1955 United Kingdom general election in England

none 1955 United Kingdom general election in England England parliamentary no 1951 United Kingdom general election in England 1951 List of MPs elected in the 1951 United Kingdom general election 1959 United Kingdom general election in England 1959 List of MPs elected in the 1955 United Kingdom general election All 511 English seats in the House of Commons 76.9% (5.8 pp) List of MPs elected in the 1959 United Kingdom general election 26 May 1955 Georges Bidault, Anthony Eden and John Foster Dulles (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Anthony Eden 7 April 1955 Conservative Party (UK) Warwick andLeamington 271 seats, 48.8% 293speaker 22 11,165,436 50.4% 1.6 pp Clement Attlee (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Clement Attlee 25 October 1935 Labour Party (UK) Walthamstow West 233 seats, 48.8% 216 17 10,355,892 46.8% 2.0 pp Clement Davies (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Clement Davies 2 August 1945 Liberal Party (UK) Montgomeryshire 2 seats, 2.3% 2 571,034 2.6% 0.3 pp On Thursday 26 May 1955, the 1955 United Kingdom general election was held in England, to elect all 630 members of the House of Commons, with 511 constituencies being in England. It was called immediately after Anthony Eden succeeded Sir Winston Churchill as prime minister in order to strengthen the position of the Conservative Party in the Commons where it enjoyed only a slender majority. It was the first of 18 general elections held under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the first general election whose television coverage is existent. It was the first election under the first periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the first review following the Initial Review of Westminster constituencies. At the same time, it was the fifth and the last election in which the Labour Party was led by Clement Attlee. Candidates Below is a table summarising the candidates of the 1955 general election in England.https://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 21 8 August 2026https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/general-elections/31 UK General Elections Results 1832-2019 12 August 2026British Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 978-1-907278-03-7 37 2006 Affiliation CandidatesLabour Party 510Conservative Party 480speakerLiberal Party 95National Liberal Party 29Communist Party of Great Britain 11Independent 4Independent Labour 2The candidates that stood were Douglas C. Cox in Cirencester and Tewkesbury and Lawrence Murphy in Liverpool Exchange.Independent Peace 1Candidate S.W. Keatley stood in Birmingham Handsworth.Independent Labour Party 1Candidate H. Birkett stood in Bermondsey.Independent Conservative 1Candidate William Brownrigg stood in Penrith and The Border.Total 1,134 Analysis Conservative Party The Conservative Party recorded a second consecutive victory over the Labour Party, again with few changes in seats. It was the first time since 1935 that the Conservative Party won a greater share of the vote over the Labour Party. The 50.4% vote share recorded by the Conservatives remains the largest share of the vote recorded by any party in a post-war general election. In addition, the 46.8% vote share recorded by the Labour Party in England had been only exceeded by the party in the 1966 general election.Harmer Emily The Candidates: Making the House (of Commons) Their Home? 2021-10-06 Women, media and elections 21–57 http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781529204940.003.0002 2024-10-17 Policy Press 10.1332/policypress/9781529204940.003.0002 978-1-5292-0494-0 subscription Labour lost several seats to the Conservatives in England. These seats were Carlisle, Ealing North, Gloucestershire South, Gravesend, Halifax, Hornchurch, Leeds North East, Liverpool Kirkdale, Maldon, Nottingham Central, Nottingham South, Preston South, Southampton Test, Walthamstow East, Wandsworth Central, Watford, The Wrekin. Maurice Macmillan, the son of future Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, entered Parliament in Halifax. Keith Joseph who would go on to several cabinet positions under four Conservative Prime Ministers entered Parliament in Leeds North East. Brian Harrison entered Parliament in Maldon, and would hold the seat until the February 1974 general election. Michael Hughes-Young entered Parliament in Wandsworth Central, and would hold the seat until 1964. William Yates entered Parliament in The Wrenkin, and would hold the