National Liberal Party (UK) election results

This article lists the National Liberal Party's election results in UK parliamentary elections.

Summary of general election performance Year Number of Candidates Total votes Average votes per candidate % UK vote Change (percentage points) Saved deposits Number of MPs 1931 41 809,302 19,739 3.7 N/A 41 351935 44 784,608 17,832 3.7 N/A 44 331945 49 686,652 14,013 2.8 -0.9 49 111950 55 985,343 17,915 3.4 +0.6 55 161951 55 1,058,138 19,239 3.7 +0.3 55 191955 45 842,133 18,714 3.1 -0.6 45 211959 39 765,794 19,636 2.7 -0.4 39 201964 19 326,130 17,165 1.2 -1.5 19 61966 9 149,779 16,642 0.5 -0.7 9 3

Source: F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts, 1885–1975, p.55

Election results 1931 general election Constituency Candidate Votes % PositionAshford 14,681 41.3 2Barnsley 21,392 50.9 1Bishop Auckland 17,551 51.4 1Bosworth 29,926 68.0 1Clay Cross 11,611 35.4 2Consett 22,474 53.0 1Denbigh unopposed N/A 1Dunfermline Burghs 16,863 57.9 1East Dorset 18,801 40.4 2East Fife unopposed N/A 1East Norfolk 25,945 79.8 1Eddisbury unopposed N/A 1Eye unopposed N/A 1Flintshire 40,405 71.4 1Gateshead 34,764 60.1 1Great Yarmouth 21,008 78.6 1Greenock 18,013 51.1 1Harwich 26,818 86.4 1Holland with Boston 30,375 77.5 1Huddersfield 47,056 70.1 1Huntingdonshire 23,102 83.3 1Inverness 18,702 65.3 1Leith 24,847 65.0 1Luton 32,015 80.2 1Montgomeryshire unopposed N/A 1Montrose Burghs 17,212 77.0 1Newcastle-upon-Tyne East 24,552 63.4 1Norwich 40,925 30.4 1Nuneaton 12,811 20.7 3Plymouth Devonport 23,459 72.2 1Pontypool 14,709 43.7 2Ross and Cromarty unopposed N/A 1St Ives unopposed N/A 1Shoreditch 19,596 56.7 1Southampton 54,269 33.6 2South Molton 25,700 88.0 1Southwark North [CHECK] 13,045 64.9 1Spen Valley 28,647 64.6 1Swansea West 20,603 58.6 1Wentworth 14,462 31.2 2Western Isles 5,793 54.8 1

Barrie won in Southampton by taking second place in a two-seat constituency.

By-elections, 1931-1935 By-election Candidate Votes % PositionMontrose Burghs by-election, 1932 7,963 46.9 1East Fife by-election, 1933 15,770 52.2 1Dumfriesshire by-election, 1935 16,271 60.3 1

1935 general election Constituency Candidate Votes % PositionBarnsley 17,683 41.1 2Bermondsey West 7,674 37.8 2Bosworth 22,969 59.2 1Burnley 26,965 46.4 2Burslem 15,227 45.8 2Combined Scottish Universities 7,529 27.7 2Consett 17,897 41.3 2Denbigh* 17,372 50.1 1Dumfriesshire 22,053 65.4 1Dunfermline Burghs 14,848 47.7 2Durham 14,910 40.9 2East Fife 27,915 82.3 1East Norfolk 23,108 68.8 1Eddisbury unopposed N/A 1Eye 21,606 73.9 1Gateshead 28,772 52.7 1Great Yarmouth 16,998 59.3 1Greenock 20,299 52.7 1Harwich 21,716 70.3 1Holland with Boston 25,162 65.5 1Huddersfield 37,009 60.8 1Huntingdonshire 17,287 68.7 1Inverness 14,985 56.4 1Leith 18,888 57.7 1Luton 28,809 65.5 1Montgomeryshire unopposed N/A 1Montrose Burghs 15,198 69.6 1Newcastle-upon-Tyne East 23,146 58.6 1Norwich 36,039 29.1 1Oldham 34,755 24.1 2Plymouth Devonport 20,852 68.1 1Pontefract 17,257 46.6 2Ross and Cromarty 10,810 76.7 1Rotherham* 14,298 32.5 2St Ives unopposed N/A 1Shoreditch 11,673 38.6 2Southampton 43,697 29.3 2South Molton 20,767 78.7 1Southwark North 8,086 50.2 1Spen Valley 21,671 50.8 1Sunderland 49,001 30.2 1Swansea West 18,784 52.9 1Walsall 28,563 57.5 1Western Isles 4,076 30.9 2

Morrison in Combined Scottish Universities, Dodd in Oldham and Barrie in Southampton won seats by taking second place in a two seat constituency.

