1979 United Kingdom general election

none May 2014 September 2020 1979 United Kingdom general election United Kingdom parliamentary no October 1974 United Kingdom general election Oct 1974 List of MPs elected in the October 1974 United Kingdom general election 1983 United Kingdom general election 1983 List of MPs elected in the 1979 United Kingdom general election All 635 seats in the House of Commons 318 3 May 1979 41,093,264 31,221,36276.0% (3.2 pp) Margaret Thatcher (1977).jpg 130 120 160 0 6 Margaret Thatcher 11 February 1975 Conservative Party (UK) Finchley 277 seats, 35.8% 284Butler's British Political Facts David Butler Roger Mortimore Andrew Blick 388 Palgrave Macmillan 978-1-137-56708-6 339 62 13,697,923 43.9% 8.1 pp Prime Minister James Callaghan (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 James Callaghan 5 April 1976 Labour Party (UK) Cardiff South East 319 seats, 39.2% 309Butler's British Political Facts David Butler Roger Mortimore Andrew Blick 388 Palgrave Macmillan 978-1-137-56708-6 269speaker Figure includes Speaker of the House of Commons George Thomas in Cardiff West. 50 11,532,218 36.9% 2.3 pp David Steel 1985 (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 David Steel 7 July 1976 Liberal Party (UK) Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles 13 seats, 18.3% 14Butler's British Political Facts David Butler Roger Mortimore Andrew Blick 388 Palgrave Macmillan 978-1-137-56708-6 11 2 4,313,804 13.8% 4.5 pp UK General Election, 1979.svg 200px Colours denote the winning party—as shown in Results File:1979 UK GE Westminster diagram.svg Composition of the House of Commons after the election Prime Minister Prime Minister after election James Callaghan Labour Party (UK) Margaret Thatcher Conservative Party (UK) Opinion polling for the 1979 United Kingdom general election A general election was held in the United Kingdom on Thursday 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the House of Commons. The election was held following the defeat of the Labour government in a no-confidence motion on 28 March 1979, six months before the Parliament was due for dissolution in October 1979. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher, ousted the incumbent Labour government of Prime Minister James Callaghan, gaining a parliamentary majority of 43 seats. The election was the first of four consecutive election victories for the Conservative Party, and Thatcher became the United Kingdom's and Europe's first elected female head of government,Arnett George 2016-07-16 European countries with female prime ministers https://www.theguardian.com/politics/datablog/2016/jul/16/european-countries-with-female-prime-ministers 2026-04-14 The Guardian en-GB 0261-3077 marking the beginning of 18 years in government for the Conservatives and 18 years in opposition for Labour. Unusually, the date chosen coincided with the 1979 local elections. The local government results provided some source of comfort to the Labour Party, who recovered some lost ground from local election reversals in previous years, despite losing the general election. The parish council elections were pushed back a few weeks. The previous parliamentary term had begun in October 1974, when Harold Wilson led Labour to a majority of three seats, seven months after forming a minority government following a hung parliament and the failure of Edward Heath's Conservative government to form a coalition with the Liberals. Wilson had previously led the party in government from October 1964 to June 1970, and had served as party leader since February 1963. However, after just two years back in Downing Street, he had resigned as prime minister, being succeeded by James Callaghan; and within a further year the government's narrow parliamentary majority had gone. Callaghan made agreements with the Liberals and later the Ulster Unionists, as well as the Scottish and Welsh nationalists, in order to remain in power. The Lib-Lab pact lasted until July 1978. However, on 28 March 1979, following the defeat of the Scottish devolution referendum, Thatcher tabled a motion of no confidence in Callaghan's Labour government, which was passed by just one vote (311 to 310), triggering a general election six months before the end of the government's term. It was the first government to lose a motion of no-confidence in the House of Commons since the first Labour government led by Ramsay MacDonald in October 1924. The Labour campaign was hampered by recent memories of a series of industrial disputes and strikes during the winter of 1978–79, known as the Winter of Discontent, and the party focused its campaign on support for the National Health Service and full employment. After intense media speculation that a general election would be held before the end of 1978, Callaghan had announced early in the autumn of that year that a general election would not take place that year, having received private polling data which suggested a parliamentary majority was unlikely.Beckett 2009 460 The Conservative campaign employed the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, and pledged to control inflation as well as curbing the power of the trade unions. The Conservatives also ran their campaign on the theme that "Labour Isn't Working" (unemployment reached a 40-year high of 1.5 million during 1978). The Liberal Party was damaged by allegations that Jeremy Thorpe, its former leader, had been involved in a homosexual affair and had conspired to murder his former lover. The Liberals were now being led by David Steel, meaning that all three major parties entered the election with a new leader. The election saw a 5.2% swing from Labour to the Conservatives, the largest swing since the 1945 election, which Clement Attlee won for Labour. Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, and Callaghan was replaced as Labour leader by Michael Foot in 1980. The results of the election were broadcast live on the BBC, and presented by David Dimbleby and Robin Day, with Robert McKenzie on the "Swingometer", and further analysis provided by David Butler.exWDguPklGg BBC 1979 Election coverage It was the first general election to feature Rick Wakeman's song "Arthur" during the BBC's coverage. On ITV, the election broadcast was hosted by Alastair Burnet, Martyn Lewis, Peter Snow and Leonard Parkin. Because of the anaemic economic and social backdrop in this election, it presaged the 1980 United States presidential election in which, in a situation with some parallels, incumbent US president Jimmy Carter was likewise defeated by Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, an advocate of similar socioeconomic policies to those of Margaret Thatcher's Britain. Future prime minister John Major, who went on to succeed Thatcher in November 1990, entered Parliament at this election, retaining the Huntingdonshire seat in Cambridgeshire for the Conservatives. Prominent MPs Jeremy Thorpe, Shirley Williams and Barbara Castle were among the members of parliament who retired or lost their seats. none February 1974 October 1974 1979 1983 1987 As of 2026, this is the earliest British election from which a major party leader (Steel) is still alive. Timeline After suffering a vote of no confidence on 28 March 1979, Prime Minister James Callaghan was forced to announce that he would request a dissolution of Parliament to bring about a general election. The key dates were as follows: Saturday 7 April Dissolution of the 47th Parliament and campaigning officially begins; 2,576 candidates enter to contest 635 seats Wednesday 2 May Campaigning officially endsThursday 3 May Polling dayFriday 4 May The Conservative Party wins power with a majority of 43Wednesday 9 MayThe 48th Parliament assemblesTuesday 15 MayState Opening of Parliament Background Callaghan succeeded Harold Wilson as the Labour prime minister after the latter's surprise resignation in April 1976. By March 1977, Labour had become a minority government after two by-election defeats cost them the three-seat majority they had won in October 1974, and from March 1977 to August 1978 Callaghan governed by an agreement with the Liberal Party through the Lib–Lab pact. Callaghan had considered calling an election in the autumn of 1978,https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/basics/4393311.stm 1979: Thatcher wins Tory landslide BBC News 5 April 2005 4 May 2012 but ultimately decided that imminent tax cuts, and a possible economic upturn in 1979, could favour his party at the polls and delayed the election until the following year. Although published opinion polls suggested that he might win,Hickson Seldon 2004 293 private polls commissioned by the Labour Party from MORI had suggested the two main parties had much the same level of support.Beckett 2009 460 However, events would soon overtake the Labour government and prove Callaghan's decision to delay an election to be a costly mistake. A series of industrial disputes in the winter of 1978–79, dubbed the "Winter of Discontent", led to widespread strikes across the country and seriously hurt Labour's standings in the polls while boosting support for the Conservative opposition. When the Scottish National Party (SNP) withdrew support for the Scotland Act 1978, a vote of no confidence was held and passed by one vote on 28 March 1979, forcing Callaghan to call a general election. As the previous election had been held in October 1974, Labour could have held on until the autumn of 1979 if it had not been for the lost confidence vote. Margaret Thatcher had won her party's 1975 leadership election over former leader Edward Heath, taking over the leadership of the party in February 1975, four months after the party's failure to win the October 1974 election. Heath had led the party for a decade but lost three of the four elections he contested. David Steel had replaced Jeremy Thorpe as leader of the Liberal Party in 1976, after allegations of homosexuality and conspiracy to murder his former lover forced Thorpe to resign. The Thorpe affair led to a fall in the Liberal vote, after what had been thought to be a breakthrough in the February 1974 election. Campaign This was the first election since 1959 to feature three new leaders for the main political parties. The three main parties all advocated cutting income tax. Labour and the Conservatives did not specify the exact thresholds of income tax they would implement but the Liberals did, claiming they would have income tax starting at 20% with a top rate of 50%.http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lib79.htm