2005 United Kingdom general election

none June 2026 May 2014 January 2020 2005 United Kingdom general election United Kingdom parliamentary no 2001 United Kingdom general election 2001 List of MPs elected in the 2001 United Kingdom general election List of MPs elected in the 2005 United Kingdom general election 2010 United Kingdom general election 2010 All 646 seats to the House of Commons 324n Given that Sinn Féin members of Parliament (MPs) practise abstentionism and do not take their seats, while the Speaker and deputies do not vote, the number of MPs needed for a majority was in practice slightly lower.https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/government-majority Government majority Institute for Government 20 December 2019 Sinn Féin won 5 seats, meaning a practical majority required 321 MPs. 5 May 2005 44,245,939 27,148,51061.4% (2.0 pp) Opinion polling for the 2005 United Kingdom general election Tony Blair WEF (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Tony Blair 21 July 1994 Labour Party (UK) Sedgefield 412 seats, 40.7% 403 355Does not include the Speaker, Michael Martin, who was included in the Labour totals by some media outlets 48* 9,552,376 35.2% 5.5 pp Michael Howard (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Michael Howard 6 November 2003 Conservative Party (UK) Folkestone and Hythe 166 seats, 31.7% 165 198 33* 8,785,942 32.4% 0.7 pp Charles_Kennedy_MP_(cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Charles Kennedy 9 August 1999 Liberal Democrats (UK) Ross, Skye and LochaberRepresented Ross, Skye and Inverness West prior to dissolution. Ross, Skye and Lochaber was one of the three successor seats. 52 seats, 18.3% 51 62 11* 5,985,704 22.0% 3.7 pp 2005UKElectionMap.svg 200px Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results. * Indicates boundary change – so this is a notional figure Prime Minister Prime Minister after election Tony Blair Labour Party (UK) Tony Blair Labour Party (UK) House_of_Commons_2005_Election.svg Composition of the House of Commons after the election 360px A general election was held in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2005, to elect 646 members to the House of Commonshttps://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP05-33/RP05-33.pdf General Election 2005 Mellows-Facer Adam 10 March 2006 House of Commons Library 20 October 2026 PDF Research Paper 05/33. The governing Labour Party led by Prime Minister Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, with Blair becoming the second Labour leader after Harold Wilson to form three majority governments. However, its majority fell to 66 seats; the majority it won four years earlier had been of 167 seats. The UK media interpreted the results as an indicator of a breakdown in trust in the government, and especially in Blair. This was the first time the Labour Party had won a third consecutive election, but would be the last election victory for Labour until 2024. The Liberal Democrats, led by Charles Kennedy, increased its seat count for a third consecutive election, netting the most seats in its history until 2024 and the most of any of the connected British Liberal parties since 1923. The Labour campaign emphasised a strong economy; however, Blair had suffered a decline in popularity, which was exacerbated by the controversial decision to send British troops to invade Iraq in 2003. Despite this, Labour mostly retained its leads over the Conservatives in opinion polls on economic competence and leadership, and Conservative leaders Iain Duncan Smith (2001–03) and Michael Howard (2003–05) struggled to capitalise on Blair's unpopularity, with the party consistently trailing behind Labour in the polls throughout the 2001–05 parliament.2001-2005 Polls https://ukpollingreport.co.uk/historical-polls/voting-intention-2001-2005 UK Polling Report 14 November 2021 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20211114074744/https://ukpollingreport.co.uk/historical-polls/voting-intention-2001-2005 14 November 2021 The Conservatives campaigned on policies such as immigration limits, improving poorly managed hospitals and reducing high crime rates. The Liberal Democrats took a strong stance against the Iraq War, particularly due to the absence of a second United Nations resolution;http://leftfootforward.org/2014/06/blair-is-not-the-only-one-with-iraq-amnesia/ Blair is not the only one with Iraq amnesia – the Lib Dems were NOT anti-invasion, just anti-that-kind-of-invasion Left Foot Forward 17 June 2014 26 March 2015 UK this anti-war position resonated with disenchanted Labour voters,Cowling David Who deserted