1959 United Kingdom general election

none May 2014 May 2014 1959 United Kingdom general election United Kingdom parliamentary no 1955 United Kingdom general election 1955 List of MPs elected in the 1955 United Kingdom general election 1964 United Kingdom general election 1964 List of MPs elected in the 1959 United Kingdom general election All 630 seats in the House of Commons 316 8 October 1959 35,397,304 27,862,65278.7% (1.9 pp) Harold Macmillan (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Harold Macmillan 10 January 1957 Conservative Party (UK) Bromley 345 seats, 49.7% 365speaker The seat and vote count figures for the Conservatives given here include the Speaker of the House of Commons. 20 13,750,875 49.4% 0.3 pp Hugh Gaitskell crop.jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Hugh Gaitskell 14 December 1955 Labour Party (UK) Leeds South 277 seats, 46.4% 258 19 12,216,172 43.8% 2.6 pp Jo Grimond in 1963 (3x4 crop).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Jo Grimond 5 November 1956 Liberal Party (UK) Orkney and Shetland 6 seats, 2.7% 6 1,640,760 5.9% 3.2 pp UK General Election, 1959.svg 200px Colours denote the winning party—as shown in Results File:1959 UK GE Westminster diagram.svg Composition of the House of Commons after the election Prime Minister Prime Minister after election Harold Macmillan Conservative Party (UK) Harold Macmillan Conservative Party (UK) Opinion polling for the 1959 United Kingdom general election A general election was held in the United Kingdom on Thursday, 8 October 1959. The Conservative Party under the leadership of incumbent prime minister Harold Macmillan won a victory with a majority of 100 seats. This was their third election victory in a row. The Conservatives won the largest number of votes in Scotland, but narrowly failed to win the most seats in that country. They have not made either achievement ever since. Both Jeremy Thorpe, a future Liberal leader, and Margaret Thatcher, a future Conservative leader and eventually Prime Minister, first entered the House of Commons following this election. Background Following the Suez Crisis in 1956, Anthony Eden, the Conservative Prime Minister, became unpopular. He resigned early in 1957, and was succeeded by Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan. At that point, the Labour Party, whose leader Hugh Gaitskell had succeeded Clement Attlee following the 1955 general election, enjoyed large leads in opinion polls over the Conservative Party, and it looked as if Labour would win.8 October 1959 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/background/pastelec/ge59.shtml BBC Politics 97 20 May 2013 The Liberal Party also had a new leader, Jo Grimond, so all three parties contested the election with a new leader at the helm. However, the Conservatives enjoyed an upturn in fortunes as the economy quickly recovered from the Recession of 1958 under Macmillan's leadership, and his personal approval ratings remained high. At the same time, the Labour Party's popularity suffered due to the rise of industrial disputes in the 1950s and controversies over the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. By September 1958, the Conservatives had moved ahead of Labour in the opinion polls. Parliament was dissolved on 18 September 1959.https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP97-40/RP97-40.pdf Parliamentary Election Timetables 3rd House of Commons Library 25 March 1997 3 July 2022 Campaign All the three main parties had changed leadership since the previous election. The Conservatives fought under the slogan "Life is better with the Conservatives, don't let Labour ruin it" and were boosted by a pre-election economic boom. Macmillan very effectively "summed up" the mood of the British public when he said that most of the people had "never had it so good". Macmillan was very popular, and was described as a politician of the centre ground; in the 1930s he had represented a constituency in northern England (Stockton-on-Tees), which had experienced large-scale unemployment and poverty during the Great Depression. The first week of polling put the Conservatives ahead of Labour by over 5%, but this narrowed as the campaign continued. The Labour Party fought a generally effective campaign, with television broadcasts masterminded by Tony Benn under the umbrella of their manifesto entitled Britain Belongs to You, which accused the Conservatives of complacency over the growing gap between rich and poor.https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/basics/4393287.stm BBC News 5 April 2005 1959: Macmillan wins Tory hat trick 20 