By-elections, 1935-1945 By-election Candidate Votes % PositionGreenock by-election, 1936 17,990 46.6 2Holland with Boston by-election, 1937 21,846 60.0 1St Ives by-election, 1937 13,044 50.4 1Pontypridd by-election, 1938 14,810 40.1 2Barnsley by-election, 1938 13,052 35.6 2Walsall by-election, 1938 28,720 57.1 1East Norfolk by-election, 1939 18,257 62.9 1Southwark North by-election, 1939 4,322 42.6 2Montrose Burghs by-election, 1940 unopposed N/A 1Spen Valley by-election, 1940 unopposed N/A 1Eddisbury by-election, 1943 7,537 41.0 2

1945 general election Constituency Candidate Votes % PositionBarnsley 11,382 27.1 2Bermondsey West 2,238 19.8 2Bishop Auckland 11,240 35.9 2Bosworth 20,854 44.4 2Bradford South 15,392 33.1 2Bristol North 16,648 42.2 2Burnley 9,877 29.8 2Burslem 15,227 45.8 2Consett 12,198 29.9 2Denbigh 17,023 41.7 1Dewsbury 8,674 29.9 2Dumfriesshire 16,465 47.4 1Dunfermline Burghs 12,028 35.3 2Durham 12,331 33.8 2East Fife 24,765 69.4 1East Norfolk 23,307 55.8 1Eddisbury 15,294 57.7 1Gateshead 17,719 32.5 2Gower 14,115 31.5 2Great Yarmouth 7,974 44.2 2Hackney South 4,901 24.2 2Harwich 16,452 55.7 1Holland with Boston 26,939 55.9 1Huddersfield 24,496 35.5 2Huntingdonshire 15,389 50.1 1Inverness 12,090 43.3 1Jarrow 11,649 34.0 3Lambeth North 2,624 20.1 2Leith 10,116 31.4 2Luton 31,914 44.8 2Manchester Clayton 9,883 30.6 2Montrose Burghs 13,966 58.2 1Neath 8,466 16.9 2Newcastle-upon-Tyne East 11,774 31.1 2Norwich 25,945 23.0 3Oldham 24,199 18.2 4Rotherham 12,420 25.8 2St Ives 14,256 47.3 1Sheffield Hillsborough 14,404 36.6 2Shoreditch 4,081 26.0 2Southampton 22,650 17.4 4South Molton 19,065 67.6 1South Shields 15,296 40.6 2Southwark North 2,673 31.0 2Spen Valley 19,621 43.3 2Sunderland 29,366 21.3 3Swansea East 6,102 24.2 2Swansea West 13,089 42.0 2Walsall 24,197 46.1 2West Fife 8,597 20.6 3Wrexham 13,714 28.6 2

By-elections, 1945-1950 By-election Candidate Votes % PositionCombined Scottish Universities by-election, 1946 1,938 5.9 5Edinburgh East by-election, 1947 11,490 34.4 2Bradford South by-election, 1949 19,313 42.4 2

