2019 United Kingdom general election

The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 12 December 2019 to elect members of the House of Commons. The Conservative Party won a landslide victory with a majority of 80 seats,[n 5] a net gain of 48, on 43.6% of the popular vote, the highest percentage for any party since the 1979 United Kingdom general election.[3]

Quick facts: All 650 seats in the House of Commons 326[n 1... ▼

2019 United Kingdom general election

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All 650 seats in the House of Commons 326[n 1] seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	47,568,611
Turnout	67.3% ( 1.5 pp)[2]
First party Second party   Leader Boris Johnson Jeremy Corbyn Party Conservative Labour Leader since 23 July 2019 12 September 2015 Leader's seat Uxbridge and South Ruislip Islington North Last election 317 seats, 42.4% 262 seats, 40.0% Seats won 365 202[n 2] Seat change 48 60 Popular vote 13,966,454 10,269,051 Percentage 43.6% 32.1% Swing 1.2 pp 7.9 pp   Third party Fourth party   Leader Nicola Sturgeon Jo Swinson Party SNP Liberal Democrats Leader since 14 November 2014 22 July 2019 Leader's seat Did not stand[n 3] East Dunbartonshire (defeated) Last election 35 seats, 3.0% 12 seats, 7.4% Seats won 48[n 4] 11 Seat change 13 1 Popular vote 1,242,380 3,696,419 Percentage 3.9% 11.6% Swing 0.8 pp 4.2 pp
A map presenting the results of the election, by party of the MP elected from each constituency
Composition of the House of Commons after the election
Prime Minister before election Boris Johnson Conservative Prime Minister after election Boris Johnson Conservative

Having failed to obtain a majority at the 2017 United Kingdom general election, the Conservative Party governed in minority with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This led to the resignation of Prime Minister Theresa May with Boris Johnson becoming Conservative leader and Prime Minister in July 2019. Johnson could not persuade Parliament to approve a revised Brexit withdrawal agreement by the end of October, and chose to call for a snap election, which the House of Commons supported under the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019.[4] Opinion polls showed a firm lead for the Conservatives against the opposition Labour Party throughout the campaign.[5]

The Conservatives won 365 seats, their highest number and proportion since 1987, and recorded their highest share of the popular vote since 1979; many of their gains were made in long-held Labour seats, dubbed the red wall, which had voted strongly for Leave in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. Labour won 202 seats, its lowest number and proportion since 1935.[6][7][8] The Scottish National Party (SNP) made a net gain of 13 seats with 45% of the vote in Scotland, winning 48 of the 59 seats there.[9] The Liberal Democrats improved their vote share to 11.6% but won only 11 seats, a net loss of one since the last election.[10] The DUP won a plurality of seats in Northern Ireland. The Social Democratic and Labour Party and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland regained parliamentary representation as the DUP lost seats.

The election result gave Johnson the mandate he sought from the electorate to formally implement the Exit Day of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 31 January 2020 and repeal the European Communities Act 1972, thereby ending hopes of the Remain movement and those opposed to Brexit, such as People's Vote, who advocated a proposed referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Labour's defeat led to Jeremy Corbyn announcing his intention to resign, triggering a leadership election that was won by Keir Starmer.[8][11] For the Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson, the loss of her constituency seat in East Dunbartonshire disqualified her as party leader under the party's rules, triggering a leadership election,[10] which was won by Ed Davey.[12] Jane Dodds, the party's leader in Wales, was also unseated in Brecon and Radnorshire.[13] For the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, her party's landslide victory in Scotland led to renewed calls for a proposed second Scottish independence referendum.[9] In Northern Ireland, Irish nationalist MPs outnumbered unionism in Ireland for the first time, although the unionist popular vote remained higher at 43.1%.