May 2018 Labour's manifesto pledged to reverse reductions in welfare benefits, pensions, and National Health Service expenditure; renationalize the steel industry and road haulage; reform secondary education; expand consumer protections; and create the Welsh Office. It notably promised not to fully nationalise industries which were performing efficiently and profitably, pivoting away from its earlier emphasis on socialism towards welfare capitalism.Thorpe Andrew http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0 A History of the British Labour Party 1997 Macmillan Education UK 978-0-333-56081-5 London 145–147 en 10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0 none Hugh Gaitskell made a mistake in declaring that a Labour government would not raise taxes if it came to power—even though the Labour manifesto contained pledges to increase spending; especially to increase pensions. Although Gaitskell argued revenue would be provided by economic growth, this led some voters to doubt Labour's spending plans, and is cited as a key reason for their defeat.none 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 Aftermath Early on during election night, it became clear that the Conservative Party had been returned to government with an increased majority, performing better than it had been expected to. For the fourth general election in a row, the Conservatives increased their number of seats, despite experiencing a slight decrease in their share of the vote. However, there were swings to Labour in parts of north-west England, and in Scotland; where Scottish Labour had overtaken the Conservative-aligned Unionist Party as the largest single party in terms of seats, despite winning a slightly smaller share of the vote, thanks to overturning narrow majorities in several constituencies. Future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was elected to the House of Commons for the first time as the MP for Finchley, where she would represent until her retirement from politics 33 years later at the 1992 general election. For Labour, the result was disappointing; despite appearing more united than they had in recent years under Gaitskell's leadership, the party suffered a third consecutive defeat. James Callaghan believed that the Conservatives increased their majority in part because working-class Labour voters were still angry at the party for opposing the Suez conflict.James Callaghan, Time and Chance (London: Collins, 1987), p. 515. Many of both the Labour Party's supporters and opponents, including Prime Minister Macmillan himself, also blamed the Gaitskellite leadership for spending more time preparing to form a government with the assumption that they would win the election than actually campaigning or offering criticism of the Conservative Party's leadership. Political scientists Mark Abrams and Richard Rose blamed Labour's electoral losses from 1959 onwards on an "embourgeoisement" in which British voters identified increasingly with the middle class, leaving Labour's appeals to the working class less effective. Another key factor was the decline of support of younger voters after 1955, although older voters over the age of 65 increased support for the party in 1959 because of its pledges to expand pensions. While the Liberal Party earned more than twice as many votes compared to the previous general election, this was largely the result of them nominating nearly double the number of candidates that they did four years prior; their average number of votes-per-candidate only slightly improved. Future Liberal Party Leader Jeremy Thorpe was elected to Parliament for the first time, as the MP for North Devon. The Daily Mirror, despite being a staunch supporter of the Labour Party, wished Macmillan "good luck" on its front page following his election victory. The BBC Television Service's election coverage, presented by Richard Dimbleby, was shown on BBC Parliament on 9 October 2009 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the election and again on 9 October 2019 to mark the sixtieth anniversary. The 1959 general election was the first election to be covered by commercial television in the United Kingdom. The ITV network provided election night coverage from the studios of Independent Television News (ITN) in London, with ITV given permission by the Independent Television Authority to use all of the ITV companies on air in 1959 for election links to the main studio in London. Ian Trethowan was the presenter for the ITV coverage.http://www.election.demon.co.uk/pt2.html Political Television 1955-59 13 September 2019 1 December 1998 