | 25.0% | 2nd | Labour | ||
2001 | William Hague | 8,357,615 | 31.7% | 166 / 659
|
1 | 25.2% | 2nd | Labour | |
2005 | Michael Howard | 8,785,941 | 32.4% | 198 / 646
|
32 | 30.7% | 2nd | Labour | |
2010 | David Cameron | 10,703,654 | 36.1% | 306 / 650
|
96 | 47.1% | 1st | Conservative–Liberal Democrats[21] | [22] |
2015 | 11,299,609 | 36.8% | 330 / 650
|
24 | 50.8% | 1st | Conservative | [23] | |
2017 | Theresa May | 13,636,684 | 42.3% | 317 / 650
|
13 | 48.8% | 1st | Conservative minority with DUP confidence and supply[24] |
[25] |
2019 | Boris Johnson | 13,966,454 | 43.6% | 365 / 650
|
48 | 56.2% | 1st | Conservative | [26] |
2024 | Rishi Sunak | 6,827,311 | 23.7% | 121 / 650
|
251 | 18.6% | 2nd | Labour | [27] |
- Note
- ^ The first election held under the Reform Act 1867.
- ^ The first election held under the Representation of the People Act 1884 and the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
- ^ The first election held under the Representation of the People Act 1918 in which all men over 21, and most women over the age of 30 could vote, and therefore a much larger electorate.
- ^ The first election held under the Representation of the People Act 1928 which gave all women aged over 21 the vote.
- ^ Franchise extended to all 18- to 20-year-olds under the Representation of the People Act 1969.
Police and Crime Commissioner elections
editElection | Leader | Votes | Commissioners | Position | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | ± | Share | |||
2012 | David Cameron | 1,480,323 | 27.6% | 16 / 41
|
34.8% | 1st | |
2016 | 2,601,560 | 29.3% | 20 / 40
|
4 | 50.0% | 1st | |
2021 | Boris Johnson | 4,900,501 | 44.5% | 30 / 39
|
10 | 76.9% | 1st |
2024 | Rishi Sunak | 2,727,820 | 35.2% | 19 / 37
|
11 | 51.4% | 1st |
Devolved national elections
editScottish Parliament elections
editElection | Leader | Votes (Constituency) | Votes (List) | Seats | Position | Government | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | No. | ± | Share | ||||
1999 | David McLetchie | 364,225 | 15.6% | 359,109 | 15.4% | 18 / 129
|
14.0% | 3rd | Labour–Liberal Democrats | |
2003 | 318,279 | 16.6% | 296,929 | 15.6% | 18 / 129
|
0 | 14.0% | 3rd | Labour–Liberal Democrats | |
2007 | Annabel Goldie | 334,743 | 16.6% | 284,005 | 13.9% | 17 / 129
|
1 | 13.4% | 3rd | Scottish National minority |
2011 | 276,652 | 13.9% | 245,967 | 12.4% | 15 / 129
|
2 | 11.6% | 3rd | Scottish National | |
2016 | Ruth Davidson | 501,844 | 22.0% | 524,222 | 22.9% | 31 / 129
|
16 | 24.0% | 2nd | Scottish National minority |
2021 | Douglas Ross | 592,526 | 21.9% | 637,131 | 23.5% | 31 / 129
|
0 | 24.0% | 2nd | Scottish National minority |
Senedd elections
editElection | Leader | Votes (Constituency) | Votes (List) | Seats | Position | Government | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | No. | ± | Share | ||||
1999 | Rod Richards | 162,133 | 15.8% | 168,206 | 16.5% | 9 / 60
|
15.0% | 3rd | Labour–Liberal Democrats | |
2003 | Nick Bourne | 169,832 | 19.9% | 162,725 | 19.2% | 11 / 60
|
2 | 18.3% | 3rd | Labour |
2007 | 218,739 | 22.4% | 209,153 | 21.4% | 12 / 60
|
1 | 20.0% | 3rd | Labour–Plaid Cymru | |
2011 | 237,388 | 25.0% | 213,773 | 22.5% | 14 / 60
|
2 | 23.3% | 2nd | Labour | |
2016 | Andrew R. T. Davies | 215,597 | 21.1% | 190,846 | 18.8% | 11 / 60
|
3 | 18.3% | 3rd | Labour minority |
2021 | 289,802 | 26.1% | 278,560 | 25.1% | 16 / 60
|
5 | 26.7% | 2nd | Labour minority |
Northern Ireland devolved elections
editPrior to 1973, the Ulster Unionist Party acted as the de facto Northern Ireland branch of the Conservative Party. The UUP's results may be seen here.