Labour? https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/issues/4520847.stm BBC News 7 May 2005 14 November 2021 leading to the Liberal Democrats achieving what was at that point their largest vote share in their history. Blair won a third term as prime minister, with Labour having 355 MPs, but with a popular vote share of just 35.2%. This was the smallest of any majority government in UK electoral history until Keir Starmer won an even lower share in 2024. In terms of votes, Labour was only narrowly ahead of the Conservatives, but the party still held a comfortable lead in terms of seats. The Conservatives returned 198 MPs, with 32 more seats than they had won at the previous general election, and won the popular vote in England, though they still ended up with 91 fewer MPs in England than Labour.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-big-question-what-is-the-west-lothian-question-and-can-it-be-resolved-satisfactorily-406571.html https://web.archive.org/web/20081211015716/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-big-question-what-is-the-west-lothian-question-and-can-it-be-resolved-satisfactorily-406571.html dead 11 December 2008 London The Independent Andy McSmith The Big Question: What is the West Lothian question, and can it be resolved satisfactorily? 4 July 2006 The Liberal Democrats saw their share of the popular vote increase by 3.7%, and won the most seats of any third party since 1923, with 62 MPs. Anti-war activist and former Labour MP George Galloway was elected as the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow under the Respect – The Unity Coalition banner, unseating Oona King; Richard Taylor was re-elected for Kidderminster Health Concern in Wyre Forest; and independent candidate Peter Law was elected in Blaenau Gwent.The 2005 General Election: Worst Election Ever https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/latest-news-and-research/publications/2005-general-election/ www.electoral-reform.org.uk 1 April 2023 en-GB In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the more moderate of the main unionist parties, which had dominated Northern Irish politics since the 1920s, was reduced from six MPs to one, with party leader David Trimble himself being unseated. The more hardline Democratic Unionist Party became the largest Northern Irish party, with nine MPs elected. Apart from Trimble, notable MPs leaving the House of Commons at this election included former SDLP leader John Hume; former Cabinet ministers Estelle Morris, Paul Boateng, Chris Smith, Gillian Shephard, Virginia Bottomley and Michael Portillo; the Father of the House of Commons Tam Dalyell; Tony Banks; and Sir Teddy Taylor. Stephen Twigg lost the Enfield Southgate constituency back to the Conservatives. Notable MPs who joined the House of Commons at this election include future Labour leader and energy secretary Ed Miliband, future chancellor of the Exchequer and health secretary Jeremy Hunt, and future education secretary Michael Gove. Following the election, Michael Howard conceded defeat, resigned as Conservative leader and was succeeded by future prime minister David Cameron. Blair resigned as both prime minister and leader of the Labour Party in June 2007, and was replaced by Gordon Brown, the then–Chancellor of the Exchequer. The election results were broadcast live on the BBC and presented by Peter Snow, David Dimbleby, Tony King, Jeremy Paxman and Andrew Marr. Overview events leading up to the date of the election Pre-election day events of the 2005 United Kingdom general election The governing Labour Party, led by Tony Blair, was looking to secure a third consecutive term in office and to retain a large majority. The Conservative Party was seeking to regain seats lost to both Labour and the Liberal Democrats since the 1992 general election. The Liberal Democrats hoped to make gains from both main parties, but especially the Conservative Party, with a 'decapitation' strategy which targeted members of the Shadow Cabinet. The Lib Dems had the lofty ambition of forming either the Government or the Opposition, but more realistically hoped to play a major part in a parliament led by a minority Labour or Conservative government. In Northern Ireland the Democratic Unionist Party sought to make further gains from the Ulster Unionist Party in unionist politics, and Sinn Féin hoped to overtake the Social Democratic and Labour Party in nationalist politics. (Sinn Féin MPs do not take their seats in the House of Commons – they follow a policy of abstentionism.) Plaid Cymru and the pro-independence Scottish National Party stood candidates in every constituency in Wales