seat until 1966, following which he would become a Member of Parliament in Australia. It also retained Sunderland South, which the party had won the 1953 Sunderland South by-election.British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 55 0333197348 1976 The retention was a gain from the Labour Party in comparison to the previous election. It also gained the newly created seats of Chigwell, Eastleigh, Essex South East, Hertfordshire East, Nantwich, Rye, Surbiton, Walsall South. However, lost the abolished seat of Blackburn West, wherein Ralph Assheton retired from the House of Commons. Assheton subsequently entered the House of Lords and served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire. The Conservatives also lost the abolished seats of Leeds North, wherein Minister Osbert Peake retired from Parliament. It also lost the abolished Reading North, Frederic Bennett retiring. However, would go on to returned to Parliament in the seat of Torquay at the 1955 Torquay by-election.British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 56 0333197348 1976 With 26 gains and six losses, the Conservative Party won an overall 20 seats in England. National Liberal Party The National Liberal Party, which was in a constituency alliance with the Conservative Party won two further seats at this election. It retained its seats of Bedfordshire South, Bradford North, Harwich, Holland with Boston, Huntingdonshire, Luton, Newcastle upon Tyne North, Norfolk Central, St Ives, Torrington, Sheffield Hallam and Sheffield Heeley. It also gained two seats from the Labour Party. It won Bradford West which replaced the Labour-held seat of Bradford Central. It also gained Plymouth Devonport, which it had lost in 1945.Craig F. W. S. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–49 https://books.google.com/books?id=MMCuCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA147 1st 1977 214 The Macmillan Press Ltd London and Basingstoke 978-1-349-81467-1 As such, the National Liberal Party increased its seat count in England from 12 seats to 14 in total. This was in spite of the party fielding fewer candidates than in the previous election, and suffering a small drop in vote share across England. Combined with the Conservative Party results in England, there were 28 gains but six losses in terms of seats across the constituency alliance between the parties. Labour Party The Labour Party along with its 20 losses to the Conservatives and National Liberals, also lost the abolished seats of Birmingham Erdington, Fulham West, Leeds Central, Manchester Clayton and Sheffield Neepsend. However Labour gained Bristol North West, South West Norfolk and Romford from the Conservatives. It also gained the newly created seats of Birmingham All Saints, Erith and Crayford, Feltham, Leeds East, Meriden. Denis Howell entered Parliament in Brimingham All Saints. Denis Healey won Leeds East, after moving from Leeds South East which he had won at the 1952 Leeds South East by-election.British Electoral Facts 1885-1975 F.W.S. Craig Macmillan Press 3 55 0333197348 1976 With 25 losses and eight gains in terms of seats, the party lost an overall 17 seats. Liberal Party The Liberal Party retained its two seats in England. Arthur Holt retained the seat of Bolton West, with Donald Wade retaining Huddersfield West. The Liberals received a slight increase in vote share in England, fielding a few more candidates than in the previous election. Results +PartyBritish Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 37 978-1-907278-03-7 2006SeatsAggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%)   Conservative (Total) 293 28 6 22 57.3 11,165,436 50.4 1.6 Conservative Party (UK) 279speaker Figure includes Speaker of the House of Commons William Morrison in Cirencester and Tewkesbury. 26 6 20 54.6 10,586,790 47.8 2.2 National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) 14 2 0 2 2.7 578,646 2.6 0.6   Labour 216 8 25 17 42.4 10,355,892 46.8 2.0   Liberal 2 0 0 0.4 571,034 2.6 0.3   Communist 0 0 0 — 15,405 0.1 0.1   Independent Labour 0 colspan=3 Did not stand in 1951 — 15,322 0.1   Independent 0 0 0 — 9,810 0.0 0.1   Independent Peace 0 colspan=3 New — 2,148 0.0 New   Ind. Labour Party 0 0 0 — 715 0.0   Ind. Conservative 0 0 0 — 368 0.0 Total 511 5 100.0 22,136,130 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout 28,790,285 76.9https://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 5.8 Popular vote #ddd 600px 410px Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 50.4 Labour