View source for 1951 United Kingdom general election

{{short description|none}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1951 United Kingdom general election
| country = United Kingdom
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1950 United Kingdom general election
| previous_year = 1950
| outgoing_members = List of MPs elected in the 1950 United Kingdom general election
| next_election = 1955 United Kingdom general election
| next_year = 1955
| elected_members = List of MPs elected in the 1951 United Kingdom general election
| seats_for_election = All [[Number of Westminster MPs|625 seats]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]
| majority_seats = 313
| election_date = 25 October 1951
| turnout = 28,596,594<br>82.6% ({{decrease}}1.3 [[Percentage point|pp]])

<!--      Conservative     -->| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Churchill in 1944 (cropped 3x4).jpg|bSize = 125|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 2|oLeft = 0}}
| leader1 = [[Winston Churchill]]
| leader_since1 = 9 October 1940
| party1 = Conservative Party (UK)
| leaders_seat1 = [[Woodford (UK Parliament constituency)|Woodford]]
| last_election1 = 298 seats, 43.4%
| seats1 = '''321'''{{efn|name=speaker|The seat and vote count figures for the Conservatives given here include the Speaker of the House of Commons.}}
| seat_change1 = {{increase}}23
| popular_vote1 = 13,717,851
| percentage1 = 48.0%
| swing1 = {{increase}}4.6 [[Percentage point|pp]]

<!--      Labour      -->| image2 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Clement Attlee (cropped).jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader2 = [[Clement Attlee]]
| leader_since2 = [[1935 Labour Party leadership election|25 October 1935]]
| party2 = Labour Party (UK)
| leaders_seat2 = [[Walthamstow West]]
| last_election2 = 315 seats, 46.1%
| seats2 = 295
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}20
| popular_vote2 = '''13,948,385'''
| percentage2 = '''48.8%'''
| swing2 = {{increase}}2.7 [[Percentage point|pp]]

<!--      Liberal      -->| image3 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Clement Davies (cropped).jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader3 = [[Clement Davies]]
| leader_since3 = 2 August 1945
| party3 = Liberal Party (UK)
| leaders_seat3 = [[Montgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Montgomeryshire]]
| last_election3 = 9 seats, 9.1%
| seats3 = 6
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}}3
| popular_vote3 = 730,546
| percentage3 = 2.5%
| swing3 = {{decrease}}6.6 [[Percentage point|pp]]
| map_image = UK General Election, 1951.svg
| map_size = 200px
| map_caption = Colours denote the winning party—as shown in {{slink||Results}}
| map2_image = [[File:1951 UK GE Composition diagram - national liberal.svg]]
| map2_caption = Composition of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] after the election
| title = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]
| posttitle = Prime Minister after election
| before_election = [[Clement Attlee]]
| before_party = Labour Party (UK)
| after_election = [[Winston Churchill]]
| after_party = Conservative Party (UK)
| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the 1951 United Kingdom general election
}}

The '''1951 United Kingdom general election''' was held on Thursday, 25 October 1951, just twenty months after the previous general election in [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]]; the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Attlee ministry|government]] called the election in hopes of increasing its parliamentary majority. However, this backfired, as even though Labour won the most votes, it was the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] who won a majority, with the collapse of the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] vote allowing the Conservatives to gain seats by default.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jenkin |first=Thomas P. |date=1952 |title=The British General Election of 1951 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/442551 |journal=The Western Political Quarterly |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=51–65 |doi=10.2307/442551 |jstor=442551 |issn=0043-4078|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 

Up to that point, the Labour Party achieved the most votes cast for a party; however, this would be surpassed several times, with the Conservatives breaking the record in [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]] and [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019]]. (13,948,385 is also the highest number of votes Labour ever won in a general election.) The Conservatives would also exceed the popular vote percentage (48.8%) achieved by Labour, in [[1955 United Kingdom general election|1955]] and [[1959 United Kingdom general election|1959]], winning over 49% in both cases. Turnout in this election declined slightly. 