and Scotland respectively. Many seats were contested by other parties, including several parties without incumbents in the House of Commons. Parties that were not represented at Westminster, but had seats in the devolved assemblies and/or the European Parliament, included the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, the UK Independence Party, the Green Party of England and Wales, the Scottish Green Party, and the Scottish Socialist Party. The Health Concern party also stood again. A full list of parties which declared their intention to run can be found on the list of parties contesting the 2005 general election. All parties campaigned using such tools as party manifestos, party political broadcasts and touring the country in what are commonly referred to as battle buses. Local elections in parts of England and in Northern Ireland were held on the same day. The polls were open for fifteen hours, from 7 am to 10 pm BST (UTC+1). The election came just over three weeks after the dissolution of parliament on 11 April by Queen Elizabeth II, at the request of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Campaign Pre-election day events of the 2005 United Kingdom general election Following the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April, it was announced that the calling of the election would be delayed until 5 April.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1487012/Blair-delays-election-call.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1487012/Blair-delays-election-call.html 11 January 2022 subscription live Blair delays election call The Daily Telegraph 3 April 2005 London Thanks to eight years of sustained economic growth, Labour could point to a strong economy, with greater investment in public services such as education and health. This was overshadowed, however, by the issue of the controversial 2003 invasion of Iraq, which met widespread public criticism at the time and would dog Blair throughout the campaign. Chancellor Gordon Brown played a prominent role in the election campaign, frequently appearing with Blair and ensuring that the economy would remain the central focus of Labour's message. Recently elected Conservative leader Michael Howard brought a great level of experience and stability to a party that had ousted its former leader Iain Duncan Smith just 18 months prior.Tory leader ousted https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3225127.stm BBC News 29 October 2003 6 June 2022 The Conservative campaign was managed by Australian strategist Lynton Crosby.Ha Tu Thanh 11 September 2015 Who is Lynton Crosby, the 'master of dark arts' now behind Harper's campaign? en-CA The Globe and Mail https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/who-is-lynton-crosby-the-evil-genius-behind-harpers-campaign/article26331033/ 10 November 2021 The campaign focused on more traditional conservative issues like immigration, which created some controversy with the slogan: 'It's not racist to impose limits on immigration.'https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-election-poster-sparks-complaints-of-racism-from-students-and-teachers-531552.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-election-poster-sparks-complaints-of-racism-from-students-and-teachers-531552.html 1 May 2022 subscription London The Independent Tory election poster sparks complaints of racism from students and teachers 7 February 2005 They also criticised Labour's 'dirty' hospitals and high crime levels through the catchphrase: 'Are you thinking what we're thinking?'http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/manifesto-uk-2005.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20070616131254/http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/manifesto-uk-2005.pdf dead 16 June 2007 Manifesto UK 2005 www.webcitation.org Labour's counter-attack emphasised Howard's role in the unpopular Major Government of 1992–1997. Labour aired a party election broadcast attacking Howard: a montage of scenes from Howard's tenure as Home Secretary, including prison riots and home repossessions. It also launched a billboard campaign showing Howard, and the Conservative Party's four previous leaders (Iain Duncan Smith, William Hague, John Major and Margaret Thatcher), with the caption 'Britain's working, don't let the Tories wreck it again.'Toynbee Polly Polly Toynbee: Humiliation could make Blair a Labour leader https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/may/05/eu.elections2003 The Guardian 5 May 2004 29 March 2020 en-GB 0261-3077 For the Liberal Democrats, this was the second and final election campaign fought