United Kingdom general election, 1922
Encyclopedia
| 1922 election • MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1922 This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 32nd Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 1922 general election, held on the 15 November 1922.... |
| 1923 election United Kingdom general election, 1923 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... • MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1923 This is a complete list of Members of Parliament elected to the 33rd Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 1923 general election, held on 5 December 1923.... |
| 1924 election United Kingdom general election, 1924 - Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *... • MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1924 This is a complete list of Members of Parliament elected to the 34th Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 1924 general election, held on 29 October 1924.... |
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to form the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, who gained an overall majority over Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, led by John Robert Clynes
John Robert Clynes
John Robert Clynes was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament for 35 years, and led the party in its breakthrough at the 1922 general election...
, and a divided Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
.
The Liberal Party were split between the "National Liberals
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
" following David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and the "Liberals" following Herbert Henry Asquith. However, some candidates stood calling for a reunited Liberal party whilst others appear to have backed both Asquith and Lloyd George. Few sources are able to agree on exact numbers, and even in contemporary records held by the two groups some MPs were claimed for both sides.
In any case, it was the first election where Labour surpassed the combined strength of both Liberal parties, in votes as well as seats.
Until the previous month the Conservatives had been in coalition with the Lloyd George Liberals - some Lloyd George Liberals were not opposed by Conservative candidates (eg. Winston Churchill, who was defeated at Dundee nonetheless) whilst many leading Conservatives (eg. former leaders Sir Austen Chamberlain and Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
, and Lord Birkenhead
F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead
Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead GCSI, PC, KC , best known to history as F. E. Smith , was a British Conservative statesman and lawyer of the early 20th century. He was a skilled orator, noted for his staunch opposition to Irish nationalism, his wit, pugnacious views, and hard living...
) were not members of Bonar Law's government, and hoped to hold the balance of power after the election. This was not to be, as Bonar Law won an overall majority.
Results
|}Total votes cast: 13,748,300. All parties shown. Conservatives include Ulster Unionists. National Liberals
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
were party formed by Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
's Coalition Liberals after leaving the government. Their net seat change is compared with the Coalition Liberals' number of seats after the 1918 election.