1835 United Kingdom general election

1835 United Kingdom general election

6 January – 6 February 1835 (1835-01-06 – 1835-02-06)
All 658 seats in the House of Commons 330 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Viscount Melbourne Sir Robert Peel Party Whig Conservative Leader since 16 July 1834 19 December 1834 Leader's seat House of Lords Tamworth Last election 441 seats, 67.0% 175 seats, 29.2% Seats won 385 273 Seat change 56 98 Popular vote 349,868 261,269 Percentage 57.2% 42.8% Swing 9.8 pp 13.6 pp
Colours denote the winning party
Composition of the House of Commons after the election
Prime Minister before election Sir Robert Peel Conservative Prime Minister after election Viscount Melbourne Whig

The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large majority.

Under the terms of the Lichfield House Compact the Whigs had entered into an electoral pact with the Irish Repeal Association of Daniel O'Connell, which had contested the previous election as a separate party. The Radicals were also included in this alliance.

Dates of election

The eleventh United Kingdom Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. The new Parliament was summoned to meet on 19 February 1835, for a maximum seven-year term from that date. The maximum term could be and normally was curtailed, by the monarch dissolving the Parliament, before its term expired.

At this period there was not one election day. After receiving a writ (a royal command) for the election to be held, the local returning officer fixed the election timetable for the particular constituency or constituencies he was concerned with. Polling in seats with contested elections could continue for many days.

The general election took place between January and February 1835. The first nomination was on 5 January, with the first contest on 6 January and the last contest on 6 February 1835. It was usual for polling in the University constituencies and in Orkney and Shetland to take place about a week after other seats. Disregarding contests in the Universities and Orkney and Shetland, the last poll was on 27 January 1835.

Peel ran a minority Conservative government until 8 April 1835, after being unable to form a majority. Melbourne subsequently became Prime Minister forming a Whig government.

Results

UK General Election 1835
Party		Candidates						Votes
		Stood	Elected	Gained	Unseated	Net	% of total	%	No.	Net %
	Whig	538	385			−56	58.51	57.25	349,868	−9.7
	Conservative	407	273			+98	41.49	42.75	261,269	+13.6

Total votes cast: 611,137.

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats
	Whig	538	154	385
	Conservative	407	121	273
Total		945	275	658

Voting summary

Popular vote Whig   57.25% Conservative   42.75%

Seats summary

Parliamentary seats Whig   58.51% Conservative   41.49%

Regional results

Great Britain

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Whig	451	126	317	−91	315,002	57.2	−13.9
	Conservative	338	102	238	+91	235,907	42.8	+13.9
Total		789	228	555		550,909	100

England

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Whig	380	100	264	−83	281,576	57.4	−13.4
	Conservative	278	77	200	+84	209,964	42.6	+13.4
Total		658	177	464		491,540	100

Scotland

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Whig	52	15	38	−5	28,307	62.8	−16.2
	Conservative	33	8	15	+5	15,733	37.2	+16.2
Total		85	23	53		44,040	100

Wales

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative	21	11	17	+3	10,210	63.9	+10.5
	Whig	19	11	15	−3	5,119	36.1	−10.5
Total		40	22	32		15,329	100

Ireland

Main article: United Kingdom general election, 1835 (Ireland)

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Whig/Repeal Coalition	87	28	68	−7	34,866	57.6	−10.3
	Irish Conservative	69	19	35	+7	25,362	42.4	+10.3
Total		156	47	103		60,228	100

Universities

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative	6	6	6		Uncontested
Total		6	6	6		None	100

References

• Craig, F. W. S. (1989), British Electoral Facts: 1832–1987, Dartmouth: Gower, ISBN 0900178302
• Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael, eds. (2000), British Electoral Facts 1832–1999, Ashgate Publishing Ltd
• Walker, B. M., ed. (1978), Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland 1801–1922, Royal Irish Academy

External links

• Spartacus: Political Parties and Election Results