by leader Charles Kennedy, who offered a more down-to-earth approach to voters and strongly opposed the Iraq War, both of which proved popular. There were some questions, however, over Kennedy's abilities: at the Liberal Democrat manifesto launch, he was asked about local income tax, but appeared confused on the figures.Kennedy struggles to explain flagship policy https://www.theguardian.com/money/2005/apr/15/publicfinances.politics The Guardian 15 April 2005 6 June 2022 Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives were keen to tackle Labour's introduction of tuition fees, which both opposition parties opposed and promised to abolish.2005: Historic third term for Labour https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/6994476.stm BBC News 20 September 2007 6 June 2022 Ballot May 2018 thumb|right|Unofficial tellers, wearing party rosettes, sit outside polling stations collecting voter registration numbers At the close of voting (2200 BST) the ballot boxes were sealed and returned to the counting centres, where counting proceeded under the supervision of the returning officer who was obliged to declare the result as soon as it was known. As previously, there was serious competition amongst constituencies to be first to declare. Sunderland South repeated its performance in the last three elections and declared Labour incumbent Chris Mullin re-elected as MP with a majority of 11,059 at approximately 2245 BST (failing by two minutes to beat its previous best, but making it eligible for entry into the Guinness Book of World Records as longest consecutive delivery of first results). The vote itself represented a swing (in a safe Labour seat, in a safe Labour region) of about 4% to the Conservatives and 4.5% to the Liberal Democrats, somewhat below the prediction of BBC/ITV exit polls published shortly after 2200 BST. Sunderland North was the next to declare, followed by Houghton and Washington East, both of whose Labour MPs retained their seats but with reductions in the incumbent majorities of up to 9%. The first Scottish seat to declare was Rutherglen and Hamilton West — another safe Labour seat, also a Labour hold, but with the majority reduced by 4%. The first seat to change hands was Putney, where Labour's majority of 2,771 fell to a strong Conservative challenge, with a total swing of about 5,000 (6.2%). This was also the first seat to be declared for the Conservatives. The first Liberal Democrat seat to be declared was North East Fife, the constituency of Lib Dem deputy leader Sir Menzies Campbell which he had held since 1987. The constituency of Crawley in West Sussex had the slimmest majority of any seat, with Labour's Laura Moffatt holding off the Conservatives' Henry Smith by 37 votes after three recounts. Polling Opinion polling for the 2005 United Kingdom general election 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 yes Following problems with exit polls in previous British elections, the BBC and ITV agreed for the first time to pool their respective data, using results from Mori and NOP. More than 20,000 people were interviewed for the poll at 120 polling stations across the country. The predictions were exceptionally accurate – initial projections saw Labour returned to power with a majority of 66 (down from 160),Plunkett John Broadcasters hail success of joint poll https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/may/06/ukgeneralelection2005.politics1 The Guardian London 6 May 2005 21 July 2009 and the final result was indeed a Labour majority of 66. The projected shares of the vote in Great Britain were Labour 35%, Conservatives 33%, Liberal Democrats 22% and other parties 8%. However, the Conservatives were expected to make the biggest gains – 44 seats according to the exit poll – with the Liberal Democrats expected to take as few as two. Whilst the Lib Dems' vote share predicted by the exit poll was accurate (22.6% compared to the actual 22.0%), they did better in some Lib Dem – Labour marginal contests than predicted on the basis of the national share of the vote, and achieved a net gain of 11 seats. 2001 notional result There were major boundary changes in Scotland, where the number of seats was reduced from 72 to 59. As a result of this each party lost some seats, and this notional election result below is based on the 2001 election results if they had been fought on these new 2005 boundaries. 