The election marked the return of [[Winston Churchill]] as [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] and the beginning of Labour's 13-year spell in opposition. It was the third and final general election to be held during the reign of King [[George VI]], as he died the following year on 6 February and was succeeded by his daughter, [[Elizabeth II]]. It was the last election in which the Conservatives did [[1951 United Kingdom general election in Scotland|better in Scotland]] than in [[1951 United Kingdom general election in England|England]].

The 1951 election was the second one to be covered on [[BBC Television]]. On election night, the results were televised from the BBC [[Alexandra Palace]] studio in London. [[Graham Hutton]], [[David Butler (psephologist)|David Butler]] and H. G. Nicholas headed the election night coverage from 10.15pm to 4.00am on the television service. On the following day, television coverage started at 10.00am and continued throughout the day until 5.00pm.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The General Election |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5fa68f09ad374bc0b7c450267879de7b |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115014734/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5fa68f09ad374bc0b7c450267879de7b |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 November 2020 |journal=[[Radio Times]] |issue=1458 |pages=50 |date=19 October 1951}}</ref>
{{UK general election navigation|clear=none|1945|1950|1951|1955|1959}}

==Background==
King [[George VI]] feared since that the government had such a slim majority, and he was to leave the country to go on his planned [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] tour in early 1952, there was a possibility of a change of government in his absence. [[Clement Attlee]] decided to call the election to assuage that concern.{{sfn|Judd|2012|page=238|ps=: Judd writes that Attlee confirmed in his own autobiography the King's anxiety.}} (In the event, the King became too ill to travel and delegated the tour to his daughter [[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]] shortly before his death in February 1952.) Parliament was dissolved on 5 October 1951.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parliamentary Election Timetables |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP97-40/RP97-40.pdf |edition=3rd |publisher=[[House of Commons Library]] |date=25 March 1997 |access-date=3 July 2022}}</ref>

The [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] government, which had implemented most of its manifesto from the [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945 election]], was beginning to lose cabinet ministers, such as [[Ernest Bevin]] (death) and [[Stafford Cripps]] (health issues). The [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], however, had more MPs since the [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950 general election]].

==Campaign==
The Labour Party entered the election by being weakened by the emerging schism between [[Gaitskellites]], on the right of the party, and the [[Bevanites]], on its left.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Thorpe |first=Andrew |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0 |title=A History of the British Labour Party |publisher=Macmillan Education UK |location=London |date=1997 |pages=133 |isbn=978-0-333-56081-5 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0 |ref=none}}</ref> The party's manifesto stated that the party "proud of its record, sure in its policies—confidently asks the electors to renew its mandate". It identified four key tasks facing the United Kingdom that it would tackle: the need to work for peace, the need to work to "maintain full employment and to increase production", the need to reduce cost of living and the need to "build a just society". The manifesto argued that only a Labour government could achieve those tasks.<ref name="TimesHoC51A">{{citation |title=The Times House of Commons 1951 |date=1951 |publisher=The Times Office |location=London |page=228}}</ref> It also contrasted the Britain of 1951 with that of the [[interwar Britain|interwar years]] in which there had been largely Conservative-led governments by noting that the interwar period had seen "[[Interwar unemployment and poverty in the United Kingdom|mass-unemployment]]; mass fear; mass misery".<ref name="TimesHoC51B">{{citation |title=The Times House of Commons 1951 |date=1951 |publisher=The Times Office |location=London |page=229}}</ref> It did not promise more [[nationalisations]], unlike in the previous year's election, and instead focused on offering more [[council housing]] and a pledge to "associate the workers more closely with the administration of public industries and services". However, it remained opposed to full [[workers' control]] of industries.<ref name=":0" />