The Real Fight is for Britain psr.Keele.ac.UK 25 February 1998 13 May 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/19980525042748/http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lib79.htm 25 May 1998 Without explicitly mentioning Thatcher's sex, Callaghan was (as Christian Caryl later wrote) "a master at sardonically implying that whatever the leader of the opposition said was made even sillier by the fact that it was said by a woman". Thatcher used the tactics that had defeated her other male opponents: constantly studying, sleeping only a few hours a night, and exploiting her femininity to appear as someone who understood housewives' household budgets.Caryl 2014 3391–3428 A proposal for the two main party leaders to participate in two televised debates was put forward by former Labour MP turned broadcaster Brian Walden. These would have been produced by LWT and were planned to be shown on ITV on 22 & 29 April 1979. While James Callaghan immediately accepted Walden's proposal, Margaret Thatcher decided to "wait a few days before replying" to the invitation. According to The Glasgow Herald, Some of Mrs Thatcher's advisers were concerned that she had more to lose from such debates, fearing that it would lead to a "presidential-style 'Her or me' campaign" which would see policy issues become of less importance. However it was also reported that the danger of declining was that Mrs Thatcher would be charged by Labour as being "scared" to face the Prime Minister.Parkhouse Geoffrey Thatcher hesitates over TV challenge https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19790403&printsec=frontpage&hl=en 3 July 2021 The Glasgow Herald 3 April 1979 1 At the insistence of the Liberals, their leader David Steel was also invited by LWT to take part, and accepted the offer. However, Mrs Thatcher declined the offer to take part, saying that the election was for a government, not a president, which meant that the debates did not go ahead.Parkhouse Geoffrey Geoffrey Parkhouse, Political Editor, writes https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19790404&printsec=frontpage&hl=en 3 July 2021 The Glasgow Herald 4 April 1979 1 Labour Campaign themes The Labour campaign reiterated their support for the National Health Service and full employment and focused on the damage they believed the Conservatives would do to the country. In an early campaign broadcast, Callaghan asked: "The question you will have to consider is whether we risk tearing everything up by the roots." Towards the end of Labour's campaign, Callaghan claimed a Conservative government "would sit back and just allow firms to go bankrupt and jobs to be lost in the middle of a world recession" and that the Conservatives were "too big a gamble to take".Young 1990 131 Throughout the campaign, Labour placed particular emphasis on unemployment, presenting it as the central dividing line between the parties. Callaghan argued that government intervention and industrial assistance had protected or created up to 1.2 million jobs and warned that Conservative plans to reduce state support for industry would put those jobs at risk.Ar Callaghan feeling a chill wind The Times 30 April 1979 2 Following the publication of improved employment figures in mid-April, Callaghan claimed that falling unemployment was evidence that Labour's economic strategy was working and contrasted Britain's performance with rising joblessness in parts of Europe.Labour hails job figures The Times 20 April 1979 1 As opinion polls continued to show a Conservative lead, Labour intensified its warnings that Conservative tax cuts would lead to higher prices and renewed industrial conflict. Callaghan described the prospect of a Conservative government abandoning pay restraint as a “national catastrophe” that could result in wage settlements escalating to 20 or 25 per cent, undermining living standards.Tories see Callaghan 'anxiety' The Times 1 May 1979 1 Labour also argued that Conservative policies would weaken regional development agencies and end support for struggling industries, turning parts of Britain into “deserts of unemployment”.Ar Callaghan feeling a chill wind The Times 30 April 1979 2 Trade union involvement Trade unions played an unusually prominent role in the campaign. The Trade Union Committee for a Labour Victory coordinated activity in marginal constituencies, while major unions contributed substantial funds to Labour’s election effort and distributed special publications urging members to vote Labour.Unions move fight for Labour into top gear The Times 17 April 1979 10Unions step up propaganda and cash aid for Labour The Times 1 May 1979 2 Manifesto The Labour Party manifesto, The Labour way is the better way, was issued on 6 April.1979 Labour Party Manifesto – The Labour Way is the Better Way http://www.labour-party.org.uk/manifestos/1979/1979-labour-manifesto.shtml Archive of Labour Party Manifestos Callaghan presented five priorities: "We must keep a curb on inflation and prices"; "We will carry forward the task of putting into practice the new framework to improve industrial relations that we have hammered out with the TUC"; "We give a high priority to working for a return to full employment"; "We are deeply concerned