The 1900 United Kingdom general election was held between 26 September and 24 October 1900, following the dissolution of Parliament on 25 September. Also referred to as the Khaki Election (the first of several elections to bear this sobriquet), it was held at a time when it was widely believed that the Second Boer War had effectively been won (though in fact it was to continue for another two years).
The Conservative Party, led by Lord Salisbury and with its Liberal Unionist allies, secured a large majority of 134 seats, despite having received only 5.6% more votes than Henry Campbell-Bannerman's Liberals. This was largely owing to the Conservatives winning 163 seats that were uncontested by others. The Labour Representation Committee, later to become the Labour Party, participated in a general election for the first time. However, it had only been in existence for a few months; as a result, Keir Hardie and Richard Bell were the only LRC Members of Parliament elected in 1900.
This was the first occasion at which Winston Churchill was elected to the House of Commons. He had stood in the same constituency, Oldham, at a by-election held the previous year, but had lost. It was also the final general election of the Victorian era, as well as the last one at which the leader of either of the two largest parties (and by extension, the incumbent Prime Minister) sat in the House of Lords rather than the House of Commons.
Results
Voting summary
Seats summary
See also List of MPs elected in the 1900 United Kingdom general election Parliamentary franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918 1900 United Kingdom general election in Ireland 1900 United Kingdom general election in Scotland
Notes
References
External links Spartacus: Political Parties and Election Results United Kingdom election results—summary results 1885–1979
Manifestos 1900 Conservative manifesto 1900 Labour manifesto 1900 Liberal manifesto