While Labour began to have some policy divisions during the election campaign, the Conservatives ran an efficient campaign, which was well-funded and orchestrated. Their manifesto, ''Britain Strong and Free'', stressed that safeguarding "our traditional way of life" was integral to the Conservative purpose. Significantly, they did not propose to dismantle the [[British welfare state]] or the [[National Health Service]] which the Labour government had established.{{sfn|Kynaston|2009|page=32}} The manifesto, however, promised to "stop all further nationalisation" and to repeal the [[Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain|Steel Act]], which had been introduced by the Labour government and was being implemented during the election season. The Conservatives also attacked Labour for ending [[Rationing in the United Kingdom|wartime rationing]] and [[price controls]] too slowly and for the rise of industrial conflicts after the end of the wartime [[wage freeze]] and the [[Defence Regulations]] bans on [[strike action]]s.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="TimesHoC51C">{{citation |title=The Times House of Commons 1951 |date=1951 |publisher=The Times Office |location=London |page=234}}</ref> 

As for the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]], its poor election result in [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]] only worsened this time. Unable to get the same insurance against losses of [[election deposit|deposits]] of the previous year, it fielded only 109 candidates, as opposed to 478 in 1950, and thus posted the worst general election result in the party's history by getting just 2.5% of the vote and winning only six seats. The popular vote of the Liberals and later the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] has not fallen so low since, but their lowest number of six seats would be matched in several future elections.<ref>{{citation |title=1951: Churchill back in power at last |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/basics/4393277.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=5 April 2005 |access-date=5 October 2013}}</ref> The Liberal Party's growing irrelevance weakened the Labour Party since two thirds of potential Liberal voters supported the Conservatives.<ref name=":0" />

Four candidates were returned unopposed, all of them [[Ulster Unionists]] in Northern Ireland. It is the most recent general election in which any candidates have been returned unopposed although there have been later unopposed [[by-election]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=General Election Results 1885–1979 |url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html |url-status=dead |website=election.demon.co.uk |access-date=26 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223222448/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html |archive-date=23 February 2008 |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>

The subsequent Labour defeat was significant for several reasons. The party polled almost a quarter-million votes more than the Conservative Party and its [[National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)|National Liberal Party]] ally combined; won the most votes that Labour has ever won (as of 2024); and won the most votes of any political party in any election in British political history, a number that would not be surpassed until the Conservative Party's [[1992 United Kingdom general election|victory in 1992]].

However, the Conservative Party formed the next government with a majority of 17 seats. It performed much better with male working-class voters than in the elections of 1945 or 1950 and tipped the vote away from Labour in [[Lancashire]], the [[Home Counties]] and [[East Anglia]].<ref name=":0" /> Under the [[first-past-the-post]] electoral system, many Labour votes were "wasted" because they were included in large majorities for MPs in [[safe seat]]s.

==Results==
[[File:1951 UK parliament.svg|center|300px]]
<section begin="UK General Election 1951"/>
{{Election summary begin with leaders| title = 1951 United Kingdom general election}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Labour Party (UK)
  |leader = [[Clement Attlee]]
  |candidates = 617{{efn| Includes 38 [[Co-operative Party]] candidates, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |seats = 295{{efn| Includes 16 [[Co-operative Party]] MPs, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |gain = 2
  |loss = 22
  |net = &minus;20{{efn| Includes -2 [[Co-operative Party]] MPs, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |votes = 13,948,883{{efn| Includes 845,509 for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |votes % = 48.8{{efn| Includes 2.9% for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |seats % = 47.2{{efn| Includes 2.6% for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |plus/minus = +2.7{{efn| Includes +0.4% for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Conservative Party (UK)
  |leader = [[Winston Churchill]]
  |candidates = 617
  |seats = 321
  |gain = 23
  |loss = [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |net = +22
  |votes = 13,717,850
  |votes % = 48.0
  |seats % = 51.4
  |plus/minus = +4.6
  |government = yes
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Liberal Party (UK)
  |leader = [[Clement Davies]]
  |candidates = 109
  |seats = 6
  |gain = [[Bolton West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |loss = 4
  |net = &minus;3
  |votes = 730,546
  |votes % = 2.6
  |seats % = 1.0
  |plus/minus = &minus;6.5
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Independent Nationalist
  |leader = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 3
  |seats = 2
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 92,787
  |votes % = 0.3
  |seats % = 0.3
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Irish Labour Party
  |leader = [[William Norton]]
  |candidates = [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats = [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |gain = [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |loss = 0
  |net = +1
  |votes = 33,174
  |votes % = 0.1
  |seats % = 0.2
  |plus/minus = &minus;0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Communist Party of Great Britain
  |leader = [[Harry Pollitt]]
  |candidates = 10
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 21,640
  |votes % = 0.1
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = &minus;0.2
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Independent politician
  |leader = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 6
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 19,791
  |votes % = 0.1
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Plaid Cymru
  |leader = [[Gwynfor Evans]]
  |candidates = 4
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 10,920
  |votes % = 0.0
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = &minus;0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Scottish National Party
  |leader = [[Robert McIntyre (politician)|Robert McIntyre]]
  |candidates = 2
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 7,299
  |votes % = 0.0
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Independent Conservative
  |leader = ''N/A''
  |candidates = [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne North (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 5,904
  |votes % = 0.0
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Independent Labour Party
  |leader = [[Fred Barton (politician)|Fred Barton]]
  |candidates = 3
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 4,057
  |votes % = 0.0
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party = [[British Empire Party|British Empire]]
  |leader = P. J. Ridout
  |candidates = [[Ogmore (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 1,643
  |votes % = 0.0
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party = Anti-Partition of Ireland League
  |leader = [[James McSparran]]
  |candidates = [[Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 1,340
  |votes % = 0.0
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party = [[United Socialist Movement|United Socialist]]
  |leader = [[Guy Aldred]]
  |candidates = [[Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats = 0
  |gain = 0
  |loss = 0
  |net = 0
  |votes = 411
  |votes % = 0.0
  |seats % = 0.0
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
|}

