1847 United Kingdom general election

1847 United Kingdom general election

← 1841 29 July – 26 August 1847 (1847-07-29 – 1847-08-26) 1852 →
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All 656 seats in the House of Commons 329 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Iri Leader Lord Stanley Lord John Russell John O'Connell Party Conservative Whig Irish Repeal Leader since July 1846 October 1842 15 May 1847 Leader's seat House of Lords City of London Limerick City Last election 367 seats, 51.6% 271 seats, 46.2% 20 seats, 1.9% Seats won 325[1] 292[b] 36 Seat change 42 21 16 Popular vote 205,481 259,311 14,128 Percentage 42.6%[a] 53.8%[a] 2.9% Swing 9.0% 7.6% 1.0%
Composition of the House of Commons after the election
Prime Minister before election Lord John Russell Whig Prime Minister after election Lord John Russell Whig

The 1847 United Kingdom general election was conducted between 29 July 1847 and 26 August 1847 and resulted in the Whigs in control of government despite candidates calling themselves Conservatives winning the most seats. The Conservatives were divided between Protectionists, led by Lord Stanley, and a minority of free-trade Tories, known also as Liberal Conservatives or the Peelites for their leader, former prime minister Sir Robert Peel. This left the Whigs, led by Prime Minister Lord John Russell, in a position to continue in government.^[2]

The Irish Repeal group won more seats than in the previous general election, while the Chartists gained the only seat they were ever to hold, Nottingham's second seat, held by Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor.

The election also witnessed the election of Britain's first Jewish MP, the Liberal Lionel de Rothschild in the City of London. Members being sworn in were however required to swear the Christian Oath of Allegiance, meaning Rothschild was unable actually to take his seat until the passage of the Jews Relief Act in 1858. The constituency of Sudbury, which elected two members, was disfranchised for this election. This accounts there being two fewer seats in the House of Commons as compared to the previous election, though no redistribution took place.

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