Election | Leader | Votes | Seats | Position | Government | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | ± | Share | ||||
Elections to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 | ||||||||
1996 | Barbara Finney | 3,595 | 0.48 | 0 / 110
|
0.0% | 12th | Dissolution | |
Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 | ||||||||
1998 | Unknown | 1,835 | 0.23 | 0 / 108
|
0 | 0.0% | 14th | UUP–Sinn Féin |
2003 | Unknown | 1,604 | 0.20 | 0 / 108
|
0 | 0.0% | 14th | Dissolution |
2007 | Unknown | 3,457 | 0.50 | 0 / 108
|
0 | 0.0% | 10th | DUP–Sinn Féin |
2011 | Unknown | Did not contest election | DUP–Sinn Féin | |||||
2016 | Alan Dunlop | 2,554 | 0.40 | 0 / 108
|
0 | 0.0% | 11th | DUP–Sinn Féin |
2022 | Matthew Robinson | Did not contest election | tbc |
Devolved London elections
editLondon Mayoral elections
editElection | Leader | Candidate | Votes (1st pref.) | Votes (run-off) | Position | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | ||||
2000 | William Hague | Steven Norris | 464,434 | 27.1% | 564,137 | 42.1% | 2nd |
2004 | Michael Howard | 542,423 | 29.1% | 667,180 | 44.6% | 2nd | |
2008 | David Cameron | Boris Johnson | 1,043,761 | 43.2% | 1,168,738 | 53.2% | 1st |
2012 | 971,931 | 44.0% | 1,054,811 | 51.5% | 1st | ||
2016 | Zac Goldsmith | 909,755 | 35.0% | 994,614 | 43.2% | 2nd | |
2021 | Boris Johnson | Shaun Bailey | 893,051 | 35.3% | 977,601 | 44.8% | 2nd |
2024 | Rishi Sunak | Susan Hall | 812,397 | 32.7% | 2nd |
London Assembly elections
editElection | Leader | Assembly Leader | Votes (Constituency) | Votes (List) | Seats | Position | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | No. | + | Share | ||||
2000 | William Hague | Eric Ollerenshaw | 526,422 | 33.2% | 481,053 | 29.0% | 9 / 25
|
36.0% | 1st | |
2004 | Michael Howard | Bob Neill | 562,047 | 31.2% | 533,696 | 28.5% | 9 / 25
|
0 | 36.0% | 1st |
2008 | David Cameron | Richard Barnes | 900,569 | 37.4% | 835,535 | 34.1% | 11 / 25
|
2 | 44.0% | 1st |
2012 | James Cleverly | 722,280 | 32.7% | 708,528 | 32.0% | 9 / 25
|
2 | 36.0% | 2nd | |
2016 | Gareth Bacon | 812,415 | 31.1% | 764,230 | 29.2% | 8 / 25
|
1 | 32.0% | 2nd | |
2021 | Boris Johnson | Susan Hall | 833,021 | 32.0% | 795,081 | 30.7% | 9 / 25
|
1 | 36.0% | 2nd |
2024 | Rishi Sunak | Neil Garratt | 673,036 | 27.2% | 648,269 | 26.2% | 8 / 25
|
1 | 32.0% | 2nd |
Combined authority elections
editYear | Leader | Mayoralties won | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Theresa May | 4 / 6
|
|
2018 | 0 / 1
|
||
2019 | 0 / 1
|
||
2021 | Boris Johnson | 2 / 7
|
2 |
2024 | Rishi Sunak | 1 / 9
|
1 |
European
editEuropean Parliament elections
editElection | Party Group | Leader | Votes | Seats | Position | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | ± | Share | ||||||
1979 | ED | Margaret Thatcher | 6,508,492 | 48.4 | 60 / 81
|
75.0% | 1st | |||
1984 | EPP | 5,426,866 | 38.8 | 45 / 81
|
15 | 55.6% | 1st | |||
1989 | 5,331,077 | 34.7 | 32 / 81
|
13 | 39.5% | 2nd | ||||
1994 | John Major | 4,274,122 | 26.8 | 18 / 87
|
13 | 20.7% | 2nd | |||
1999[fn 1] | EPP-ED | William Hague | 3,578,218 | 35.8 | 36 / 87
|
18 | 41.4% | 1st | ||
2004 | Michael Howard | 4,397,087 | 26.7 | 27 / 78
|
8 | 34.6% | 1st | |||
2009[fn 2] | ECR | David Cameron | 4,281,286 | 27.7 | 26 / 72
|
1 | 36.1% | 1st | ||
2014 | 3,792,549 | 23.1 | 19 / 73
|
7 | 26.0% | 3rd | ||||
2019 | Theresa May | 1,512,809 | 8.8 | 4 / 73
|
15 | 5.5% | 5th |
- Note
- ^ Electoral system changed from first past the post to proportional representation.