1950 general election Constituency Candidate Votes % PositionAberavon 8,091 19.0 2Barnsley 8,480 13.8 3Bradford Central 13,375 31.6 2Bradford East 12,527 27.0 2Bradford North 20,628 45.7 1Bradford South 15,998 35.6 2Brighouse and Spenborough 23,456 47.8 2Bristol North East 16,082 38.9 2Cannock 15,818 32.1 2Central Norfolk 20,407 51.3 1Chesterfield 17,231 30.9 2Dearne Valley 10,365 20.4 2Denbigh 17,473 38.9 1Dumfries 26,268 59.3 1Dundee East 22,863 46.2 2Dundee West 23,685 44.6 2Dunfermline Burghs 14,967 38.8 2East Fife 25,749 63.7 1Edinburgh Leith 15,841 43.0 2Gateshead East 13,530 40.1 2Gateshead West 11,660 35.8 2Gloucester 15,708 37.1 2Gower 10,208 23.9 2Harwich 22,814 50.6 1Hemsworth 10,254 17.6 2Holland with Boston 30,336 53.9 1Huntingdonshire 18,551 51.4 1Lincoln 17,784 41.3 2Luton 22,946 46.6 1Motherwell 14,183 34.0 2Normanton 10,929 25.5 2North Angus and Mearns 15,485 51.5 1North Norfolk 17,741 43.0 2Pembrokeshire 25,421 49.9 2Plymouth Devonport 27,329 44.9 2Pontefract 11,431 24.4 2Ross and Cromarty 10,912 62.6 1St Ives 16,653 46.0 1Sheffield Attercliffe 12,185 28.4 2Sheffield Brightside 13,136 28.1 2Sheffield Hallam 28,159 65.1 1Sheffield Heeley 26,560 56.3 1Sheffield Hillsborough 19,613 39.8 2Sheffield Neepsend 11,311 27.2 2Sheffield Park 13,678 30.3 2South Angus 19,324 53.9 1Southampton Itchen 24,536 44.1 2Southampton Test 23,663 45.2 2South Bedfordshire 18,546 41.8 2Swansea West 22,608 46.3 2Torrington 19,128 51.1 1Walsall 28,700 44.0 2West Fife 10,131 23.6 2West Renfrewshire 20,810 53.9 1Wrexham 14,117 25.5 2

Richard Nugent is not listed; he was elected as a Conservative, but joined the National Liberal group in Parliament.F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts, 1885–1975, p.55

By-elections, 1950-1951 Election Candidate Votes % PositionSheffield Neepsend by-election, 1950 8,365 26.8 2Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1950 23,567 49.5 2

1951 general election Constituency Candidate Votes % PositionBarnsley 9,296 17.3 2Bradford Central 16,343 39.3 2Bradford East 16,999 37.1 2Bradford North 24,524 54.3 1Bradford South 17,863 39.4 2Brighouse and Spenborough 23,828 47.7 2Bristol North East 19,410 47.0 2Cannock 16,041 33.1 2Central Norfolk 21,909 55.9 1Chesterfield 19,776 36.3 2Denbigh 20,269 45.7 1Dewsbury 19,562 36.4 2Dumfries 26,386 61.3 1Dundee East 22,863 46.2 2Dunfermline Burghs 15,657 38.9 2East Fife 28,446 70.6 1Edinburgh Leith 19,236 49.9 2Gateshead East 14,344 42.4 2Gateshead West 11,811 36.2 2Gloucester 18,836 43.6 2Goole 17,073 39.6 2Gower 10,351 24.1 2Grimsby 22,611 43.4 2Harwich 26,169 58.9 1Holland with Boston 31,683 57.9 1Huntingdonshire 20,845 57.4 1Kirkcaldy Burghs 17,484 39.4 2Luton 26,554 52.7 1Motherwell 17,650 42.7 2Normanton 11,199 26.5 2North Norfolk 20,788 49.7 2Newcastle-upon-Tyne North 23,930 51.1 1North Angus and Mearns 18,515 64.1 1Plymouth Devonport 29,768 48.1 2Pontefract 11,043 23.8 2Ross and Cromarty 10,969 64.3 1St Ives 18,828 53.3 1Sheffield Attercliffe 12,161 28.9 2Sheffield Brightside 12,433 27.6 2Sheffield Hallam 29,016 70.8 1Sheffield Heeley 27,776 61.0 1Sheffield Hillsborough 19,617 41.0 2Sheffield Neepsend 10,655 27.0 2Sheffield Park 13,743 30.8 2Southampton Itchen 25,708 45.9 2Southampton Test 25,965 49.6 2South Angus 24,478 70.9 1South Bedfordshire 22,917 50.9 1Stoke-on-Trent North 14,668 28.6 2Torrington 23,162 66.2 1Western Isles 6,709 40.7 2West Fife 11,038 24.6 2West Renfrewshire 21,546 53.8 1Wolverhampton North East 18,563 37.7 2Wrexham 19,124 34.8 2

Richard Nugent is not listed; he was elected as a Conservative, but joined the National Liberal group in Parliament.