to enlarge people's freedom"; and "We will use Britain's influence to strengthen world peace and defeat world poverty" Conservatives The Conservatives campaigned on economic issues, pledging to control inflation and to reduce the increasing power of the trade unions who supported mass strikes. They also employed the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi who had created the "Labour Isn't Working" poster. The Conservative campaign was focused on gaining support from traditional Labour voters who had never voted Conservative before, first-time voters, and people who had voted Liberal in 1974.Campbell 2000 432 Thatcher's advisers, Gordon Reece and Timothy Bell, co-ordinated their presentation with the editor of The Sun, Larry Lamb. The Sun printed a series of articles by disillusioned former Labour ministers (Reg Prentice, Richard Marsh, George Brown, Alfred Robens and Lord Chalfont) detailing why they had switched their support to Thatcher. She explicitly asked Labour voters for their support when she launched her campaign in Cardiff, claiming that Labour was now extreme.http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=104011 Speech to Conservative Rally in Cardiff Margaret Thatcher Foundation 16 April 1979 13 May 2010 Choosing to start her campaign in the strongly Labour-supporting city was part of Thatcher's strategy of appealing to skilled manual workers (NRS social group C2), whom both parties had previously seen as certain Labour voters; she thought that many of these would support her promises to reduce unions' power and enact the Right to Buy their homes.Caryl 2014 3391–3428 On 29 April the Conservatives held a massive rally in London for Conservative trade unionists. The Glasgow Herald called it an "astonishing rally" which it likened to "the razza-matazz of an American presidential-style jamboree" and stated "Nothing quite like it has been seen before in a General Election in Britain." Several celebrities including Lulu, Molly Weir and Nigel Davenport appeared to support Thatcher and the Conservatives, while others like Eric Sykes and Les Dawson sent messages of support. It was also announced former Labour MP Eddie Griffiths was backing the Conservatives against his former party.Russell William Ex-Labour MP defects to Tories https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19790430&printsec=frontpage&hl=en 11 December 2022 The Glasgow Herald 30 April 1979 1 An analysis of the election result showed that the Conservatives gained an 11% swing among the skilled working class (the C2s) and a 9% swing amongst the unskilled working class (the DEs).Butler Kavanagh 1980 343 Thatcher's stance on immigration in the late 1970s (following the vast immigration from Asian and African-Caribbean nations during the 1950s and 1960s) was perceived as part of a rising racist public discourse,Witte 2014 54 As Leader of the Opposition, Thatcher believed that the National Front (NF) was winning over large numbers of Conservative voters with warnings against floods of immigrants. Her strategy was to undermine the NF narrative by acknowledging that many of its voters had serious concerns in need of addressing. The National Front had a relatively small following and did not win any seats in parliament. Thatcher criticised Labour immigration policy in January 1978, with the goal of attracting voters away from the NF and to the Conservatives.Witte 2014 53–54 Her rhetoric was followed by an increase in Conservative support at the expense of the NF. Critics on the left reacted by accusing her of pandering to racism.Friedman 2006 13 Sociologists Mark Mitchell and Dave Russell responded that Thatcher had been badly misinterpreted, arguing that race was never an important focus of Thatcherism.Mitchell Russell 1989 Throughout her premiership both major parties took similar positions on immigration policy,Ward 2004 128 Vinen 2009 227, 279 having in 1981 passed the British Nationality Act with bipartisan support.Hansen 2000 207–208 No policies aimed at restricting immigration were passed or proposed by her government, and the subject of race was never highlighted by Thatcher in any of her major speeches as prime minister.Anwar 2001 Although Thatcher had pledged to address concerns felt by NF voters including matters related to immigration and presided over a period of disaffected race relations early in her premiership, the Conservative Party under her leadership actively began reaching out to ethnic minority voters ahead of the 1983 general election.https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/black-conservatives Black Conservatives: Are the Tories the new party of diversity? 