United Kingdom general election, 1966

Infobox Election
election_name = United Kingdom general election, 1966
country = United Kingdom
type = parliamentary
ongoing = no
previous_election = United Kingdom general election, 1964
previous_year = 1964
previous_mps = MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1964
next_election = United Kingdom general election, 1970
next_year = 1970
next_mps = MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1970
seats_for_election = All 630 seats to the House of Commons
election_date = 31 March 1966

leader2 = Edward Heath
leader_since2 = 28 July 1965
party2 = Conservative Party (UK)
leaders_seat2 = Bexley
last_election2 = 304 seats, 43.4%
seats2 = 253
seat_change2 = -52
popular_vote2 = 11,418,455
percentage2 = 41.9%
swing2 = %

leader1 = Harold Wilson
leader_since1 = 14 February 1963
party1 = Labour Party (UK)
leaders_seat1 = Huyton
last_election1 = 317 seats, 44.1%
seats1 = 364
seat_change1 = +48
popular_vote1 = 13,096,629
percentage1 = 48%
swing1 = %

leader3 = Jo Grimond
leader_since3 = 5 November 1956
party3 = Liberal Party (UK)
leaders_seat3 = Orkney and Shetland
last_election3 = 9 seats, 11.2%
seats3 = 12
seat_change3 = +3
popular_vote3 = 2,327,457
percentage3 = 8.5%
swing3 = %
title = PM
before_election = Harold Wilson
before_party = Labour Party (UK)
after_election = Harold Wilson
after_party = Labour Party (UK)

The 1966 UK general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected only two years previously in 1964 had an unworkable small majority of only 4 MPs. Wilson's hope that he would be returned to office with a larger majority had been encouraged by the government's victory in a by-election in Kingston upon Hull North. In the end the hope was vindicated: the Labour government was returned with a much larger majority of 96.

National opinion poll summary

Research Services : 3% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 101)
National Opinion Polls : 3.5% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 115)
Gallup : 4.5% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 150)
Express (known as Harris): 7.5% swing to Labour (forecast majority of in excess of 255)

Results

The results were as follows -Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidates = 622
seats = 364
gain = 49
loss = 1
net = + 48
votes = 13,096,629
votes % = 48.0
seats % =
plus/minus =
government = yesElection Summary Party with Candidates
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidates = 629
seats = 253
gain = 0
loss = 52
net = - 52
votes = 11,418,455
votes % = 41.9
seats % =
plus/minus = -1.5Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidates = 311
seats = 12
gain = 5
loss = 2
net = + 3
votes = 2,327,457
votes % = 8.5
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Scottish National Party
candidates = 23
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 128,474
votes % = 0.5
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
candidates = 5
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 62,782
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Communist Party of Great Britain
candidates = 57
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 62,092
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Plaid Cymru
candidates = 20
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 61,071
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent (politician)
candidates = 15
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 35,039
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Republican Labour Party
candidates = 1
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 0
net = + 1
votes = 26,292
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 22,167
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Liberal
candidates = 3
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 5,689
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = British National Party (1960)
candidates = 3
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 5,182
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Conservative
candidates = 4
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 4,089
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Union Movement
candidates = 4
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 4,075
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Labour
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 1,031
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Fellowship Party
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 906
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary with Candidates
party = National Democratic
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 769
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary with Candidates
party = National Teenage
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 585
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Labour Party
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 441
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Socialist Party of Great Britain
candidates = 2
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 333
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary with Candidates
party = Radical Alliance
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 163
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary with Candidates
party = Patriotic Party
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 126
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =

"Total votes cast on 31 March 1966: 27,264,747. All parties shown. The Conservative figure includes Ulster Unionists and National Liberals."

Votes summary

bar box
title=Popular vote
titlebar=#ddd
width=600px
barwidth=390px
bars=

Headline Swing: 2.70% to Labour

eats summary

bar box
title=Parliamentary seats
titlebar=#ddd
width=600px
barwidth=390px
bars=

eats Changing Hands

From Conservative to Labour (46 seats): Aberdeen South, Bebington, Bedford, Bedfordshire South, Berwick and East Lothian, Billericay, Birmingham Perry Barr, Bradford West, Brentford and Chiswick, Bristol North East, Bristol North West, Cambridge, Cardiff North, Chislehurst, Conway, Croydon South, Eton and Slough, Exeter, Hampstead, Harrow East, High Peak, Hornchurch, Ilford South, Lancaster, Lewisham North, Lewisham West, Middleton and Prestwich, Monmouth, Norwood, Nottingham South, Oxford, Plymouth Sutton, Portsmouth South, Preston North, Reading, Rugby, Rushcliffe, Sheffield, Heeley, Smethwick, Southampton Test, Stretford, The Wrekin, Uxbridge, Walthamstow East, Yarmouth and York
From Conservative to Liberal (4 seats): Aberdeenshire West, Cheadle, Cornwall, North and Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles
From Labour to Liberal (1 seat): Colne Valley
From Liberal to Labour (2 seats): Cardiganshire and Caithness and Sutherland

Televised declarations

(From BBC Parliament Replay.)These declarations were covered live by the BBC where the returning officer was heard to say "duly elected".
* The 5,117 votes polled for the "Others" in Nelson and Colne were all polled for Patrick Downey, uncle of Lesley Ann Downey who had been murdered by the Moors Murderers. Downey advocated the return of hanging.

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]

ee also

*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1966

Manifestos

* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/con66.htm Action Not Words: The New Conservative Programme] - 1966 Conservative manifesto.
* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lab66.htm Time for Decision] - 1966 Labour Party manifesto.
* [http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lib66.htm For All the People: the Liberal Plan of 1966] - 1966 Liberal Party manifesto.