On Wednesday 14 December 1918, the 1918 United Kingdom general election was held in Wales, to elect all 707 members of the House of Commons, with 36 constituencies being in Wales. 35 seats represented territorial constituencies contested under the first past the post electoral system, and one additional seat represented the University of Wales which was also contested under the first past the post electoral system.

The election was called immediately after the Armistice with Germany which ended the First World War, and was held on Saturday, 14 December 1918. The governing coalition, under Prime Minister David Lloyd George, sent letters of endorsement to candidates who supported the coalition government, these being primarily Conservatives and Unionists and Coalition Liberals. These were nicknamed "Coalition Coupons", and led to the election being known as the "coupon election".

It would be the last election at which the Liberal Party (or Liberals as a whole) would hold the majority or most seats or vote share in Wales.

Electoral system

All constituencies contested under the first past the post electoral system. It was the first general election to be held after enactment of the Representation of the People Act 1918. It was the first election and all men over the age of 21 could vote. By extension, it was the first election in which women over the age of 30 could vote in elections, though with some qualifications of property ownership.

Under the post-war redistribution which was also under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1918, the number of constituencies in Wales was increased from the 34 used in elections between 1835 and December 1910, to a total of 36 at this election, and would remain so until 1950. Amongst the new constituencies, this was the first election in which the University of Wales had a constituency that returned members to the House of Commons. The constituency would exist until 1950, when it was abolished for that election.

Candidates

Below is a table summarising the candidates of the 1918 general election in Wales, excluding those in the University of Wales constituency.

Affiliation CandidatesLabour Party 25Coalition Liberal 19Liberal Party 10Conservative Party 8Independent Labour 2Independent 2Coalition National Democratic 1Independent Unionist 1Independent Democratic 1Independent NFDDSS 1Christian Socialist 1Total 71

Analysis

Coalition Liberals and Liberal Party

Amongst the Liberal Parties, the Coalition Liberals (led by Prime Minister David Lloyd George gained a significant 18 seats. Aberavon, Brecon and Radnorshire, David Lloyd George's constituency of Caernarvon Boroughs, Caernarvonshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthen, Denbigh, Flintshire, Llanelly, Merthyr, Neath, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Pontypridd, Swansea East, Swansea West and Wrexham. The Coalition Liberals also one the new single seat in the University of Wales, totaling 18 seats.

The Coalition Liberals held the greatest number of seats in Wales. It would be the last election in which the a Liberal Party would hold the greatest number (or indeed a majority) of seats in Wales. When combined with results from across the United Kingdom, the result was a massive landslide in favour of the coalition. This included the Coalition Liberals, the vast majority of Conservative MPs across the United Kingdom and the Coalition candidates of the National Democratic and Labour Party.

However, outside the Coalition, Liberal Party (led by H. H. Asquith), lost a total of 21 seats compared to the last election, primarily to the Coalition Liberals in the newly redistributed constituencies. However, the Liberals held Cardiff East, Merioneth, Montgomeryshire.

Coalition and non-Coalition Conservatives

The Conservative Party, which had formed in 1912 from the unification of the Conservative and Liberal Unionists won seats at the election after fielding only eight candidates in total.

Two candidates were sent coalition coupons, with one candidate, William Cope, winning the seat of Llandaff and Barry. Amongst the other six conservatives who did not receive Coalition Coupons, three were elected. Herbert Cory won Cardiff South, being a Conservative retention compared to the abolished Cardiff in the last election. Leolin Forestier-Walker gained Monmouth. Additionally, James Childs Gould, who also gained Cardiff Central, had received a Coalition Coupon, but it was revoked before the election.

However, Denbigh Boroughs was abolished after the redistribution, with Coalition Liberals retaining the two replacement seats that covered also covered the abolished constituency. The former Member of Parliament, William Ormsby-Gore, however, did move constituencies after being selected for Stafford at this election. The party also lost Montgomery, which had been abolished, within Montgomeryshire being retained by the Liberals. This were two losses for the Conservative Party.

As such, one Coupon Conservative won a seat, with three Conservatives winning without Coalition Coupons. This was an overall gain of one seat in Wales for the Conservatives combined compared with the last election. The non-Coalition Conservatives elected, along with the rest elected across the United Kingdom, did not form an opposition or bloc against the National Coalition, but were principally concerned with the issue of Irish independence.

Labour and other parties

The Labor Party won nine seats in Wales at the election, an increase of four seats compared with the previous election. Labour won Abertillery, Bedwellty, Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale, Gower, Ogmore, Pontypool, Rhondda East and Rhondda West.

In addition, Independent Labour candidate Owen Thomas won the seat of Anglesey, winning it from the long-standing MP Ellis Ellis-Griffith of the Liberal Party. Coalition National Democratic candidate Charles Stanton won the seat of Aberdare, a new seat which replaced one held by the Liberals in the last election.

County and borough constituency results

Below is a table summarising the constituency results of the 1918 general election in Wales, excluding the result in the University of Wales constituency.

+PartySeatsAggregate votes Total Gains Losses Net Of total (%) Total Of total (%) Change (%)   Coalition Government (Total) 22 colspan="2" 19 62.9 289,793 54.8   Coalition Liberal 17 colspan="2" 17 48.6 207,377 39.2   Conservative 4 3 2 1 11.4 59,592 11.3 21.6   Coalition NDP 1 colspan="2" 1 2.9 22,824 4.3   Labour 9 4 0 4 25.7 163,055 30.8 11.7   Liberal 3 0 23 23 8.6 51,382 9.7 37.9   Independent Labour 1 1 0 1 2.9 17,183 3.3 2.8   Ind. Unionist 0 colspan=3 — 3,419 0.7   Independent 0 colspan=3 — 2,634 0.5   Independent Democratic 0 colspan=3 — 647 0.1   Christian Socialist 0 colspan=3 — 597 0.1   Independent NFDDSS 0 colspan=3 — 324 0.1 Total 35 1 100.0 529,034 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout 1,170,974 65.9 12.4

Popular vote

Parliament seats

University of Wales result

Below is a table summarising the 1918 constituency results for seat of the University of Wales constituency. The Coalition Liberals retaining the seat brought the party's total in Wales to 18 seats out of the possible 36.

See also 1918 United Kingdom general election in England 1918 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 1918 United Kingdom general election in Ireland List of MPs for constituencies in Wales (1918–1922)

Notes

References