United Kingdom general election, 1906

Infobox Election
election_name = United Kingdom general election, 1906
country = United Kingdom
type = parliamentary
ongoing = no
previous_election = United Kingdom general election, 1900
previous_year = 1900
previous_mps = MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900
next_election = United Kingdom general election, January 1910
next_year = 1910
next_mps = MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, January 1910
seats_for_election = All 670 seats to the House of Commons
election_date = 12 January–8 February 1906


leader1 = Henry Campbell-Bannerman
leader_since1 = December 1898
party1 = Liberal Party (UK)
leaders_seat1 = Stirling
last_election1 = 183 seats, 44.7%
seats1 = 397
seat_change1 = +216
popular_vote1 = 2,751,057
percentage1 = 59.4%


leader2 = Arthur Balfour
leader_since2 = 11 June 1902
party2 = Conservative and Liberal Unionist
leaders_seat2 = City of London
last_election2 = 402 seats, 50.3%
seats2 = 156
seat_change2 = -246
popular_vote2 = 2,422,071
percentage2 = 42.9%


leader4 = Keir Hardie
leader_since4 = 28 February 1900
party4 = Labour Representation Committee
leaders_seat4 = Merthyr Tydfil
last_election4 = 2 seats, 1.8%
seats4 = 29
seat_change4 = +27
popular_vote4 = 321,663
percentage4 = 5.7%


leader5 = John Redmond
leader_since5 = 6 February 1900
party5 = Irish Parliamentary Party
leaders_seat5 = Waterford City
last_election5 = 77 seats, 1.6%
seats5 = 82
seat_change5 = +5
popular_vote5 = 35,031
percentage5 = 1.5%
title = PM
before_election = Henry Campbell-Bannerman
before_party = Liberal Party (UK)
after_election = Henry Campbell-Bannerman
after_party = Liberal Party (UK)

The United Kingdom general election of 1906 was held from 12 January to 8 February 1906.

The Liberals, led by sitting minority Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman, won a large majority in the election. The Conservatives under Arthur Balfour lost more than half their seats, while the Labour Representation Committee was far more successful than in 1900 and after the election would be reformed as "The Labour Party" with 29 MPs and Keir Hardie as leader. The Irish Parliamentary Party, led by John Redmond, achieved its seats with a relatively low number of votes, as 73 candidates stood unopposed.

This election was a landslide defeat for the Conservative Party,with the primary reason given by historians as the party's weakness after its split over the issue of free trade (Joseph Chamberlain had resigned from government in September 1903 in order to campaign for Tariff Reform, which would allow 'preferential tariffs'). Many working class people saw this as a threat to the price of food, hence the debate was nicknamed 'Big Loaf, Little Loaf'. The Liberals' landslide victory of 125 seats over all other parties led to the passing of social legislation known as the Liberal reforms.

Results

Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidates = 528
seats = 397
gain =
loss =
net = + 214
votes = 2,565,644
votes % = 48.9
seats % = 59.3
plus/minus = +3.9
government = yesElection Summary Party with Candidates
party = Conservative and Liberal Unionist
candidates = 557
seats = 156
gain =
loss =
net = − 246
votes = 2,278,076
votes % = 43.4
seats % = 23.3
plus/minus = -6.8Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Labour Representation Committee
candidates = 50
seats = 29
gain = 28
loss = 1
net = + 27
votes = 254,202
votes % = 4.8
seats % = 4.3
plus/minus = +3.6Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Irish Parliamentary Party
candidates = 84
seats = 82
gain = 6
loss = 1
net = + 5
votes = 33,231
votes % = 0.6
seats % = 12.2
plus/minus = -1.2Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Conservative
candidates = 9
seats = 2
gain = 2
loss = 0
net = + 2
votes = 26,183
votes % = 0.5
seats % = 0.3
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Labour
candidates = 7
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 0
net = + 1
votes = 18,886
votes % = 0.4
seats % = 0.2
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Social Democratic Federation
candidates = 8
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 18,446
votes % = 0.4
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Conservative
candidates = 1
seats = 1
gain =
loss =
net =
votes = 15,972
votes % = 0.3
seats % = 0.2
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Scottish Workers' Representation Committee
candidates = 5
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 14,877
votes % = 0.3
seats % =
plus/minus = +0.2Election Summary with Candidates
party = Free Trader
candidates = 5
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 8,974
votes % = 0.2
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary with Candidates
party = Independent Lib-Lab
candidates = 1
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 0
net = + 1
votes = 4,841
votes % = 0.1
seats % = 0.2
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent (politician)
candidates = 3
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 3,806
votes % = 0.1
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Nationalist
candidates = 3
seats = 1
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 1,800
votes % = 0.0
seats % = 0.2
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Liberal
candidates = 3
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 1
net = − 1
votes = 1,581
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =Election Summary Party with Candidates
party = Independent Liberal Unionist
candidates = 1
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
votes = 153
votes % = 0.0
seats % =
plus/minus =

Voting summary

bar box
title=Popular vote
titlebar=#ddd
width=600px
barwidth=350px
bars=

eats summary

bar box
title=Parliamentary seats
titlebar=#ddd
width=600px
barwidth=350px
bars=

ee also

*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906
*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918

External links

: [http://www.conservativemanifesto.com/1906/1906-conservative-manifesto.shtml 1906 Conservative manifesto] : [http://www.labour-party.org.uk/manifestos/1906/1906-labour-manifesto.shtml 1906 Labour manifesto] : [http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1906/1906-liberal-manifesto.shtml 1906 Liberal manifesto]

References

*F. W. S. Craig, "British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987"
* [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/politics.htm Spartacus: Political Parties and Election Results]
* [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html United Kingdom election results - summary results 1885-1979]