Updated
HISTORIC UK GENERAL ELECTION · 12 JANUARY-8 FEBRUARY 1906
1906 UK general election results
The last great Liberal landslide
Largest party399 seats
A government-changing rout that also gave the emerging Labour movement a foothold at Westminster.
What happened?
Liberal and allies was the largest grouping with 399 seats, ahead of Conservative and Liberal Unionist on 156. 129-seat Liberal majority.
Who formed the government?
Henry Campbell-Bannerman led the liberal government after the election.
Was it a shock?
The Liberal victory was expected, but its scale was extraordinary. It remains one of the defining landslides of the modern party era.
CONTEXT
Britain before the vote
The Unionist government had split over tariff reform. Liberals campaigned on free trade, education and social reform, while an electoral pact helped the Labour Representation Committee avoid Liberal opposition in selected seats.
RESULT
What the election changed
The Liberal side returned 399 MPs in the Commons Library's historical grouping. Arthur Balfour lost Manchester East, and 29 Labour Representation Committee MPs were elected before the organisation adopted the Labour Party name.
SWING
3.8-point swing to Liberal
Approximate two-party swing from the 1900 result; uncontested seats make pre-1918 vote comparisons less complete.
BOUNDARIES
How to read the seat total
One tile represents one MP returned. The 1906 House had 670 seats and included Ireland and university representation; many contests were uncontested, so the field is not a modern geographic map.
SOURCES