https://web.archive.org/web/19981201074632/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/pt2.html dead Results Summary of seats returned + centre|420px PartyBritish Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 40 978-1-907278-03-7 2006 Leader MPs Aggregate votes Of total Of total Conservative and Unionist Party Harold Macmillan 365speaker 365 630 1 yes Conservative Party (UK) 13,750,875 49.4% 49.4 Conservative Party (UK) Conservative PartyConservative and Unionist Party results for England and Wales. Harold Macmillan 308speaker 308 630 1 yes Conservative Party (UK) 11,479,459 41.2% 41.2 Conservative Party (UK) Unionist Party James Stuart 25 25 630 1 yes Unionist Party (Scotland) 1,060,609 3.8% 3.8 Unionist Party (Scotland) National Liberal Party James Duncan 20 20 630 1 yes National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) 765,794 2.7% 2.7 National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) Ulster Unionist Party Basil Brooke 12 12 630 1 yes Ulster Unionist Party 445,013 1.6% 1.6 Ulster Unionist Party Labour Party Hugh Gaitskell 258Includes 16 Co-operative Party MP, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 258 630 1 yes Labour Party (UK) 12,216,172 43.8% 43.8 Labour Party (UK) Liberal Party Jo Grimond 6 6 630 1 yes Liberal Party (UK) 1,640,760 5.9% 5.9 Liberal Party (UK) Independent Unionist 1 1 630 1 yes Independent Unionist 12,163 0.0% 0.0 Independent Unionist Full results centre|500x500px +Results of the October 1959 general election to the House of Commons of the United KingdomPartyhttps://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/general-elections/32 UK General Elections Results 1832-2019 12 August 2026British Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 978-1-907278-03-7 39-40 2006LeaderCandidatesMPsAggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of total (%) Total Of total (%) Change (%)   Conservative (Total) HaroldMacmillan 625 365 30 10 20 57.9 13,750,875 49.4 0.3 Conservative Party (UK)Figure includes the Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party under their nation affiliations with the Conservative Party. HaroldMacmillan 586 345speaker 29 8 21 54.8 12,985,081 46.6 National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) JamesDuncan 39 20 1Bristol North East. 2 1 3.2 765,794 2.7 0.4   Labour HughGaitskell 621Includes 30 Co-operative Party candidates, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 258Includes 16 Co-operative Party MPs, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 6 25 19Includes 3 Co-operative Party MPs, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 41.0Includes 2.5% for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 12,216,172 Includes 675,199 for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 43.8Includes 2.4% for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 2.6Includes 0.7% for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance.   Liberal JoGrimond 216 6 1North Devon. 1Carmarthen. 1.0 1,640,760 5.9 3.2   Plaid Cymru GwynforEvans 20 0 0 0 — 77,571 0.3 0.1   Sinn Féin PaddyMcLogan 12 0 0 2 2 — 63,415 0.2 0.4   Communist JohnGollan 18 0 0 0 — 30,896 0.1   SNP JimmyHalliday 5 0 0 0 — 21,738 0.1 0.1   Independent Labour Group FrankHanna 1Candidate John Joseph Brennan stood in Belfast West. 0 colspan=3 New — 20,062 0.1 New   IndependentUnionist 1Candidate David Robertson stood in Caithness and Sutherland. 1 colspan=2 Did not stand in 1955 1 0.2 12,163 0.0   Independent 5 0 0 0 — 7,492 0.0 0.1   Fife Socialist League LawrenceDaly 1Candidate Lawrence Daly stood in West Fife. 0 colspan=3 New — 4,886 0.0 New   IndependentLiberal 2 0 0 0 — 4,473 0.0   Union Movement OswaldMosley 1Candidate Oswald Mosley stood in Kensington North. 0 colspan=3 New — 2,821 0.0 New   IndependentConservative 1Candidate Harry W. Maynard stood in Birmingham Hall Green. 0 0 0 — 1,955 0.0   LancastrianParty TomEmmott 1Candidate Tom Emmott stood in Nelson and Colne. 0 colspan=3 New — 1,889 0.0 New   National Labour JohnBean 1Candidate William Webster stood in St Pancras North. 0 colspan=3 New — 1,685 0.0 New   Fellowship RonaldMallone 1General Secretary of the Fellowship Party Ronald Mallone stood in Woolwich West. 1 colspan=3 New — 1,189 0.0 New   Ind. Labour Party FredMorel 2 0 0 0 — 923 0.0   Socialist (GB) 1Candidate Jack L. Read stood in Bethnal Green. 0 0 0 — 899 0.0   Alert Party GeorgeForrester 1Candidate George Forrester stood in Lewisham South. 