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✶ 1832 → 2024 · 49 general elections

Two centuries
of the Commons.

From the Great Reform Act to the 2024 landslide: who won the House of Commons at every general election, who became Prime Minister, and how the vote spread from property owners to everyone over eighteen — and, in Scotland and Wales, sixteen.

Share of Commons seats by party, every general election

Hover, tap or use the arrow keys on the bars. The dashed line is half the house; the light line is turnout.

1832 1852 1874 1895 1918 1931 1955 1974 1992 2015 2024
  • Conservative
  • Liberal Unionist
  • National Liberal
  • Labour
  • National Labour
  • Whig
  • Liberal
  • Coalition Liberal
  • SDP–Liberal Alliance
  • Liberal Democrats
  • Reform UK
  • UK Independence Party
  • Scottish National Party
  • Plaid Cymru
  • Green
  • Irish Parliamentary
  • Irish National Federation
  • All-for-Ireland League
  • Repeal Association
  • Sinn Féin
  • Social Democratic & Labour Party
  • Alliance
  • Democratic Unionist Party
  • Ulster Unionist Party
  • Traditional Unionist Voice
  • Others

From 2010 every seat comes from the House of Commons Library's results database. Before then each bar shows the main parties listed in that election's Wikipedia infobox; the faded remainder is everyone else (smaller parties, independents and the Speaker), not a single party.

Who could vote

The franchise,
Act by Act.

Each step below quotes or summarises the Act itself on legislation.gov.uk. Where the digitised text could not be read, we say only what its title says.

  1. 1832

    Representation of the People Act 1832

    Took Members away from a schedule of small boroughs, created new borough seats, and tied the borough vote to occupying property of a clear yearly value of not less than ten pounds.

    legislation.gov.uk ↗
  2. 1867

    Representation of the People Act 1867

    “An Act further to amend the Laws relating to the Representation of the People in England and Wales” — its long title; the enacted text survives only as a scanned image.

    legislation.gov.uk ↗
  3. 1884

    Representation of the People Act 1884

    Extended the household and lodger franchise: a uniform household franchise and a uniform lodger franchise across the counties and boroughs of the United Kingdom.

    legislation.gov.uk ↗
  4. 1918

    Representation of the People Act 1918

    Men could register as parliamentary electors at full age; women at thirty, if they — or their husbands — qualified as local government electors by occupying land or premises.

    legislation.gov.uk ↗
  5. 1928

    Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928

    Made the parliamentary and local government franchise the same for men and women.

    legislation.gov.uk ↗
  6. 2015

    Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age) Act 2015

    Lowered the voting age to 16 for Scottish Parliament and Scottish local government elections.

    legislation.gov.uk ↗
  7. 2020

    Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020

    Renamed the National Assembly for Wales the Senedd and extended the vote in Senedd elections to 16- and 17-year-olds (section 10).

    legislation.gov.uk ↗
  8. 2022

    Elections Act 2022

    Required photo ID to vote in person at UK parliamentary and English local elections (section 1, Schedule 1); rewrote the overseas franchise for British citizens living abroad (section 14); switched the Mayor of London and English mayors to first-past-the-post (section 13); and changed EU citizens' voting and candidacy rights.

    legislation.gov.uk ↗

Prime Ministers

56 people,
78 spells in office.

Every term of office as Wikidata records it, coloured by the Prime Minister's party. Wikidata counts Robert Walpole as the first. Today: Andy Burnham, since 20 July 2026.

Longest in office (all terms)