16 October 2020 The Conservative manifesto, drafted by Chris Patten and Adam Ridley and edited by Angus Maude, reflected Thatcher's views and was issued on 11 April.Butler Kavanagh 1980 166 It promised five major policies: "to restore the health of our economic and social life, by controlling inflation and striking a fair balance between the rights and duties of the trade union movement"; "to restore incentives so that hard work pays, success is rewarded and genuine new jobs are created in an expanding economy"; "to uphold Parliament and the rule of law"; "to support family life, by helping people to become home-owners, raising the standards of their children's education and concentrating welfare services on the effective support of the old, the sick, the disabled and those who are in real need"; and "to strengthen Britain's defences and work with our allies to protect our interests in an increasingly threatening world".Keesing's Record of World Events 25 June 1979 29633 Opinion polling Opinion polling for the 1979 United Kingdom general election February 1974 October 1974 1979 1983 1987 thumb|800px|centre| 18em Conservative Party (UK) solid 5px Conservatives Labour Party (UK) solid 5px Labour Liberal Party (UK) solid 5px Liberals Results Results of the 1979 United Kingdom general election In the end, the overall swing of 5.2% was the largest since 1945, and gave the Conservatives a workable majority of 43 for the country's first female prime minister. The Conservative victory in 1979 also marked a change in government which would continue for 18 years, including the entire 1980s, until the Labour victory of 1997. It marked a period of political stability in the United Kingdom following four changes of government in the space of 15 years. Although the Conservatives would go on to win more seats under Thatcher in 1983 and 1987, and again under Boris Johnson in 2019, the Tories have never since matched the 43.9% of the popular vote they won in 1979. This also remains the most recent election in which the Tories won an overall majority from opposition. The SNP saw a massive collapse in support, losing 9 of its 11 MPs. The Liberal Party had a disappointing election; its scandal-hit former leader Jeremy Thorpe lost his seat in North Devon to the Conservatives. The National Front (NF) would record their highest ever vote in a general election with 0.6% of the popular vote. They would decline after. This was also the highest vote for a British Far-right party until 2010 when the British National Party received a higher popular vote and then Reform UK in 2024. Summary of seats returned + centre|420px PartyBritish Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher 48 Total Politics 978-1-907278-03-7 2006 Leader MPs Aggregate votes Of total Of total Conservative and Unionist Party Margaret Thatcher 339 339 635 1 yes Conservative Party (UK) 13,697,923 43.9% 43.9 Conservative Party (UK) Labour Party James Callaghan 269Includes 17 Co-operative Party MP, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance.speaker 269 635 1 yes Labour Party (UK) 11,532,218 36.9% 36.9 Labour Party (UK) Liberal Party David Steel 11 11 635 1 yes Liberal Party (UK) 4,313,804 13.8% 13.8 Liberal Party (UK) Ulster Unionist Party Harry West 5 5 635 1 yes Ulster Unionist Party 254,578 0.8% 0.8 Ulster Unionist Party Democratic Unionist Party Ian Paisley 3 3 635 1 yes Democratic Unionist Party 70,975 0.2% 0.2 Democratic Unionist Party Scottish National Party William Wolfe 2 2 635 1 yes Scottish National Party 504,259 1.6% 1.6 Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Gwynfor Evans 2 2 635 1 yes Plaid Cymru 132,544 0.4% 0.4 Plaid Cymru Social Democratic and Labour Party Gerry Fitt 1 1 635 1 yes Social Democratic and Labour Party 126,325 0.4% 0.4 Social Democratic and Labour Party United Ulster Unionist Party Ernest Baird 1 1 635 1 yes United Ulster Unionist Party 39,856 0.1% 0.1 United Ulster Unionist Party Independent Unionist 1 1 635 1 yes Independent Unionist 36,989 0.1% 0.1 Independent Unionist Independent Republican 1 1 635 1 yes Independent Republican (Ireland) 22,398 0.1% 0.1 Independent Republican (Ireland) Full results centre|500x500px +Results of the May 1979 general election to the House of Commons of the United KingdomPartyhttps://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/general-elections/38 UK General Elections Results 1832-2019 12 August 2026British Electoral Facts Colin Rallings Micheal Thrasher Total Politics 978-1-907278-03-7 47-48 2006LeaderCandidatesMPsAggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of total (%) Total Of total (%) Change (%)   Conservative MargaretThatcher 622 339 63 1Teddy Taylor in Glasgow Cathcart. 62 53.4 13,697,923 43.9 8.1   Labour JamesCallaghan 623Includes 25 Co-operative Party candidates, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 269Includes 17 Co-operative Party MPs, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance.speaker 4 54 50Includes 3 Co-operative Party MPs, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 42.4Includes 2.7% for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 11,457,079 Includes 485,115 for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 36.9Includes 1.6% for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance. 2.3Includes 0.0% for the Co-operative Party, as part of the Labour-Co-op alliance.   Liberal DavidSteel 577 11 1David Alton in Liverpool Edge Hill. 3 2 2.1 5,346,704 18.3 1.0   SNP WilliamWolfe 71 2 0 9 9 0.3 504,259 1.6 1.3   UUP HarryWest 11 5 1Robert Bradford in Belfast South. 2 1 0.8 254,578 0.8 0.1   NationalFront JohnTyndall 303 0 0 0 — 191,719 0.6 0.2   Plaid Cymru GwynforEvans 36 2 0 1Leader Gwynfor Evans in Carmarthen. 