‹ 1951 · members  members · 1959 ›
United Kingdom general election, 1955
All 630 seats to the House of Commons
26 May 1955
		First party	Second party	Third party
Leader		Anthony Eden	Clement Attlee	Clement Davies
Party		Conservative	Labour	Liberal
Leader since		7 April 1955	25 October 1935	2 August 1945
Leader's seat		Warwick	Walthamstow (W)	Montgomeryshire
Last election		321 seats, 44.3%	295 seats, 48.8%	6 seats, 2.5%
Seats won		345	277	6
Seat change		+23	-18	0
Popular vote		13,310,891	12,405,254	722,402
Percentage		49.7%	46.4%	2.7%
Swing		%	%	%
Incumbent PM Anthony Eden Conservative Subsequent PM Anthony Eden Conservative

The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under Sir Anthony Eden against the Labour Party under Clement Attlee. Boundary changes however make a direct comparison with 1951 impossible.

This was the earliest general election in the United Kingdom of which television coverage survives (the 1950 and 1951 election nights were not recorded). Only three hours of the coverage was kept and this was rebroadcast on BBC Parliament on the fiftieth anniversary of the date.

[edit] Results

Total votes cast: 26,759,729. All parties shown. Conservatives include National Liberal Party and Ulster Unionists.

[edit] Votes summary

Headline Swing: 1.62% to Conservative

[edit] Seats summary

[edit] Selected Declarations

First Declaration: Cheltenham (Con: 24,259, Lab:16,638. Con hold)
Prime Minister's Seat: Warwick and Leamington (Con: 29,979, Lab: 16,513. Con hold)

[edit] References

• F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987
• United Kingdom election results - summary results 1885-1979

[edit] See also

• MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1955

[edit] Manifestos

• United for Peace and Progress: The Conservative and Unionist Party's Policy- 1955 Conservative manifesto.
• Forward With Labour: Labour's Policy for the Consideration of the Nation - 1955 Labour Party manifesto.
• Crisis Unresolved - 1955 Liberal Party manifesto.

v • d • e Elections and referendums in the United Kingdom General elections 1801 co-option · 1802 · 1806 · 1807 · 1812 · 1818 · 1820 · 1826 · 1830 · 1831 · 1832 · 1835 · 1837 · 1841 · 1847 · 1852 · 1857 · 1859 · 1865 · 1868 · 1874 · 1880 · 1885 · 1886 · 1892 · 1895 · 1900 · 1906 · 1910 (Jan) · 1910 (Dec) · 1918 · 1922 · 1923 · 1924 · 1929 · 1931 · 1935 · 1945 · 1950 · 1951 · 1955 · 1959 · 1964 · 1966 · 1970 · 1974 (Feb) · 1974 (Oct) · 1979 · 1983 · 1987 · 1992 · 1997 · 2001 · 2005 · 2010 Local elections 1973 · 1975 · 1976 · 1995 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 European elections 1979 · 1984 · 1989 · 1994 · 1999 · 2004 · 2009 Referendums 1973 (Northern Ireland) · 1975 · 1979 (Scotland) · 1979 (Wales) · 1997 (Wales) · 1997 (Scotland) · 1998 (Northern Ireland) Elections and referendums in Great Britain • Northern Ireland • Scotland • Wales