United Kingdom general election, February 1974

Infobox Election
election_name = United Kingdom general election, February 1974
country = United Kingdom
type = parliamentary
ongoing = no
previous_election = United Kingdom general election, 1970
previous_year = 1970
previous_mps = MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1970
next_election = United Kingdom general election, October 1974
next_year = 1974
next_mps = MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, October 1974
seats_for_election = All 635 seats to the House of Commons
election_date = 28 February 1974

leader2 = Edward Heath
leader_since2 = 28 July 1965
party2 = Conservative Party (UK)
leaders_seat2 = Bexley
last_election2 = 330 seats, 46.4%
seats2 = 297
seat_change2 = -33
popular_vote2 = 11,872,180
percentage2 = 37.9%
swing2 = %

leader1 = Harold Wilson
leader_since1 = 14 February 1963
party1 = Labour Party (UK)
leaders_seat1 = Huyton
last_election1 = 288 seats, 43.1%
seats1 = 301
seat_change1 = +13
popular_vote1 = 11,645,616
percentage1 = 37.2%
swing1 = %

leader3 = Jeremy Thorpe
leader_since3 = 18 January 1967
party3 = Liberal Party (UK)
leaders_seat3 = North Devon
last_election3 = 6 seats, 7.5%
seats3 = 14
seat_change3 = +8
popular_vote3 = 6,059,519
percentage3 = 19.3%
swing3 = %
title = PM
before_election = Edward Heath
before_party = Conservative Party (UK)
after_election = Edward Heath
after_party = Conservative Party (UK)

The UK general election of February 1974 was held on 28 February 1974. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the only election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party, instead producing a hung parliament. The incumbent Conservative government of Edward Heath polled the most votes by a small margin, but the Tories were overtaken in terms of Commons seats by Harold Wilson's Labour Party due to the decision by Ulster Unionist MPs not to take the Conservative whip. After failed negotiations between Heath and Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe, Heath resigned and Wilson returned for his second spell as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He would call another election in October of the same year.

This election saw Northern Ireland diverging heavily from the rest of the UK, with all twelve MPs elected being from local parties, following the decision of the Ulster Unionists to withdraw support from the Conservative Party in protest over the Sunningdale Agreement. It also saw the first Plaid Cymru MPs to be elected in a general election, in Wales (they had previously won a by-election).

Results

Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidates = 623
seats = 297
gain = 2
loss = 35
net = - 33
votes = 11,872,180
votes % = 37.9
seats % = 46.771
plus/minus = - 8.5
government = Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidates = 623
seats = 301
gain = 22
loss = 9
net = + 13
votes = 11,645,616
votes % = 37.2
seats % = 47.401
plus/minus = - 5.9
government = yesElection Summary Party with Candidates
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidates = 517
seats = 14
gain = 8
loss = 0
net = + 8
votes = 6,059,519
votes % = 19.3
seats % = 2.204
plus/minus = + 11.8Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Scottish National Party
candidates = 70
seats = 7
gain = 6
loss = 0
net = + 6
votes = 633,180
votes % = 2.0
seats % = 1.102
plus/minus = + 0.9Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidates = 7
seats = 7
gain = 1
loss = 2
net = - 1
votes = 232,103
votes % = 0.8
seats % = 1.102
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Plaid Cymru
candidates = 36
seats = 2
gain = 2
loss = 0
net = + 2
votes = 171,374
votes % = 0.5
seats % = 0.314
plus/minus = - 0.1Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidates = 12
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 0
net = + 1
votes = 160,137
votes % = 0.5
seats % = 0.157
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Pro-Assembly Unionist
candidates = 7
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 94,301
votes % = 0.3
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = National Front (UK)
candidates = 54
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 76,865
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus = + 0.1Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
candidates = 3
seats = 3
gain = 3
loss = 0
net = + 3
votes = 75,944
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidates = 2
seats = 1
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 58,656
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus = + 0.1Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Liberal
candidates = 8
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 38,437
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus = + 0.2Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Communist Party of Great Britain
candidates = 44
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 32,743
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus = 0.0Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Labour
candidates = 6
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 1
net = 0
votes = 29,892
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus = 0.0Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidates = 3
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 22,660
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent (politician)
candidates = 43
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 18,180
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus = 0.0Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Unity (Northern Ireland)
candidates = 2
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 2
net = - 2
votes = 17,593
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = - 0.4Election Summary with Candidates
party = Independent Socialist
candidates = 2
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 17,300
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidates = 5
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 17,284
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Republican Clubs
candidates = 4
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 15,152
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Lincoln Democratic Labour Association
candidates = 1
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 0
net = + 1
votes = 14,780
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Conservative
candidates = 18
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 11,451
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = - 0.1Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 5,662
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary with Candidates
party = People Movement
candidates = 6
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 4,576
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)
candidates = 9
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 4,191
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary with Candidates
party = Social Democracy
candidates = 4
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 2,646
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary with Candidates
party = Independent Democratic
candidates = 6
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 1,976
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Communist Party of England (Marxist-Leninist)
candidates = 6
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 1,419
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A" Election Summary with Candidates
party = National Independence
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 1,373
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary with Candidates
party = National Democratic
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 1,161
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = - 0.1Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Labour Party
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 991
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = 0.0Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Mebyon Kernow
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 850
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = 0.0Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = International Marxist Group
candidates = 3
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 716
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = British Movement
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 711
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = 0.0Election Summary with Candidates
party = Independent Social Democrat
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 661
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Wessex Regionalist Party
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 521
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary with Candidates
party = Independent Democrat
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 386
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary with Candidates
party = More Prosperous Britain
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 234
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary with Candidates
party = National Independent
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 229
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"Election Summary with Candidates
party = John Hampden New Freedom
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 203
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus = "N/A"

"Total votes: 31,321,982. All parties are shown. The seats won by the Ulster Unionists are compared with those won by Unionist MPs in the 1970 election. The Protestant Unionist Party became the core of the Democratic Unionist Party and their candidates are compared with the result of the Protestant Unionist in 1970. The sole Republican Labour Party MP elected in 1970 subsequently left that party to co-found the Social Democrat and Labour Party in 1970 and the remains of the party disintegrated by 1974."

Votes summary

bar box
title=Popular vote
titlebar=#ddd
width=600px
barwidth=360px
bars=

eats summary

bar box
title=Parliamentary seats
titlebar=#ddd
width=600px
barwidth=360px
bars=

References

*F. W. S. Craig, "British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987"
* [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html United Kingdom election results - summary results 1885-1979]

See also

* MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, February 1974.

Manifestos

* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/con74feb.htm Firm action for a fair Britain] - Feb 1974 Conservative manifesto.
* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lab74feb.htm Let us work together - Labour's way out of the crisis] - Feb 1974 Labour Party manifesto.
* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lib74feb.htm Change the face of Britain] - Liberal Party manifesto.