2001 UK general election Labour Party (UK) 403 -6 2 8 10,724,953 40.7 62.38 Conservative Party (UK) 165 +1 9 8 8,357,615 31.7 25.54 Liberal Democrats (UK) 51 8 2 +6 4,814,321 18.3 7.89 Scottish National Party 4 1 -1 464,314 1.8 0.62 Other parties 23 7.5 3.57 Results results by county/region and analysis Results breakdown of the 2005 United Kingdom general election results by constituency Results of the 2005 United Kingdom general election details by MP List of MPs elected in the 2005 United Kingdom general election PartyLabour PartyConservative PartyLiberal DemocratsUK Independence PartyScottish National PartyGreens(GPEW+SGP+GPNI)Democratic Unionist PartyLeaderTony BlairMichael HowardCharles KennedyRoger KnapmanAlex SalmondCaroline Lucas (GPEW)Ian Paisley 100x100px100x100px100x100px100x100px100x100px100x100px100x100pxVotes9,552,376 (35.2%)8,785,942 (32.4%)5,985,704 (22.0%)605,973 (2.2%)412,267 (1.5%)257,758 (1.0%)241,856 (0.9%)35 D1002032 007AD722 FFB4002 70147A1 FFFF001 6AB0231 D46A4CSeats355 (55.2%)198 (30.7%) 62 (9.6%) 0 (0.0%) 6 (0.9%) 0 (0.0%) 9 (1.4%)55 D1002030 007AD710 FFB4000 70147A1 FFFF000 6AB0231 D46A4C thumb|400px|Result by countries and English regions Results of 2005 United Kingdom General Election thumb|right|250px|Votes cast by age group: Con, Lab, LD, other parties (green) and those not voting (grey). At 04:28 BST, it was announced that Labour had won Corby, giving them 324 seats in the House of Commons out of those then declared and an overall majority, Labour's total reaching 355 seats out of the 646 House of Commons seats. Labour received 35.3% of the popular vote, equating to approximately 22% of the electorate on a 61.3% turnout, up from 59.4% turnout in 2001.https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2005/uk-elections/ Why do so few people vote in UK elections now? Garner David 20 June 2005 University of York As expected, voter disenchantment led to an increase of support for many opposition parties, and caused many eligible to vote, not to turn out. Labour achieved a third successive term in office for the first time in their history, though with reduction of the Labour majority from 167 to 67 (as it was before the declaration of South Staffordshire). As it became clear that Labour had won an overall majority, Michael Howard, the leader of the Conservative Party, announced his intention to retire from frontline politics. The final seat to declare was the delayed poll in South Staffordshire, at just after 1 am, Friday 24 June. The election was followed by further criticism of the UK electoral system. Calls for reform came particularly from Lib Dem supporters, citing that they received only just over 10% of the overall seats with 22.1% of the popular vote. The only parties to win a substantially higher percentage of seats than they achieved in votes were Labour, the Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Féin, Health Concern (which ran only one candidate). The results of the election give a Gallagher index of disproportionality of 16.76. thumb|230x230px|alt=Ring charts of the election results showing popular vote against seats won, coloured in party colours|Seats won in the election (outer ring) against number of votes (inner ring) Labour's vote declined to 35.3%, a decline of 5.4% and the second lowest share of the popular vote to have formed a majority government in the House of Commons. In many areas the collapse in the Labour vote resulted in a host of seats changing hands. Labour also failed to gain any new seats, almost unique in any election since 1945. As well as losing seats to the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, Labour also lost Blaenau Gwent, its safest seat in Wales,https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/wales/4514385.stm BBC News Labour loses safest seat in Wales 6 May 2005 to Independent Peter Law, and Bethnal Green and Bow to Respect candidate George Galloway. Nevertheless, the Labour government claimed that being returned to office for a third term for the first time ever showed the public approval of Labour's governance and the continued unpopularity of the Conservatives. The Conservatives asserted that their increased number of seats showed disenchantment with the Labour government. The election result was later considered a precursor to the Conservative breakthrough at the next election. Following three consecutive elections of declining representation, and then in 2001 a net gain of just one seat, 2005 was the first general election since their famous 1983 landslide victory where the number of Conservative seats increased appreciably – although the party's vote share increased only slightly, by 0.6%. The Liberal Democrats claimed that their continued increase in seats and percentage vote share over the past several elections showed they were in a position to make further gains from both parties. They pointed in