- ^ Includes 82,892 votes and 1 seat gained from the UCUNF alliance
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Saini, Rima; Bankole, Michael; Begum, Neema (April 2023). "The 2022 Conservative Leadership Campaign and Post-racial Gatekeeping". Race & Class: 1–20. doi:10.1177/03063968231164599.
...the Conservative Party's history in incorporating ethnic minorities, and the recent post-racial turn within the party whereby increasing party diversity has coincided with an increasing turn to the Right
- ^ Bale, Tim (March 2023). The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation. Cambridge: Polity. pp. vi–x, passim. ISBN 9781509546015. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ de Geus, Roosmarijn A.; Shorrocks, Rosalind (2022). "Where Do Female Conservatives Stand? A Cross-National Analysis of the Issue Positions and Ideological Placement of Female Right-Wing Candidates". In Och, Malliga; Shames, Shauna; Cooperman, Rosalyn (eds.). Sell-Outs or Warriors for Change? A Comparative Look at Conservative Women in Politics in Democracies. Abingdon/New York: Routledge. pp. 1–29. ISBN 9781032346571.
right-wing parties are also increasing the presence of women within their ranks. Prominent female European leaders include Theresa May (until recently) and Angela Merkel, from the right-wing Conservative Party in the UK and the Christian Democratic Party in Germany respectively. This article examines the extent to which women in right-wing parties are similar to their male colleagues, or whether they have a set of distinctive opinions on a range of issues
- ^ Alonso, José M.; Andrews, Rhys (September 2020). "Political Ideology and Social Services Contracting: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design". Public Administration Review. 80 (5). Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell: 743–754. doi:10.1111/puar.13177. S2CID 214198195.
In particular, there is a clear partisan division between the main left-wing party (Labour) and political parties with pronounced pro-market preferences, such as the right-wing Conservative Party
- ^ Alzuabi, Raslan; Brown, Sarah; Taylor, Karl (October 2022). "Charitable behaviour and political affiliation: Evidence for the UK". Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics. 100. Amsterdam: Elsevier: 101917. doi:10.1016/j.socec.2022.101917.
...alignment to the Liberal Democrats (centre to left wing) and the Green Party (left wing) are positively associated with charitable behaviour at both the extensive and intensive margins, relative to being aligned with the right wing Conservative Party.
- ^ Oleart, Alvaro (2021). "Framing TTIP in the UK". Framing TTIP in the European Public Spheres: Towards an Empowering Dissensus for EU Integration. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 153–177. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-53637-4_6. ISBN 978-3-030-53636-7. S2CID 229439399.
the right-wing Conservative Party in government supported TTIP...This logic reproduced also a government-opposition dynamic, whereby the right-wing Conservative Party championed the agreement
- ^ Falk, Thomas (20 July 2022). "How a change in leadership could affect UK's Conservative Party". Al Jazeera English. London: Al Jazeera Media Network.
- ^ Walker, Peter (1 August 2022). "Righter than Right: Tories' Hardline Drift May Lose the Public". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022.
- ^ [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
- ^ James, William (1 October 2019). "Never mind the politics, get a Brexit deal done, says UK business". Reuters. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- ^ "Local Council Political Compositions". Open Council Date UK. 23 January 2018. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- ^ "Party Conferences". Institute for Government. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ Ivor Bulmer-Thomas, The Growth of the British Party System Volume I: 1640–1923 (1965) pp. 66–81
- ^ David Paterson, Liberalism and Conservatism, 1846–1905 (2001) p. 5
- ^ a b c Richard Cracknell, Elise Uberoi, Matthew Burton (9 August 2023). "UK Election Statistics: 1918–2023, A Long Century of Elections (p106)" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Landler, Mark (22 May 2024). "Sunak Announces U.K. Elections for July 4, Months Earlier Than Expected". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Richard Cracknell, Elise Uberoi, Matthew Burton (9 August 2023). "UK Election Statistics: 1918–2023, A Long Century of Elections (p8)" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "General Election Results 1885–1979". Election.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ "1835 General Election Results | From A Vision of Britain through Time". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ "1835 General Election Results | From A Vision of Britain through Time". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ "Election 2010 Timeline: How coalition was agreed". BBC News. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "General Election 2010 (p28, 86)" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "General Election 2015" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ Alex Hunt (26 June 2017). "Theresa May and the DUP deal: What you need to know". BBC News. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "General Election 2017: results and analysis (p8–12)" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "General Election 2019: results and analysis (p8–12)" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "UK General election 2024 Results". BBC News. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.