Why did the Conservatives win the 1874 election?
This was primarily because over 100 Conservative candidates were elected unopposed. This meant no votes were cast in those 100 places where the Conservative candidates were anticipated to be popular; in the seats where Liberal candidates did stand, they polled a high proportion of the vote on average.
What was Tony Blair’s majority?
Tony Blair was returned as Prime Minister, with Labour having 355 MPs, but with a popular vote share of 35.2%, the smallest of any majority government in UK electoral history. In terms of votes, it was only narrowly ahead of the Conservatives, but still had a comfortable lead in terms of seats.
Why did Attlee call the 1951 election?
Background. Clement Attlee had decided to call the election because of the King’s concerns that, when leaving the country to go on his planned Commonwealth tour in 1952 with a government that had such a slim majority, there would be a possibility of a change of government in his absence.
Why are the Conservatives called Tories?
As a political term, Tory was an insult (derived from the Middle Irish word tóraidhe, modern Irish tóraí, meaning “outlaw”, “robber”, from the Irish word tóir, meaning “pursuit” since outlaws were “pursued men”) that entered English politics during the Exclusion Bill crisis of 1678–1681.
How many votes did Blair lose?
Blair (1997–2007) 31 January 2006 – Another motion on a Lords amendment to the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill was lost by one vote.
Who ruled India in 1996?
Following Westminster custom, Indian President Shankar Dayal Sharma invited Atal Bihari Vajpayee as leader of the BJP to form a government. Sworn in on 15 May, the new Prime Minister was given two weeks to prove majority support in parliament.
How many times has boris Johnson’s government been defeated?
Johnson (majority, since 2019) Since the 2019 general election, after which the Conservatives held 365 seats, Boris Johnson’s second government has been defeated four times in the House of Commons.