particular to the fact that they were now in second place in roughly one hundred and ninety constituencies and that, after having suffered a net loss to Labour in the 1992 general election and having not taken a single seat off Labour in 1997, they had in this election built on their gains off Labour from the 2001 election. The Liberal Democrats also managed to take three seats from the Conservatives, one notable victory being that of Tim Farron over Tim Collins in Westmorland and Lonsdale, through the use of a 'decapitation strategy' which targeted senior Tories.Carlin Brendan Sapsted David Defiant Kennedy takes 'decapitation' strategy into Tory heartland https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1489270/Defiant-Kennedy-takes-decapitation-strategy-into-Tory-heartland.html live subscription The Daily Telegraph London 4 May 2005 https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1489270/Defiant-Kennedy-takes-decapitation-strategy-into-Tory-heartland.html 11 January 2022 The party increased their percentage of the vote by 3.7% nationwide. Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party improved its position in Scotland, regaining the Western Isles and Dundee East from Labour, having lost both seats in 1987.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/scotland/4519491.stm BBC News SNP secures Western Isles victory 6 May 2005 In Wales, Plaid Cymru failed to gain any seats and lost Ceredigion to the Liberal Democrats. In Northern Ireland the Ulster Unionists were all but wiped out, only keeping North Down, with leader David Trimble losing his seat in Upper Bann. For the first time, the DUP became the biggest party in Northern Ireland. It was the first general election since 1929 in which no party received more than ten million votes. It was the most 'three-cornered' election since 1923, though the Liberal Democrats failed to match the higher national votes of the SDP–Liberal Alliance in the 1980s. In fact, the total combined vote for Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats proved to be the lowest main three-party vote since 1922. center|300px Election 2005: constituencies, candidates and results https://web.archive.org/web/20081209144147/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/47185/Election2005_constituencies,candidatesandresultsFINAL_20719-15241__E__N__S__W__.pdf 9 December 2008 . The Electoral Commission. March 2006 right Popular vote Labour 35.2 Labour Party (UK) Conservative 32.4 Conservative Party (UK) Liberal Democrats 22.0 Liberal Democrats (UK) UKIP 2.2 UK Independence Party SNP 1.5 Scottish National Party Greens 1 Green Party (UK) DUP 0.9 Democratic Unionist Party BNP 0.9 British National Party Sinn Féin 0.9 Sinn Féin Plaid Cymru 0.9 Plaid Cymru The figure of 355 seats for Labour does not include the Speaker Michael Martin. See also the list of parties standing in Northern Ireland. Government's new majority66 Popular vote #ddd 600px 410px Labour Labour Party (UK) 35.2 Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 32.4 Liberal Democrat Liberal Democrats (UK) 22.1 UK Independence UK Independence Party 2.2 Scottish National Scottish National Party 1.5 Green Green Party (UK) 1.0 Others #777777 5.7March 2010 Parliamentary seats #ddd 600px 410px Labour Labour Party (UK) 55.1 Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 30.7 Liberal Democrat Liberal Democrats (UK) 9.6 Democratic Unionist Democratic Unionist Party 1.4 Scottish National Scottish National Party 0.9 Sinn Féin Sinn Féin 0.8 Others #777777 1.6http://www.ukpolitical.info/2005.htm 2005 UK General election results, manifestos, PMs biography UK Political Info 13 April 2005 9 March 2011 Seats changing hands MPs who lost their seats PartyNameConstituencyOffice held whilst in powerYear electedDefeated byPartyLabourStephen TwiggEnfield SouthgateMinister of State for Schools1997David BurrowesConservative PartyMelanie JohnsonWelwyn HatfieldMinister of State for Public Health1997Grant ShappsConservative PartyChris LeslieShipleyParliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Constitutional Affairs1997Philip DaviesConservative PartyIvan HendersonHarwichparliamentary private secretary at the Home Office1997Douglas CarswellConservative PartyDavid StewartInverness East, Nairn and Lochaber (contested Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Scotland1997Danny AlexanderLiberal DemocratsPeter BradleyThe WrekinParliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Rural Affairs1997Mark PritchardConservative PartyKeith BradleyManchester WithingtonTreasurer of the Household1987John LeechLiberal DemocratsBarbara RocheHornsey and Wood GreenMinister