By-elections, 1951-1955 By-election Candidate Votes % PositionDundee East by-election, 1952 14,035 35.6 2Barnsley by-election 1953 10,905 27.1 2Harwich by-election, 1954 19,532 59.1 1Motherwell by-election, 1954 13,334 39.3 2Wrexham by-election, 1955 12,476 30.8 2

1955 general election Constituency Candidate Votes % PositionBarnsley 14,776 27.2 2Bradford East 14,713 38.4 2Bradford North 21,084 50.1 1Bradford South 16,768 38.7 2Bradford West 22,306 53.8 1Brighouse and Spenborough 22,048 48.2 2Bristol North East 21,864 44.8 2Cannock 18,379 40.8 2Central Norfolk 21,851 57.3 1Chesterfield 21,748 42.4 2Denbigh 18,312 43.2 1Dumfries 24,550 61.3 1Dunfermline Burghs 14,170 39.0 2Dundee East 21,606 45.7 2Dundee West 24,208 46.9 2East Fife 26,104 70.6 1Edinburgh Leith 10,693 32.3 2Goole 15,456 37.8 2Gower 8,135 21.1 2Harwich 23,889 56.4 1Holland with Boston 28,412 53.2 1Huntingdonshire 20,609 58.4 1Kirkcaldy Burghs 16,392 40.7 2Luton 24,722 51.3 1Merionethshire 3,001 12.7 4Newcastle-upon-Tyne North 25,236 63.8 1North Angus and Mearns 18,516 69.0 1North Norfolk 19,657 48.5 2Plymouth Devonport 24,821 47.1 1Pontefract 10,183 23.8 2Ross and Cromarty 9,929 62.3 1St Ives 17,063 52.0 1Sheffield Attercliffe 13,503 29.0 2Sheffield Brightside 12,239 29.6 2Sheffield Hallam 30,069 66.2 1Sheffield Heeley 30,798 60.9 1Sheffield Hillsborough 16,428 41.2 2Sheffield Park 10,565 26.8 2South Angus 23,967 72.7 1South Bedfordshire 23,365 52.8 1Torrington 20,124 65.1 1Walsall North 15,970 37.5 2Western Isles 6,315 42.7 2West Renfrewshire 21,283 55.2 1Wrexham 16,286 33.0 2

Richard Nugent is not listed; he was elected as a Conservative, but joined the National Liberal group in Parliament.

By-elections, 1955-1959 By-election Candidate Votes % PositionTorrington by-election, 1958 13,189 37.4 2

1959 general election Constituency Candidate Votes % PositionBradford East 14,529 42.0 2Bradford North 22,850 53.1 1Bradford South 18,158 39.3 2Bradford West 23,012 56.2 1Brighouse and Spenborough 23,243 49.9 2Bristol North East 24,258 47.7 1Cannock 22,485 43.1 2Central Norfolk 21,918 50.3 1Chesterfield 17,084 31.6 2Denbigh 17,893 41.7 1Dumfries 25,867 58.4 1Dundee East 22,082 45.7 2Dundee West 25,143 48.3 2Dunfermline Burghs 14,744 38.6 2East Fife 26,585 69.9 1Edinburgh Leith 12,018 38.0 2Goole 16,581 38.6 2Gower 9,837 24.0 2Harwich 23,653 53.2 1Holland with Boston 29,013 53.5 1Huntingdonshire 20,254 53.9 1Luton 27,153 55.1 1North Angus and Mearns 17,536 67.4 1North Norfolk 19,126 49.2 2Plymouth Devonport 28,481 56.4 1Pontefract 10,884 23.6 2Ross and Cromarty 7,813 47.2 1St Ives 15,700 47.9 1Sheffield Attercliffe 15,304 31.2 2Sheffield Brightside 12,269 29.3 2Sheffield Hallam 28,747 62.7 1Sheffield Heeley 33,236 59.0 1Sheffield Hillsborough 16,845 43.5 2Sheffield Park 10,598 28.9 2South Angus 19,435 57.1 1South Bedfordshire 25,861 47.1 1Western Isles 7,496 46.4 2West Renfrewshire 20,959 53.5 1Wrexham 17,144 31.9 2