Labour Party (UK) 46.8 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 2.6 Other #777777 0.2 Parliament seats #ddd 600px 410px Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 57.3 Labour Labour Party (UK) 42.4 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 0.4 By region Note: the following tables indicate the results according to the regions of England which were established in 1994, based on the county boundaries established in the 1974 local government reforms. These regions were not used at the time for the purposes of this election. The number of seats for each region that were changed under the first periodic review of Westminster constituencies are indicated respectively. East Midlands Parliamentary constituencies in the East Midlands + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Labour Party (UK) 23 0 2 2 60.5 51.8 1.9 Conservative Party (UK) 15 2 0 2 39.5 46.8 2.6 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0 0 0.0 1.4 0.7   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 0.1 Total 38 East of England Parliamentary constituencies in the East of England + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Conservative Party (UK) 35 5 1 4 85.3 52.8 1.6 Labour Party (UK) 7 1 2 1 17.1 45.0 4.8 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0 0 0.0 2.2 6.2   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 Total 41 3 Greater London Parliamentary constituencies in London + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Conservative Party (UK) 54 5 1 4 52.9 49.3 1.7 Labour Party (UK) 48 1 3 2 47.1 47.8 2.1 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0 0 0.0 2.6 0.7   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.3 0.2 Total 102 2 North East England Parliamentary constituencies in North East England + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Labour Party (UK) 24 0 1 1 77.4 57.7 1.6 Conservative Party (UK) 7 1 0 1 22.6 41.9 2.4 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0 0 0.0 0.4 0.3   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.5 Total 31 North West England Parliamentary constituencies in North West England + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Conservative Party (UK) 46 3 0 3 52.0 50.3 1.4 Labour Party (UK) 36 0 4 4 43.4 45.8 1.4 Liberal Party (UK) 1 0 0 1.2 2.1 0.1   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 0.1 Total 83 1 South East England Parliamentary constituencies in South East England + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Conservative Party (UK) 55 3 0 3 90.2 60.0 1.2 Labour Party (UK) 6 0 2 2 9.8 37.8 4.2 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0 0 0.0 2.0 5.6   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 0.2 Total 61 1 South West England Parliamentary constituencies in South West England + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Conservative Party (UK) 36Figure includes the Speaker of the House of Commons. 2 1 1 80.0 53.1 0.6 Labour Party (UK) 9 1 2 1 20.0 38.1 3.4 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0 0 0.0 8.2 2.2   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.6 0.6 Total 45 West Midlands Parliamentary constituencies in the West Midlands + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Labour Party (UK) 32 0 0 59.3 49.4 3.1 Conservative Party (UK) 22 2 0 2 40.7 49.2 2.4 Liberal Party (UK) 0 0 0 0.0 1.2 0.5   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 0.2 Total 54 2 Yorkshire and the Humber Parliamentary constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber + Party Seats Aggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of all (%) Total Of all (%) Change (%) Labour Party (UK) 32 0 4 4 57.1 52.3 1.4 Conservative Party (UK) 23 2 0 2 41.1 44.3 1.7 Liberal Party (UK) 1 0 0 1.8 3.3 0.3   Others 0 0 0 0.0 0.1 0.1 Total 56 2 See also 1955 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland 1955 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 1955 United Kingdom general election in Wales Notes References Further reading Thorpe, Andrew (1997). A History of the British Labour Party. London: Macmillan Education UK. "1955: Eden given mandate", BBC News, 5 April 2005 Birch, A.H., Campbell, P. and Lucas, P.G., 1956. The popular press in the British general election of 1955. Political Studies, 4(3), pp. 297–306. Butler, David E. (1956), The British General Election of 1955. Politics England United Kingdom #England General Election Category:1950s in England Category:General elections in England to the Parliament of the United Kingdom