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United Kingdom general election, 1979
*** Shopping-Tip: United Kingdom general election, 1979
{| id=toc style="float:right; margin-left:1em"
|
United Kingdom general election, 1974 (October) October 1974 election
|-
|'''1979 election'''
|-
|
United Kingdom general election, 1983 1983 election
|}
The '''UK general election, 1979''' was held on
May 3,
1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. The
Conservative Party (UK) Conservatives and their leader
Margaret Thatcher won and replaced the
Labour Party (UK) Labour government.
Labour had been in power from February
1974, with
James Callaghan succeeding
Harold Wilson after his surprise resignation in April
1976. The administration had been a
minority government for most of its term, and from March
1977 to August
1978 the government had reached an agreement with the Liberal Party, in a so-called
Lib-Lab Pact. Callaghan had been tempted to call an election in the autumn of
1978, which it is likely he would have won, albeit with a small majority. Instead he decided that the political situation would be more favourable in
1979, and waited.
Unfortunately for him, a series of industrial disputes in the winter of 1978-79, led to widespread strikes which would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Labour Government. This period of industrial strife would later become known as the '
Winter of Discontent'. When the
Scottish National Party (SNP) withdrew support for the
Scotland Act 1978, a
vote of no confidence was held on March 28, 1979 which the Government lost, forcing an election to be called.
Margaret Thatcher had come to lead her party in
1975, replacing
Edward Heath. The Conservatives campaigned on economic issues - promising to control
inflation, check the
trade union unions, and hoping to downplay the high personal unpopularity of their
Margaret Thatcher leader. They also called on the advertising agency
Saatchi and Saatchi to help with their campaign, which was highly influential in the final analysis.
A Conservative victory had seemed almost certain; 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 woman Prime Minister.
Results
{{Template:Election Summary Begin| title = UK General Election 1979}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|seats = 339
|gain = 63
|loss = 1
|net = + 62
|votes = 13,697,923
|votes % = 43.9
|seats % =
|plus/minus = + 8.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|seats = 269
|gain = 4
|loss = 54
|net = - 50
|votes = 11,532,218
|votes % = 36.9
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 2.2
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|seats = 11
|gain = 1
|loss = 3
|net = - 2
|votes = 4,313,804
|votes % = 13.8
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 4.5
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Scottish National Party
|seats = 2
|gain = 0
|loss = 9
|net = - 9
|votes = 504,259
|votes % = 1.6
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 1.3
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|seats = 5
|gain = 1
|loss = 2
|net = - 1
|votes = 254,578
|votes % = 0.8
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = National Front (UK)
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 191,719
|votes % = 0.6
|seats % =
|plus/minus = + 0.2
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Plaid Cymru
|seats = 2
|gain = 0
|loss = 1
|net = - 1
|votes = 132,544
|votes % = 0.4
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.2
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
|seats = 1
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 126,325
|votes % = 0.4
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.2
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 82,892
|votes % = 0.3
|seats % =
|plus/minus = + 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|seats = 3
|gain = 2
|loss = 0
|net = + 2
|votes = 70,795
|votes % = 0.2
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Ecology Party
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 39,918
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = + 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = United Ulster Unionist Party
|seats = 1
|gain = 1
|loss = 0
|net = + 1
|votes = 39,856
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
James Kilfedder Independent Ulster Unionist
|seats = 1
|gain = 1
|loss = 0
|net = + 1
|votes = 36,989
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = + 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party = Independent Labour
|seats = 1
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 27,953
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Irish Independence Party
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 23,086
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 1
|net = - 1
|votes = 22,398
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Communist Party of Great Britain
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 16,858
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 13,737
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Workers Revolutionary Party
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 12,631
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = + 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Workers Party (Ireland)
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 12,098
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
Austin Currie Independent SDLP
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 10,785
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 8,021
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party = Independent Conservative
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 4,841
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 4,441
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Mebyon Kernow
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 4,164
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Lincoln Democratic Labour Association
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 3,785
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = - 0.1
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Wessex Regionalist Party
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 3,090
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
Socialist Unity
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 2,834
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party = Independent Democratic
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 1,087
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
United Country Party United Country
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 1,033
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party = Independent Liberal
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 1,023
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party = Independent Socialist
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 770
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
International Leninist Workers Party Workers (Leninist)
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 767
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
New Britain Party
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 717
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Fellowship Party
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 531
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain More Prosperous Britain
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 518
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
United English National Party United English National
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 238
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
Cornish National Party Cornish National
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 227
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election Summary|
|party =
English National Party English National
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 142
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Template:Election Summary Party|
|party = Socialist Party of Great Britain
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 78
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
|}
''Total number of votes cast: 31,221,362. All parties shown.''
''N.B. The
Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party had folded in 1978. Of its 3 MPs, 2 joined the
Ulster Unionist Party (one held his seat, the other lost to the
Democratic Unionist Party) and the 3rd defended and held his seat for the
United Ulster Unionist Party.''
''
James Kilfedder had been previously elected as an Ulster Unionist MP, but left the party, defending and holding his seat as an Independent Ulster Unionist. He subsequently founded the
Ulster Popular Unionist Party but did not use that label in this election.''
See also
MPs elected in the UK general election, 1979.
{{British elections}}
Category:1979 elections
Category:United Kingdom general elections 1979
*** Shopping-Tip: United Kingdom general election, 1979