1 0.3 132,544 0.4 0.2   SDLP GerryFitt 9 1Gerry Fitt in Belfast West. 0 0 0.2 126,325 0.4 0.1   Alliance OliverNapier 12 0 0 0 — 82,892 0.3 0.1   DUP IanPaisley 5 3 2 0 2 0.5 70,975 0.2   Ecology Jonathan<br/ >Tyler 53 0 0 0 — 39,918 0.1 0.1   UUUP ErnestBaird 2 1John Dunlop in Mid Ulster. colspan=2 New 1 0.2 39,856 0.1 New   IndependentUnionist 1 1James Kilfedder in North Down. 1 0 1 0.2 36,989 0.1 0.1   IndependentLabour 7 0 0 0 — 23,884 0.1   Irish Independence PatFahy 4 0 colspan=3 New — 23,086 0.1 New   IndependentRepublican 1 1Frank Maguire in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. 0 0 0.2 22,398 0.1   Communist GordonMcLennan 38 0 0 0 — 16,858 0.1   ScottishLabour JimSillars 3 0 colspan=3 New — 13,737 0.0 New   WorkersRevolutionary MichaelBanda 60 0 0 0 — 12,631 0.0   RepublicanClubs TomásMac Giolla 7 0 0 0 — 12,098 0.0 0.1   Independent 33 0 0 0 — 11,627 0.0   IndependentSDLP 1Candidate Austin Currie stood in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. 0 colspan=3 New — 10,795 0.0 New   Unionist Party NI AnneDickson 3 0 0 0 — 8,021 0.0 0.1   IndependentConservative 8 0 0 0 — 5,621 0.0   NILabour AlanCarr 3 0 0 0 — 4,411 0.0   MebyonKernow RichardJenkin 3 0 0 0 — 4,164 0.0   DemocraticLabour DickTaverne 2 0 0 0 — 3,785 0.0 0.1   WessexRegionalists AlexanderThynn 7 0 colspan=3 Did not stand in Oct. 1974 — 3,090 0.0   SocialistUnity 11 0 colspan=3 New — 2,966 0.0 New   UnitedLabour PaddyDevlin 1Candidate Bob Kidd stood in South Antrim. 0 colspan=3 New — 1,895 0.0 New   Ratepayer(Leek) 1Candidate CI Bailey stood in Leek. 0 colspan=3 New — 1,451 0.0 New   UnitedCountry EdmundIremonger 2 0 colspan=3 New — 1,033 0.0 New   Anti-CommonMarket 3 0 colspan=3 Did not stand in Oct. 1974 — 926 0.0   IndependentLiberal 1Candidate H. I. Fjortoft stood in Bootle. 0 0 0 — 911 0.0   OxfordEcological 1Candidate Anthony Cheke stood in Oxford. 0 colspan=3 New — 887 0.0 New   Workers(Leninist) RoystonBull 2 0 colspan=3 New — 824 0.0 New   NewBritain DennisDelderfield 3 0 colspan=3 New — 843 0.0 New   SillyParty 1Candidate Jeremy Fox stood in Dover and Deal. 0 colspan=3 New — 642 0.0 New   Troops Outof Ireland 1Candidate B. Gallagher stood in Barnsley. 0 colspan=3 New — 638 0.0 New   ChristianStop Abortion 1Candidate F. C. J. Radcliffe stood in York. 0 colspan=3 New — 569 0.0 New   LabourAlliance 1Candidate Douglas Elliot stood in Vauxhall. 0 colspan=3 New — 565 0.0 New   Fellowship RonaldMallone 2 0 colspan=3 Did not stand in Oct. 1974 — 531 0.0   More Prosperous Britain TomKeen 6 0 0 0 — 518 0.0   IndependentDemocrat 3 0 colspan=3 New — 479 0.0 New   SevernsideLibertarian 1Candidate Raymond William Aldridge stood in Cardiff South East. 0 colspan=3 New — 375 0.0 New   FancyDress 1Candidate John Beddowes stood in Dartford. 0 colspan=3 New — 328 0.0 New   ChristianDemocrat 1Candidate R. Darroch stood in Central Dunbartonshire. 0 colspan=3 New — 312 0.0 New   IrishNational 1Candidate James O'Leary stood in Acton. 0 colspan=3 New — 243 0.0 New   UnitedEnglish National 2 0 0 0 — 238 0.0   IndependentRhodesian 1Candiate Peter Scott stood in Guildford. 0 colspan=3 New — 232 0.0 New   CornishNationalist JamesWhetter 1Leader James Whetter stood in Truro. 0 colspan=3 New — 227 0.0 New   CitizensProtest Vote 1Candidate S. L. Bradford stood in Farnham. 0 colspan=3 New — 204 0.0 New   Child and FamilyProtection 1Candidate Philip Crome stood in Birmingham Selly Oak. 0 colspan=3 New — 190 0.0 New   Public Safety WilliamBoaks 3 0 0 0 — 182 0.0   British SocialistEmpire 1Candidate S. Rowe stood in Newcastle-under-Lyme. 0 colspan=3 New — 156 0.0 New   HomelandParty 1Candidate Ian MacKillian stood in Orpington. 0 colspan=3 New — 146 0.0 New   SocialDemocratic DonaldKean 1Candidate C. Campbell stood in Warrington. 0 colspan=3 New — 144 0.0 New   EnglishNational FrankHansford-Miller 1Leader Frank Hansford-Miller stood in North Devon. 0 0 0 — 142 0.0   IndependentBusinessman 1Candidate Sohan Paul stood in Southall. 0 colspan=3 New — 115 0.0 New   Fine Gael(Scotland) 1Candidate Uilleam Bell stood in Inverness. 0 0 0 — 112 0.0   Anti-Corruption 1Candidate Ernest Leonard Tibbitts stood in Leeds North East. 0 colspan=3 New — 103 0.0 New   Providers ThroughCare 1Candidate Alf Hollander stood in Streatham. 0 colspan=3 New — 102 0.0 New   Dog Lover's Party AuberonWaugh 1Leader Auberon Waugh stood in North Devon. 0 colspan=3 New — 79 0.0 New   Socialist (GB) 1Candidate Ralph Critchfield stood in Islington South and Finsbury. 0 0 0 — 78 0.0   RevolutionaryReform 1Candidate T. Kyle stood in Lincoln. 0 colspan=3 New — 77 0.0 New   Police StatePrevention 1Candidate Jitendra Bardwaj stood in Luton East. 0 colspan=3 New — 61 0.0 New   LibertarianParty 1Candidate David Dean Wedgwood stood in Richmond upon Thames. 0 colspan=3 New — 34 0.0 New   CommunityParty 1Leader J. Harwell stood in Battersea North. 0 colspan=3 New — 30 0.0 New   Other non-contested 0 0 colspan=2 33 Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party seats, with the party disbanding in 1978. — 0 0.0 Blank and invalid votes 117,848https://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 32 8 August 2026 — — Total 2,576 635 0 100.0 31,221,362All valid votes excluding spoiled votes. 