  1. William Pitt the Younger 23.8 yrs
  2. Robert Walpole 20.8 yrs
  3. Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool 14.8 yrs
  4. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury 13.7 yrs
  5. William Ewart Gladstone 12.3 yrs
  6. Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford 12.1 yrs
  1. Andy Burnham Labour 20 Jul 2026 – present
  2. Keir Starmer Labour 5 Jul 2024 – 20 Jul 2026
  3. Liz Truss Conservative 6 Sep 2022 – 25 Oct 2022
  4. Boris Johnson Conservative 24 Jul 2019 – 6 Sep 2022
  5. Theresa May Conservative 13 Jul 2016 – 24 Jul 2019
  6. Tony Blair Labour 2 May 1997 – 27 Jun 2007
  7. John Major Conservative 28 Nov 1990 – 2 May 1997
  8. Margaret Thatcher Conservative 4 May 1979 – 28 Nov 1990
  9. James Callaghan Labour 5 Apr 1976 – 4 May 1979
  10. Harold Wilson Labour 4 Mar 1974 – 5 Apr 1976
  11. Edward Heath Conservative 19 Jun 1970 – 4 Mar 1974
  12. Harold Wilson Labour 16 Oct 1964 – 19 Jun 1970
  13. Alec Douglas-Home Conservative 19 Oct 1963 – 16 Oct 1964
  14. Harold Macmillan Conservative 10 Jan 1957 – 19 Oct 1963
  15. Anthony Eden Conservative 6 Apr 1955 – 9 Jan 1957
  16. Winston Churchill Conservative 26 Oct 1951 – 5 Apr 1955
  17. Clement Attlee Labour 26 Jul 1945 – 26 Oct 1951
  18. Winston Churchill Conservative 10 May 1940 – 26 Jul 1945
  19. Neville Chamberlain Conservative 28 May 1937 – 10 May 1940
  20. Stanley Baldwin Conservative 7 Jun 1935 – 28 May 1937
  21. Ramsay MacDonald Labour 5 Jun 1929 – 7 Jun 1935
  22. Stanley Baldwin Conservative 4 Nov 1924 – 5 Jun 1929
  23. Ramsay MacDonald Labour 22 Jan 1924 – 4 Nov 1924
  24. Stanley Baldwin Conservative 23 May 1923 – 16 Jan 1924
  25. Bonar Law Conservative 23 Oct 1922 – 22 May 1923
  26. David Lloyd George Liberal 6 Dec 1916 – 19 Oct 1922
  27. H. H. Asquith Liberal 8 Apr 1908 – 5 Dec 1916
  28. Henry Campbell-Bannerman Liberal 5 Dec 1905 – 3 Apr 1908
  29. Arthur Balfour Conservative 11 Jul 1902 – 5 Dec 1905
  30. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Conservative 25 Jun 1895 – 11 Jul 1902
  31. Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Liberal 5 Mar 1894 – 22 Jun 1895
  32. William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 15 Aug 1892 – 2 Mar 1894
  33. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Conservative 25 Jul 1886 – 11 Aug 1892
  34. William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 1 Feb 1886 – 20 Jul 1886
  35. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Conservative 23 Jun 1885 – 28 Jan 1886
  36. William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 23 Apr 1880 – 9 Jun 1885
  37. Benjamin Disraeli Conservative 20 Feb 1874 – 21 Apr 1880
  38. William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 3 Dec 1868 – 17 Feb 1874
  39. Benjamin Disraeli Conservative 27 Feb 1868 – 1 Dec 1868
  40. Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Conservative 28 Jun 1866 – 27 Feb 1868
  41. John Russell, 1st Earl Russell Whig 29 Oct 1865 – 28 Jun 1866
  42. Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston Liberal 12 Jun 1859 – 18 Oct 1865
  43. Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Conservative 20 Feb 1858 – 11 Jun 1859
  44. Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston Whig 6 Feb 1855 – 19 Feb 1858
  45. George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen Peelite 19 Dec 1852 – 30 Jan 1855
  46. Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Conservative 23 Feb 1852 – 19 Dec 1852
  47. John Russell, 1st Earl Russell Whig 30 Jun 1846 – 23 Feb 1852
  48. Robert Peel Conservative 30 Aug 1841 – 29 Jun 1846
  49. William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne Whig 18 Apr 1835 – 30 Aug 1841
  50. Robert Peel Conservative 10 Dec 1834 – 8 Apr 1835
  51. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Conservative 17 Nov 1834 – 9 Dec 1834
  52. William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne Whig 16 Jul 1834 – 14 Nov 1834
  53. Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Whig 22 Nov 1830 – 16 Jul 1834
  54. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Conservative 22 Jan 1828 – 16 Nov 1830
  55. F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich Conservative 31 Aug 1827 – 21 Jan 1828
  56. George Canning Conservative 10 Apr 1827 – 8 Aug 1827
  57. Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool Conservative 8 Jun 1812 – 9 Apr 1827
  58. Spencer Perceval Conservative 4 Oct 1809 – 11 May 1812
  59. William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland Whig 31 Mar 1807 – 4 Oct 1809
  60. William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville Conservative 11 Feb 1806 – 31 Mar 1807
  61. William Pitt the Younger Conservative 10 May 1804 – 23 Jan 1806
  62. Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth Conservative 14 Mar 1801 – 10 May 1804
  63. William Pitt the Younger Conservative 19 Dec 1783 – 23 Jan 1806
  64. William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland Whig 2 Apr 1783 – 19 Dec 1783
  65. William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne Whig 4 Jul 1782 – 2 Apr 1783
  66. Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham Whig 27 Mar 1782 – 1 Jul 1782
  67. Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford Conservative 28 Jan 1770 – 22 Mar 1782
  68. Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton Whig 14 Oct 1768 – 28 Jan 1770
  69. William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham Whig 30 Jul 1766 – 14 Oct 1768
  70. Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham Whig 13 Jul 1765 – 30 Jul 1766
  71. George Grenville Whig 16 Apr 1763 – 13 Jul 1765
  72. John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute Conservative 26 May 1762 – 8 Apr 1763
  73. Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Whig 2 Jul 1757 – 26 May 1762
  74. William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire Whig 16 Nov 1756 – 25 Jun 1757
  75. Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Whig 16 Mar 1754 – 16 Nov 1756
  76. Henry Pelham Whig 27 Aug 1743 – 6 Mar 1754
  77. Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington Whig 16 Feb 1742 – 2 Jul 1743
  78. Robert Walpole Whig 15 Apr 1721 – 11 Feb 1742