Total votes cast: 28,596,594.{{efn|All parties shown. Conservative result includes the [[Ulster Unionist]]s.}}

{| class="wikitable" style="width:70%"
|-
|'''Government's new majority'''
|'''17'''
|-
|Total votes cast
|28,596,594
|-
|Turnout
|82.6%
|}<section end="UK General Election 1951"/>

===Votes summary===
{{bar box
|title=Popular vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=550px
|barwidth=350px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Labour'''|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|48.78}}
{{bar percent|Conservative|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|47.97}}
{{bar percent|Liberal|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|2.55}}
{{bar percent|Others|#a9a9a9|0.70}}
}}
Headline swing: 1.13% to Conservative.

===Seats summary===
{{bar box
|title=Parliamentary seats
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=550px
|barwidth=350px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Conservative'''|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|51.36}}
{{bar percent|Labour|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|47.20}}
{{bar percent|Liberal|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|0.96}}
{{bar percent|Others|#a9a9a9|0.48}}
}}

== Transfers of seats ==
All comparisons are with the 1950 election.{{efn|No seats changed hands during the 1950–51 Parliament.}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em"
!colspan=2|From
!colspan=2|To
!No.
!class=unsortable|Seats
|-
| rowspan=3 style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=3|{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}}
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} ('''HOLD''')
| 273
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}
|1
|[[Bolton West]]
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|21
|[[Barry (UK Parliament constituency)|Barry]], [[Battersea South (UK Parliament constituency)|Battersea South]], [[South Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Bedfordshire South]], [[Berwick and East Lothian]], [[Bolton East]], [[Buckingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Buckingham]], [[Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)|Conway]], [[Darlington (UK Parliament constituency)|Darlington]], [[Doncaster (UK Parliament constituency)|Doncaster]], [[Dulwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Dulwich]], [[King's Lynn (UK Parliament constituency)|King's Lynn]], [[Manchester Blackley]], [[Middlesbrough West]], [[South West Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|Norfolk South West]], [[Oldham East]], [[Plymouth Sutton]], [[Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading North]], [[Rochdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Rochdale]], [[Rutherglen (UK Parliament constituency)|Rutherglen]], [[Wycombe (UK Parliament constituency)|Wycombe]], [[Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Yarmouth]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)}}" |
| rowspan=2 | {{party shortname linked|Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)}}
| {{Party name with colour|Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)}} ('''HOLD''')
|1
|[[Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)|Fermanagh and South Tyrone]]
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Nationalist}}
|1
|[[Mid Ulster (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Ulster]]
|-
| rowspan=3 style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=3 | {{party shortname linked|Liberal Party (UK)}}
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|2
|[[Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)|Anglesey]], [[Merioneth (UK Parliament constituency)|Meirioneth]]
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}} ('''HOLD''')
|5
|[[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]], [[Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)|Carmarthen]], [[Huddersfield West]], [[Montgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Montgomery]], [[Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)|Orkney and Shetland]]
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|2
|[[Eye (UK Parliament constituency)|Eye]], [[Roxburgh and Selkirk]]
|-
| {{Party name with colour|National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)}}
| {{Party name with colour|National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)}} ('''HOLD''')
|16