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout41,093,264Butler's British Political Facts David Butler Roger Mortimore Andrew Blick 380 Palgrave Macmillan 978-1-137-56708-676.0https://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 3.2 Votes summary Popular vote #ddd 600px 360px Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 43.87 Labour Labour Party (UK) 36.94 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 13.82 Scottish National Scottish National Party 1.62 Others #A9A9A9 3.76 Seats summary Parliamentary seats #ddd 600px 360px Conservative Conservative Party (UK) 53.39 Labour Labour Party (UK) 42.36 Liberal Liberal Party (UK) 1.73 Others #A9A9A9 2.20 1979 UK General Election Gallagher Index.png The disproportionality of the House of Commons in the 1979 election was "11.57" according to the Gallagher index, mainly between the Conservatives and the Liberal Party. 450px left bottom triangle Results by voter characteristics +Ethnic group voting intentionSaggar Shamit https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.15976631 Race and representation: Electoral politics and ethnic pluralism in Britain 2000 Manchester University PressEthnic groupPartyLabourConservativeOtherEthnic minority (non-White)86%8%6%AsianTaylor Stan Layton‐Henry Zig 1980-03-01 Immigration and ethnic relations: Political aspects—no. 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.1980.9975621 New Community 8 1-2 138–145 10.1080/1369183X.1980.9975621 0047-9586 subscription 86%8%n/aAfro-Caribbean80%5%n/a Incumbents defeated PartyNameConstituencyOffice held whilst in ParliamentYear electedDefeated byPartyLabour Party (UK)Geoff EdgeAldridge-Brownhills1974Richard ShepherdConservative Party (UK)Eric MoonmanBasildon1974Harvey ProctorConservative Party (UK)Alfred BatesBebington and Ellesmere Port1974Barry PorterConservative Party (UK)Roderick MacFarquharBelper1974Sheila FaithConservative Party (UK)Raymond CarterBirmingham NorthfieldParliamentary Under-Secretary in the Northern Ireland Office (1977–1979)1970Jocelyn CadburyConservative Party (UK)Tom LitterickBirmingham Selly Oak1974Anthony Beaumont-DarkConservative Party (UK)Syd TierneyBirmingham YardleyPresident of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers1974David BevanConservative Party (UK)Caerwyn RoderickBrecon and Radnorshire1970Tom HoosonConservative Party (UK)John EllisBrigg and Scunthorpe1974Michael BrownConservative Party (UK)Ronald ThomasBristol North West1974Michael ColvinConservative Party (UK)George RodgersChorley1974Den DoverConservative Party (UK)Audrey WiseCoventry South West1974John ButcherConservative Party (UK)Sydney IrvingDartford1974Bob DunnConservative Party (UK)William MolloyEaling North1964Harry GreenwayConservative Party (UK)Bryan DaviesEnfield North1974Tim EggarConservative Party (UK)John WatkinsonWest Gloucestershire1974Paul MarlandConservative Party (UK)John OvendenGravesend1974Tim BrintonConservative Party (UK)Robin CorbettHemel Hempstead1974Nicholas LyellConservative Party (UK)Alan Lee WilliamsHornchurch1974Robin SquireConservative Party (UK)Shirley WilliamsHertford and StevenageSecretary of State for Education and Science (1976–1979)1964Bowen WellsConservative Party (UK)Arnold ShawIlford South1974Neil ThorneConservative Party (UK)Terence WalkerKingswood1974Jack AspinwallConservative Party (UK)Bruce GrocottLichfield and Tamworth1974John HeddleConservative Party (UK)Margaret BeckettLincolnParliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Education and Science (1976–1979)1974Kenneth CarlisleConservative Party (UK)Eddie LoydenLiverpool Garston1974Malcolm ThorntonConservative Party (UK)Ivor ClemitsonLuton East1974Graham BrightConservative Party (UK)Brian SedgemoreLuton West1974John CarlisleConservative Party (UK)John Desmond CroninLoughborough1955Stephen DorrellConservative Party (UK)John TomlinsonMeridenUnder-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1976–1979)1974Iain MillsConservative Party (UK)Doug HoyleNelson and Colne1974John LeeConservative Party (UK)Edward BishopNewarkMinister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1974–1979)1964Richard AlexanderConservative Party (UK)Maureen ColquhounNorthampton North1974Tony MarlowConservative Party (UK)Evan LuardOxfordUnder-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1976–1979)1974John PattenConservative Party (UK)Arthur LathamPaddington1969John WheelerConservative Party (UK)Michael WardPeterborough1974Brian MawhinneyConservative Party (UK)Frank JuddPortsmouth NorthMinister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1977–1979)1966Peter GriffithsConservative Party (UK)Ronald AtkinsPreston North1974Robert AtkinsConservative Party (UK)Hugh JenkinsPutneyMinister of State for the Arts (1974–1979)1964David MellorConservative Party (UK)Robert BeanRochester and Chatham1974Peggy FennerConservative Party (UK)Michael NobleRossendale1974David TrippierConservative Party (UK)William PriceRugby1966Jim PawseyConservative Party (UK)Bryan GouldSouthampton Test1974James HillConservative Party (UK)Max MaddenSowerby1974Donald ThompsonConservative Party (UK)Helene HaymanWelwyn and Hatfield1974Christopher MurphyConservative Party (UK)Gerald FowlerThe WrekinMinister of State for the Privy Council Office (1974–1976)1974Warren HawksleyConservative Party (UK)Scottish National PartyDouglas HendersonEast AberdeenshireSNP Spokesman for Employment and Industry1974Albert McQuarrieConservative Party (UK)Andrew WelshSouth AngusSNP Spokesperson for Housing1974Peter FraserConservative Party (UK)Iain