0 colspan=3 New — 788 0.0 New Total 1,536 630 0 100.0 27,862,652 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout 35,397,304British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 77 0333197348 1976 78.7https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7529/CBP-7529.pdf UK Election Statistics: 1918-2023, A Century of Elections Cracknell Richard Uberoi Elise Burton Matthew 9 August 2023 House of Commons Library 29 8 August 2026 1.9 Votes summary Popular Vote #ddd 600px 410px Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 49.35 Labour Labour Party (UK) 43.84 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 5.89 Others #A9A9A9 0.91 Headline swing: 1.2% to Conservative Seat summary Parliamentary seats #ddd 600px 410px Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 57.94 Labour Labour Party (UK) 40.95 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 0.95 Independent Conservative Independent Conservative 0.16 Transfers of seats All comparisons are with the 1955 election. In some cases the change is due to the MP defecting to the gaining party. Such circumstances are marked with a *. In other circumstances the change is due to the seat having been won by the gaining party in a by-election in the intervening years, and then retained in 1959. Such circumstances are marked with a †. FromToNo.Seats Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) (HOLD)many National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)1Bristol North East Conservative Party (UK)25Acton, Barons Court, Birmingham All Saints, Birmingham Sparkbrook, Birmingham Yardley, Brierley Hill, Bristol North West, Clapham, Cleveland, Coventry South, Derbyshire SE, The Hartlepools, Holborn and St Pancras South, Keighley, Lowestoft, Meriden, Newcastle upon Tyne East, Nottingham West, Reading, Rochester and Chatham, Rugby, Swansea West, Uxbridge, Wellingborough, Willesden East Sinn Féin Ulster Unionist Party2Mid Ulster1, Fermanagh and South Tyrone2 Liberal Party (UK) Labour Party (UK)1Carmarthen† Liberal Party (UK) (HOLD)5Bolton West, Cardiganshire, Huddersfield West, Montgomeryshire, Orkney and Shetland National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) (HOLD)16Angus North and Mearns, Angus South, Bedfordshire South, Bradford North, Bradford West, Dumfriesshire, Fife East, Harwich, Holland with Boston, Huntingdonshire, Luton, Norfolk Central, Plymouth Devonport, Renfrewshire West, Ross and Cromarty, St Ives Conservative Party (UK)3Denbigh, Newcastle upon Tyne North†, Torrington3 Conservative Party (UK) Labour Party (UK)6Ayrshire Central, Glasgow Craigton, Glasgow Scotstoun, Lanark, Oldham East, Rochdale† Liberal Party (UK) 1Devon North Conservative Party (UK) (HOLD)many Independent Conservative1Caithness and Sutherland* Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party10North Antrim, South Antrim, Armagh, Belfast East, Belfast North, Belfast South, Belfast West, Down North, Down South, Londonderry Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom) Conservative Party (UK)1Cirencester and Tewkesbury 1 Sinn Féin winner in 1955 overturned on petition. The second-placed Ulster Unionist candidate was also overturned, by resolution of the House; eventually the 1956 by-election was held, which returned an Independent Unionist. This candidate later defected to the Ulster Unionists. 2 Sinn Féin winner in 1955 overturned on petition for criminal conviction. The second-placed candidate, an Ulster Unionist, was awarded the seat. He retained it in 1959. 3 Seat had been won by the Liberals in a 1958 by-election. See also List of MPs elected in the 1959 United Kingdom general election 1959 United Kingdom general election in England 1959 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 1959 United Kingdom general election in Wales 1959 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland List of MPs for constituencies in Scotland (1959–1964) List of MPs for constituencies in Wales (1959–1964) Notes References Sources David E. Butler David Butler (psephologist) R. Rose The British General Election of 1959 London Macmillan 1960 , the standard scholarly study. F. W. S. Craig F. W. S. Craig British Electoral Facts: 1832–1987 1989 Dartmouth Gower 0900178302 Thorpe Andrew Andrew Thorpe 2001 A History of the British Labour Party Palgrave 0-333-92908-X External links United Kingdom election results—summary results 1885–1979 https://web.archive.org/web/20080223222448/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html 23 February 2008 Manifestos The Next Five Years, 1959 Conservative Party manifesto Britain Belongs to You: The Labour Party's Policy for Consideration by the British People, 1959 Labour Party manifesto People Count, 1959 Liberal Party manifesto 1959 General election General election Category:Harold Macmillan Category:Hugh Gaitskell