|[[North Angus and Mearns (UK Parliament constituency)|Angus North and Mearns]], [[South Angus (UK Parliament constituency)|Angus South]], [[South Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Bedfordshire South]], [[Bradford North]], [[Denbigh (UK Parliament constituency)|Denbigh]], [[Dumfriesshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Dumfriesshire]], [[Fife East]], [[Harwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Harwich]], [[Holland with Boston]], [[Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Huntingdonshire]], [[Luton (UK Parliament constituency)|Luton]], [[Central Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|Norfolk Central]], [[West Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Renfrewshire West]], [[Ross and Cromarty (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross and Cromarty]], [[St Ives (UK Parliament constituency)|St Ives]], [[Torrington (UK Parliament constituency)|Torrington]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=2 | {{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| {{Party name with colour|National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)}}
|1
|[[Newcastle upon Tyne North]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=2 | {{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}} ('''HOLD''')
| colspan=2|''many''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)}}
|1
|[[Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)|Hexham]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}" |
| rowspan=2 | {{party shortname linked|Ulster Unionist Party}}
| {{Party name with colour|Irish Labour Party}}
|1
|[[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast West]]
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Ulster Unionist Party}}
|9
|[[North Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)|North Antrim]], [[South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)|South Antrim]], [[Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)|Armagh]], [[Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast East]], [[Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast North]], [[Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast South]], [[Down North (UK Parliament constituency)|Down North]], [[Down South (UK Parliament constituency)|Down South]], [[Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)|Londonderry]]
|}

==See also==
*[[List of MPs elected in the 1951 United Kingdom general election]]
*[[1951 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland]]
*[[1951 United Kingdom general election in Scotland]]
*[[1951 United Kingdom general election in England]]
*[[1951 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last=Butler |first=David E. |author-link=David Butler (psephologist) |title=The British General Election of 1951 |year=1952 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London}}, The standard study
* {{citation |last=Craig |first=F.W.S. |author-link=F. W. S. Craig |title=British Electoral Facts: 1832–1987 |publisher=Gower |location=Dartmouth |year=1989 |isbn=0900178302}}
* {{citation |last=Judd |first=Dennis |title=George VI |url=https://archive.org/details/georgevi0000judd |url-access=registration |publisher=I.B. Tauris (paperback) |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-78076-071-1}}
* {{citation |last1=Kynaston |first1=David |author-link=David Kynaston |title=Family Britain 1951–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/familybritain1950000kyna |url-access=registration |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London |year=2009 |isbn=9780747583851}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080223222448/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html United Kingdom election results—summary results 1885–1979]
*[https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/yourcountry/collections/churchillexhibition/churchill-the-orator/hydrogen/ Churchill & the 1951 General Election - UK Parliament Living Heritage]

===Manifestos===
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170430070920/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/con51.htm {{Title case|CONSERVATIVE PARTY: 1951}}], 1951 Conservative Party manifesto
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170504061149/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lab51.htm Labour Party Election Manifesto], 1951 Labour Party manifesto
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170507010419/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib51.htm ''The Nation's Task''], 1951 Liberal Party manifesto

{{British elections}}

[[Category:1951 United Kingdom general election| ]]
[[Category:1951 elections in the United Kingdom|General election]]
[[Category:General elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom|1951]]
[[Category:October 1951 in the United Kingdom|General election]]
[[Category:Electoral history of Winston Churchill]]
[[Category:Clement Attlee]]