British General Election February 1974

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1970General election
February 1974
Oct 1974
(Share of votes in%)
 %
40
30th
20th
10
0
37.9
37.2
19.4
2.0
0.8
2.7
Gains and losses
compared to 1970
 % p
 12
 10
   8th
   6th
   4th
   2
   0
  -2
  -4
  -6
  -8th
-7.0
-5.9
+11.9
+0.9
-0.7
+0.8
Template: election chart / maintenance / notes
Remarks:
c with Alliance
e 1970: together the Tories
1
301
2
2
7th
14th
7th
297
1
3
301 7th 14th 7th 297 
A total of 635 seats

The British general election in February 1974 took place on February 28, 1974. It was the first of two general election that took place this year, and by 2010 the only choice since the Second World War , in which no party an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons received ( hung parliament ) . The ruling Conservative Party of Edward Heath was indeed almost the most votes. Most of the parliamentary seats, however, went to the Labor Party under Harold Wilson , u. a. due to the decision of the Ulster Unionist Party MPs not to submit to the Conservatives.

The British economy faced great difficulties from the start of the first oil crisis (October 1973). In March 1973 the Bretton Woods system (a system of almost rigid exchange rates) had collapsed; since then the pound sterling has been free on the stock exchanges.

After failed negotiations between Edward Heath and the Chairman of the Liberal Party , Jeremy Thorpe , Heath resigned and Wilson was the second time Prime Minister . In September, he called new elections for October 10, 1974.

In the February 1974 election, the results of the election in Northern Ireland differed significantly from the rest of the United Kingdom. All twelve elected MPs came from local parties, following the Ulster Unionist Party's decision to withdraw their support for the Conservatives in protest against the Sunningdale Accords . In addition, it was the first time that Plaid Cymru candidates won a regular election in Wales (previously they won a by-election).

Electoral system

The simple majority voting system was used for voting . There was no threshold clause .

Election results

Majorities by constituency
Political party be right Seats
number % +/- number +/-
  Conservative party 11,872,180 37.9 −8.5 297 −33
  Labor Party 11,645,616 37.2 −5.9 301 +13
  Liberal party 6,059,519 19.3 +11.8 14th +8
  Scottish National Party 633.180 2.0 +0.9 7th +6
  Ulster Unionist Party 232.103 0.8 +0.8 7th +7
  Plaid Cymru 171,374 0.5 −0.1 2 +2
  Social Democratic and Labor Party 160.137 0.5 +0.5 1 +1
  Pro-Assembly Unionist 94,301 0.3 +0.3 - -
  British National Front 76,865 0.2 +0.2 - -
  Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party 75,944 0.2 +0.2 3 +3
  Democratic Unionist Party 58,656 0.2 +0.1 1 -
  Independent liberal 38,437 0.2 - - -
  Communist Party of Great Britain 32,743 0.1 - - -
  Independent Labor 29,892 0.1 - 1 -
  Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 22,660 0.1 +0.1 - -
  Independent 18,180 0.1 - - -
  Unity 17,593 0.1 −0.4 - −2
  Independent socialist 17,300 0.1 - - -
  Northern Ireland Labor Party 17,284 0.1 +0.1 - -
  Republican clubs 15,152 0.0 - - -
  Lincoln Democratic Labor Association 14,780 0.0 - 1 +1
  Independent Conservative 11,451 0.0 - - -
  Others 13,698 0.0 - - -
  total 31,321,982 100.0 635
Eligible voters 39,753,863
voter turnout 78.8%
Source:

Total number of votes: 31,321,982. Some small parties with shares of votes below 0.1% are not shown. The seats of the Ulster Unionists have been compared to those of the Unionists in the 1970 election . The Protestant Unionist Party became the core of the Democratic Unionist Party, and its candidates were compared to the results of the Protestant Unionist of 1970. Gerry Fitt , the only MP of the Republican Labor Party elected in 1970 , later left the party to join the Social Democrat and Labor Party to co-found.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. a b General Election Results 1885–1979 United Kingdom Election Results (English)
  2. Karl-Heinz Wocker: Wilson's Voices Poker - The ultimatum to the European Community should bring the election victory . Die Zeit, 41/1974 of October 4, 1974.