of State for Asylum and Immigration1992Lynne FeatherstoneLiberal DemocratsCalum MacDonaldNa h-Eileanan an IarMinister for Gaelic1987Angus MacNeilScottish National PartyRoger CasaleWimbledon1997Stephen HammondConservative PartyPaul StinchcombeWellingborough1997Peter BoneConservative PartyKerry PollardSt Albans1997Anne MainConservative PartyTony ClarkeNorthampton South1997Brian BinleyConservative PartyHelen ClarkPeterborough1997Stewart JacksonConservative PartyTony ColmanPutney1997Justine GreeningConservative PartyLorna FitzsimonsRochdale1997Paul RowenLiberal DemocratsAndy KingRugby and Kenilworth1997Jeremy WrightConservative PartyLawrie QuinnScarborough and Whitby1997Robert GoodwillConservative PartyBrian WhiteNorth East Milton Keynes1997Mark LancasterConservative PartyHuw EdwardsMonmouth1997David DaviesConservative PartyPhil SawfordKettering1997Philip HolloboneConservative PartyLinda PerhamIlford North1997Lee ScottConservative PartyJohn CryerHornchurch1997James BrokenshireConservative PartyTony McWalterHemel Hempstead1997Mike PenningConservative PartyCandy AthertonFalmouth and Camborne1997Julia GoldsworthyLiberal DemocratsNigel BeardBexleyheath and Crayford1997David EvennettConservative PartyOona KingBethnal Green & Bow1997George GallowayRespect PartyValerie DaveyBristol West1997Stephen WilliamsLiberal DemocratsAnne CampbellCambridge1992David HowarthLiberal DemocratsJon Owen JonesCardiff Central1992Jenny WillottLiberal DemocratsGareth ThomasClwyd West1997David JonesConservative PartyGeraint DaviesCroydon Central1997Andrew PellingConservative PartyJohn LyonsStrathkelvin and Bearsden (contested East Dunbartonshire)2001Jo SwinsonLiberal DemocratsIain LukeDundee East2001Stewart HosieScottish National PartyChris PondGraveshamParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions1997Adam HollowayConservative PartyLiberal DemocratsBrian CotterWeston-super-MareSmall Business Spokesperson 1997John PenroseConservative PartySue DoughtyGuildford2001Anne MiltonConservative PartyMatthew GreenLudlow2001Philip DunneConservative PartyDavid RendelNewbury1993Richard BenyonConservative PartyConservativeTim CollinsWestmorland and LonsdaleShadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills1997Tim FarronLiberal DemocratsPeter DuncanGalloway and Upper Nithsdale (contested Dumfries & Galloway)Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland2001Russell BrownLabour PartyAdrian FlookTaunton2001Jeremy BrowneLiberal DemocratsJohn TaylorSolihull1983Lorely BurtLiberal DemocratsUlster Unionist PartyDavid TrimbleUpper BannParliamentary Leader of the Ulster Unionists1990David SimpsonDemocratic Unionist PartyRoy BeggsEast Antrim1983Sammy WilsonDemocratic Unionist PartyDavid BurnsideSouth Antrim2001William McCreaDemocratic Unionist PartyPlaid CymruSimon ThomasCeredigion2000Mark WilliamsLiberal DemocratsScottish National PartyAnnabelle EwingPerth (contested Ochil and South Perthshire)2001Gordon BanksLabour Party Seats which changed allegiance Labour to Conservative (31) Bexleyheath and Crayford Braintree Clwyd West Croydon Central Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Enfield Southgate Forest of Dean Gravesham Hammersmith and Fulham Harwich Hemel Hempstead Hornchurch Ilford North Kettering Lancaster and Wyre Monmouth North East Milton Keynes Northampton South Peterborough Preseli Pembrokeshire Putney Reading East Rugby and Kenilworth St Albans Scarborough and Whitby Shipley Shrewsbury and Atcham Wellingborough Welwyn Hatfield Wimbledon The Wrekin Labour to Liberal Democrat (11) Birmingham Yardley Bristol West Cambridge Cardiff Central East Dunbartonshire Falmouth and Camborne Hornsey and Wood Green Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Leeds North West Manchester Withington Rochdale Liberal Democrat to Conservative (5) Guildford Ludlow Newbury Torridge and West Devon Weston-Super-Mare Conservative to Liberal Democrat (3) Solihull Taunton Westmorland and Lonsdale Labour to SNP (2) Dundee East Na h-Eileanan an Iar UUP to DUP (4) East Antrim South Antrim Lagan Valley Upper Bann Labour to Independent (1) Blaenau Gwent Liberal Democrat to Labour (1) Leicester South PC to Liberal Democrat (1) Ceredigion UUP to SDLP (1) Belfast South Labour to Respect (1) Bethnal Green and Bow SDLP to Sinn Féin (1) Newry and Armagh right|thumb|The disproportionality of the House of Commons in the 2005 election was 16.89 according to the Gallagher Index, mainly between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Post-election events Formation of government Following the election, Labour remained in power with Tony Blair remaining as Prime Minister. The morning after the election, Blair