United Kingdom general election, 1874

United Kingdom general election, 1874

31 January – 17 February 1874 (1874-01-31 – 1874-02-17)
All 652 seats in the House of Commons 327 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Benjamin Disraeli William Ewart Gladstone Isaac Butt Party Conservative Liberal Home Rule Leader since 27 February 1868 3 December 1868 November 1873 Leader's seat Buckinghamshire Greenwich Limerick City Last election 271 seats, 38.4% 387 seats, 61.5% Did not contest Seats won 350 242 60 Seat change 79 145 60 Popular vote 1,091,708 1,281,159 90,234 Percentage 44.3% 52.0% 3.7% Swing 5.9% 9.5% New party
Colours denote the winning party
Prime Minister before election William Ewart Gladstone Liberal Appointed Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli Conservative

The 1874 United Kingdom general election saw the incumbent Liberals, led by William Ewart Gladstone, lose decisively, even though it won a majority of the votes cast. Benjamin Disraeli's Conservatives won the majority of seats in the House of Commons, largely because they won a number of uncontested seats. It was the first Conservative victory in a general election since 1841. Gladstone's decision to call an election surprised his colleagues, for they were aware of large sectors of discontent in their coalition. For example, the nonconformists were upset with education policies; many working-class people disliked the new trade union laws and the restrictions on drinking. The Conservatives were making gains in the middle-class, Gladstone wanted to abolish the income tax, but failed to carry his own cabinet. The result was a disaster for the Liberals, who went from 387 MPs to only 242. Conservatives jumped from 271 to 350. For the first time the Irish Nationalists gained seats, returning 60. Gladstone himself noted: "We have been swept away in a torrent of gin and beer" (Roberts 2001, p. 332).

The election also saw Irish nationalists in the Home Rule League become the first significant third party in Parliament. This had been the first general election that used a secret ballot following the 1872 Secret Ballot Act. The Irish Nationalist gains could well be attributed to the effects of the Secret Ballot Act as tenants faced less of a threat of eviction if they voted against the wishes of their landlords.

This is the only time since the introduction of the secret ballot that a party has been defeated despite receiving an absolute majority of the popular vote. This was primarily because over 100 Conservative candidates were elected unopposed. This meant that there was no contest in many constituencies where the Conservatives were popular.

The election saw 652 MPs elected: 6 fewer than at the prior election. Following allegations of corruption the Conservative held constituencies of Beverley and Sligo Borough, and the Liberal held constituencies of Bridgwater and Cashel, had been abolished.

Results

Regional results

Great Britain

Party		Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative	319		1,000,006	44.6
	Liberal	232		1,241,381	55.4
	Other	0		2	0.0
Total		551		2,241,389	100

England

Party		Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative	280		905,239	46.2
	Liberal	171		1,035,268	53.8
	Other	0		2	0.0
Total		451		1,940,509	100

Scotland

Party		Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Liberal	40		148,345	68.4
	Conservative	18		63,193	31.6
Total		58		211,538	100

Wales

Party		Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Liberal	19		57,768	60.9
	Conservative	14		31,574	39.1
Total		33		89,342	100

Ireland

Main article: United Kingdom general election, 1874 (Ireland)

Party		Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Home Rule	60		90,234	39.6
	Irish Conservative	31	−6	91,702	40.8	−1.1%
	Liberal	10	−56	39,778	18.4	−39.5%
	Other	0		2,934	1.2
Total		101	−2	224,648	100

Universities

Party		Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative	7
	Liberal	2
Total		9			100

Notes

References