1710 British general election

Election in Great Britain Kingdom of Great Britain parliamentary no 1708 British general election 1708 List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1708 1713 British general election 1713 All 558 seats in the House of Commons 280 List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1710 1710 10 2 1710 11 16 yes RobertHarley1710.jpg 160x160px Robert Harley 1710 Tories (British political party) Radnor 346 124 Portrait_of_John_Somers,_Baron_Somers.jpg 60 60 75 0 0 1stEarlOfHalifax.jpg 100 60 75 0 20 Gibson,_Edward_Russell.jpg 60 60 75 0 0 100x100px Whig Junto (Baron Somers, Baron Halifax, Earl of Wharton) 1695 Whigs (British political party) — 196 95 File:United Kingdom 1710 House of Commons.svg Composition of the House of Commons after the election The 1710 British general election produced a landslide victory for the Tories. The election came in the wake of the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell, which had led to the collapse of the previous government led by Godolphin and the Whig Junto. In November 1709 the clergyman Henry Sacheverell had delivered a sermon fiercely criticising the government's policy of toleration for Protestant dissenters and attacking the personal conduct of the ministers. The government had Sacheverell impeached, and he was narrowly found guilty but received only a light sentence, making the government appear weak and vindictive. The trial enraged a large section of the population, and riots in London led to attacks on dissenting places of worship and cries of "Church in Danger". The government's unpopularity was further increased by its enthusiasm for the war with France, as peace talks with the French king Louis XIV had broken down over the government's insistence that the Bourbons hand over the Spanish throne to the Habsburgs. The Tories' policy of pursuing peace appealed to a country worn out by constant war. Queen Anne, disliking the Junto and sensing that the government could not survive long, gradually replaced it with a Tory ministry throughout the summer of 1710. The election was bitterly contested in almost all the counties and "open" boroughs, even when a poll was not held. Contests occurred in 131 constituencies in England and Wales; approximately half of all English and Welsh constituencies. The overwhelming Tory victory surprised few, and following the election most remaining Whigs resigned from office. The new government was led by the moderate Tory Robert Harley who was unpopular among the more partisan Tories, who went on to form the October Club. Harley's ministry faced increasing pressure from the extremists whose position in Parliament had been enormously strengthened by the result. Summary of the constituencies See 1796 British general election for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain. Dates of election The general election was held between 2 October 1710 and 16 November 1710. At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or parliamentary borough fixed the precise date (see hustings for details of the conduct of the elections). Results 300px Seats summary Parliamentary seats #ddd 600px 380px Tory #3333CC 63.8 Whig Whigs (British political party) 36.2 See also 3rd Parliament of Great Britain List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1710 List of parliaments of Great Britain References British Electoral Facts 1832–1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher (Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2000). (For dates of elections before 1832, see the footnote to Table 5.02). External links History of Parliament: Members 1690–1715 History of Parliament: Constituencies 1690–1715 https://web.archive.org/web/20240902095223/https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/research/constituencies/constituencies-1690-1715 2024-09-02 Category:1710 in politics Category:1710 in Great Britain 1710