travelled to Buckingham Palace to inform The Queen of the election result and to receive permission to form a government, consequently beginning his third term as prime minister. Blair reshuffled his Cabinet and junior ministers over the following weekend, with formal announcements made on 9 May 2005. The most senior positions of Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary remained the same (Gordon Brown, Charles Clarke and Jack Straw respectively), but a few new faces were added. Most notably, David Blunkett returned to cabinet as the Work and Pensions Secretary, although he was forced to resign again due to another scandal before the end of the year that spawned a national press and opposition campaign for his dismissal.https://www.theguardian.com/society/2005/nov/02/money.davidblunkett Blunkett resigns for second time Matthew Tempest 2 November 2005 The Guardian Patricia Hewitt became the new Health Secretary, Tessa Jowell remained as Culture Secretary, whilst Alan Johnson was promoted to Trade and Industry Secretary. Meanwhile, Ruth Kelly retained the Education job and Margaret Beckett stayed put at Environment. The new Parliament met on 11 May for the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons. New party leaders On 6 May, Michael Howard announced he would be standing down as leader of the Conservative Party, but not before a review of the leadership rules. The formal leadership election began in October, and was ultimately won by David Cameron. On 7 May, David Trimble resigned as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party; Sir Reg Empey was elected as his successor at an Ulster Unionist Council meeting on 24 June. End of the term Blair's successor as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown (who came to office on 27 June 2007), visited Buckingham Palace on 6 April 2010 and asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament on 12 April. The next election was held on 6 May 2010.Gordon Brown calls 6 May general election – BBC News, 6 April 2010 See also List of MPs elected in the 2005 United Kingdom general election 2005 United Kingdom general election in England 2005 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 2005 United Kingdom general election in Wales 2005 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland List of MPs for constituencies in England (2005–2010) List of MPs for constituencies in Northern Ireland (2005–2010) List of MPs for constituencies in Scotland (2005–2010) List of MPs for constituencies in Wales (2005–2010) 2005 United Kingdom local elections Results of the 2005 United Kingdom general election Results breakdown of the 2005 United Kingdom general election Notes n Further reading John Bartle and Anthony King, eds. Britain at the Polls 2005 (2005) excerpt and text search Andrew Geddes and Jonathan Tonge, eds. Britain decides: the UK general election 2005 (2005) 311 pages Dennis Kavanagh and David Butler, eds. The British General Election of 2005 (2006) essays by political scientists References 30em External links NSD: European Election * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/ifs_news/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/default.stm bbc.co.uk] Database – UK Manifestos Main parties Are You Thinking What We're Thinking?, Conservative Party Britain forward, not back, Labour Party The REAL alternative, Liberal Democrats Smaller parties which won seats Leadership That's Working, Democratic Unionist Party We can build a better Wales, Plaid Cymru Peace Justice Equality, Respect Party Let's Make Scotland Matter, Scottish National Party 2005 Westminster Election Manifesto, Sinn Féin SDLP Manifesto 2005, Social Democratic and Labour Party Ulster Unionist Manifesto 2005, Ulster Unionist Party Other parties Alliance Works: Working for You at Westminster, Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Rebuilding British Democracy, British National Party The Real Choice For Real Change, Green Party of England and Wales The 2005 Manifesto, Liberal Party People, Planet, Peace, Scottish Green Party https://web.archive.org/web/20240317160229/https://greens.scot/sites/default/files/Manifestos/2005-Westminster-Manifesto_print.pdf 17 March 2024 SSP Manifesto 2005, Scottish Socialist Party Programme For A Socialist Britain, Socialist Labour Party We Want Our Country Back, UK Independence Party Manifesto General Election 2005, Veritas December 2014 2005 * Category:May 2005 in the United Kingdom Category:Premiership of Tony Blair Category:Gordon Brown Category:New Labour Category:History of the Labour Party (UK) Category:Michael Howard Category:Impacts of the Iraq War