MacCormickArgyllshire1974John MackayConservative Party (UK)Hamish WattBanffshire1974David MylesConservative Party (UK)Margaret EwingEast Dunbartonshire1974Norman HoggLabour Party (UK)George ThompsonGalloway1974Ian LangConservative Party (UK)Winnie EwingMoray and NairnSNP Spokesperson for External Affairs and EEC1974Alex PollockConservative Party (UK)Douglas CrawfordPerth and East Perthshire1974Bill WalkerConservative Party (UK)George ReidClackmannan and East Stirlingshire1974Martin O'NeillLabour Party (UK)Conservative Party (UK)Teddy TaylorGlasgow CathcartShadow Secretary of State for Scotland (1976–1979)1964John MaxtonLabour Party (UK)Andrew MacKayBirmingham Stechford1977Terry DavisLabour Party (UK)Richard PageWorkington1976Dale Campbell-SavoursLabour Party (UK)Tim SmithAshfield1977Frank HaynesLabour Party (UK)Robin HodgsonWalsall North1976David WinnickLabour Party (UK)Liberal Party (UK)Jeremy ThorpeNorth DevonLeader of the Liberal Party (1967–1976)1959Tony SpellerConservative Party (UK)Emlyn HoosonMontgomeryshire1962Delwyn WilliamsConservative Party (UK)John PardoeNorth CornwallDeputy Leader of the Liberal Party (1976–1979)1966Gerry NealeConservative Party (UK)Plaid CymruGwynfor EvansCarmarthenPresident of Plaid Cymru (1945–1981)1974Roger ThomasLabour Party (UK)Scottish Labour Party (1976)Jim SillarsElected as a Labour MPSouth AyrshireLeader of the Scottish Labour Party (1976–1979)1970George FoulkesLabour Party (UK)Ulster Unionist PartyWilliam CraigBelfast East1974Peter RobinsonDemocratic Unionist Party See also List of MPs elected in the 1979 United Kingdom general election 1979 United Kingdom general election in England 1979 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 1979 United Kingdom general election in Wales 1979 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland 1979 United Kingdom local elections Notes References Sources Anwar Muhammad 2001 The participation of ethnic minorities in British politics Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 27 3 533–549 10.1080/136918301200266220 144867334 Andy Beckett Andy Beckett When the Lights Went Out: Britain in the Seventies https://books.google.com/books?id=-NURERF4hb8C 2009 Faber and Faber 978-0-571-25226-8 David Butler David Butler (psephologist) Dennis Kavanagh Dennis Kavanagh The British General Election of 1979 London Macmillan 1980 978-0-333-77875-3 online John Campbell John Campbell (biographer) Margaret Thatcher, Volume One: The Grocer's Daughter London Jonathan Cape 2000 978-0-224-04097-6 Christian Caryl Christian Caryl Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century https://books.google.com/books?id=jlk4DgAAQBAJ 2014 Basic Books 978-0-465-06564-6 Friedman Lester D. 2006 Fires Were Started: British Cinema and Thatcherism qUhg-dDTnGkC yes limited Wallflower Press 978-1-904764-71-7 Hansen Randall Randall Hansen 2000 Citizenship and Immigration in Post-war Britain qj8GEjW91oEC yes limited Oxford University Press 978-0-19-158301-8 Kevin Hickson Anthony Seldon Anthony Seldon New Labour, Old Labour: The Wilson and Callaghan Governments 1974–1979 https://books.google.com/books?id=Z45mjFt_d-EC 2004 Routledge 978-1-134-38161-6 Mitchell Mark Russell Dave 1989 Race, the new right and state policy in Britain Immigrants & Minorities 8 1–2 175–190 10.1080/02619288.1989.9974714 Ward Paul 2004 A new way of being British FtAiLTYSpA4C 113 yes limited Britishness Since 1870 Psychology Press 978-0-415-22016-3 Vinen Richard Richard Vinen 2009 Thatcher's Britain: The Politics and Social Upheaval of the Thatcher Era IZsXpZTCQKQC yes limited Simon & Schuster 2013 978-1-4711-2828-8 Rob Witte Rob Witte Racist Violence and the State: A Comparative Analysis of Britain, France and the Netherlands https://books.google.com/books?id=-Xd_BAAAQBAJ 2014 Routledge 978-1-317-88919-9 Hugo Young Hugo Young One of Us: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher https://books.google.com/books?id=ZaGfAAAAMAAJ 1990 Pan Books 978-0-330-31487-9 Further reading Butler David E. David Butler (psephologist) etal The British General Election of 1979 1980 , the standard scholarly study Campbell John John Campbell (biographer) Margaret Thatcher, Volume 1: The Grocer's Daughter 2008 F. W. S. Craig F.W.S. Craig British Electoral Facts: 1832–1987 1989 Dartmouth Gower 0-900178-30-2 Jenkins Peter Peter Jenkins (journalist) Mrs. Thatcher's Revolution: The Ending of the Socialist Era 1989 McAllister Ian Ian McAllister (political scientist) Mughan Anthony Attitudes, Issues, and Labour Party Decline in England, 1974–1979 Comparative Political Studies 1985 18 37–57 1 10.1177/0010414085018001002 153934506 Penniman Howard R. Britain at the Polls, 1979: A Study of the General Election 1981 345 online Särlvik Bo Ivor Crewe Ivor Crewe Decade of Dealignment: The Conservative Victory of 1979 & Electoral Trends in the 1970s 1983 393 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 Conservative manifesto, 1979, 1979 Conservative Party manifesto The Labour Way is the Better Way, 1979 Labour Party manifesto The Real Fight is for Britain, 1979 Liberal Party manifesto 1979 United Kingdom general election general election United Kingdom general election Category:Premiership of Margaret Thatcher Category:James Callaghan Category:History of the Conservative Party (UK)