View source for 1885 United Kingdom general election

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1885 United Kingdom general election
| country = United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1880 United Kingdom general election
| previous_year = 1880
| previous_mps = List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1880
| next_election = 1886 United Kingdom general election
| next_year = 1886
| seats_for_election = All [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies (1885–1918)|670 seats]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]
| majority_seats = 336
| elected_mps = List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885
| election_date = {{start and end dates|1885|11|24|1885|12|18|df=yes}}
<!--      Liberal     -->| image1 = [[File:William Ewart Gladstone, 1892 (cropped).jpg|150x150px]]
| leader1 = [[William Ewart Gladstone|William Gladstone]]
| leader_since1 = April 1880
| party1 = Liberal Party (UK)
| leaders_seat1 = [[Midlothian (UK Parliament constituency) (1708–1918)|Midlothian]]
| last_election1 = 352 seats, 54.7%
| seats1 = '''319'''{{efn|name=speaker}}
| seat_change1 = {{decrease}}33
| popular_vote1 = '''2,071,868'''
| percentage1 = '''47.7%'''
| swing1 = {{decrease}}7.0 [[Percentage point|pp]]
<!--      Conservative      -->| image2 = [[File:Robert-Gascoyne-Cecil-3rd-Marquess-of-Salisbury (cropped).jpg|150x150px]]
| leader2 = [[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|Marquess of Salisbury]]
| leader_since2 = April 1881
| party2 = Conservative Party (UK)
| leaders_seat2 = [[House of Lords]]
| last_election2 = 237 seats, 42.5%
| seats2 = 247
| seat_change2 = {{increase}}10
| popular_vote2 = 1,869,560
| percentage2 = 43.0%
| swing2 = {{increase}}0.5 [[Percentage point|pp]]
<!--      Irish Nationalist      -->| image3 = [[File:Charles Stewart Parnell - Brady-Handy.jpg|150x150px]]
| leader3 = [[Charles Stewart Parnell]]
| leader_since3 = 17 October 1882
| party3 = Irish Parliamentary Party
| leaders_seat3 = [[Cork City (UK Parliament constituency)|Cork City]]
| last_election3 = 63 seats, 2.8%
| seats3 = 86
| seat_change3 = {{increase}}23
| popular_vote3 = 299,178
| percentage3 = 6.9%
| swing3 = {{increase}}4.1 [[Percentage point|pp]]
| title = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]
| posttitle = Prime Minister after election
| before_election = [[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|Marquess of Salisbury]]
| before_party = Conservative Party (UK)
| after_election = [[William Ewart Gladstone|William Gladstone]]
| after_party = Liberal Party (UK)
| map_image = {{Switcher
|[[File:United Kingdom general election 1885.svg|300px]]
|Results by constituency
|[[File:United Kingdom general election 1885 (by country).svg|300px]]
|Results by country
}}
| turnout = 4,347,984<br>81.2%
| map2_image = File:1885 UK GE Composition diagram.svg
| map2_caption = Diagram displaying the composition of the House of Commons following the general election
}}
The '''1885 United Kingdom general election''' was held from 24 November to 18 December 1885. The first general election after an [[Representation of the People Act 1884|extension of the franchise]] and [[Redistribution of Seats Act 1885|redistribution of seats]], it saw the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberals]] lose their majority.

The election saw the Liberals, led by [[William Ewart Gladstone|William Gladstone]], win the most seats, but not an overall majority, so a minority government was necessary. The [[Irish Nationalist]]s held the balance of power between the Liberals and the Conservatives who sat with a large number of allied Unionist MPs (their name referred to their support for the [[Acts of Union 1800|Union of Great Britain and Ireland]]). The pressure of minority government status exacerbated divisions within the Liberals over [[Irish Home Rule]]. This led to a Liberal split that caused another [[1886 United Kingdom general election|general election the following year]].

The 1885 election saw the first [[socialist]] party participate, with the [[Social Democratic Federation]] led by [[H. M. Hyndman]] standing three candidates. None were elected.
{{UK general election navigation|clear=none|1874|1880|1885|1886|1892}}

==Results==
[[File:1885 UK parliament.svg|center|300px]]
{{Election summary begin with candidates| title = UK General Election 1885}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Liberal Party (UK)
  |candidates = 575
  |seats      = 319{{efn|name=speaker|The seat and vote count figures for the Liberals given here include the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]], Arthur Peel}}
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = &minus;33
  |votes      = 2,071,868
  |votes %    = 47.65
  |seats %    = 47.61
  |plus/minus = &minus;7.3
  |government = yes
  |vps        = 6,894
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidates = 597
  |seats      = 247
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = +10
  |votes      = 1,869,560
  |votes %    = 43.00
  |seats %    = 36.87
  |plus/minus = +0.9
  |vps        = 8,182
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Irish Parliamentary Party
  |candidates = 91
  |seats      = 86
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = +23
  |votes      = 299,178
  |votes %    = 6.88
  |seats %    = 12.84
  |plus/minus = +4.0
  |vps        = 3,612
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Independent Liberal
  |candidates = 35
  |seats      = 11
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = +11
  |votes      = 55,652
  |votes %    = 1.28
  |seats %    = 1.64
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = 5,059
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Crofters Party
  |candidates = 6
  |seats      = 4
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = +4
  |votes      = 16,551
  |votes %    = 0.38
  |seats %    = 0.60
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = 4,138
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Independent Conservative
  |candidates = 8
  |seats      = 2
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = +2
  |votes      = 12,599
  |votes %    = 0.29
  |seats %    = 0.30
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = 6,300
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Liberal-Labour (UK)
  |candidates = 4
  |seats      = [[Rhondda (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = +1
  |votes      = 8,232
  |votes %    = 0.19
  |seats %    = 0.15
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = 8,232
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Independent (politician)
  |candidates = 6
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 6,570
  |votes %    = 0.15
  |seats %    =0 
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Independent Nationalist
  |candidates = 2
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 2,889
  |votes %    = 0.07
  |seats %    =0 
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = N/A
}}
{{Election summary with candidates|
  |party      = [[Scottish Land Restoration League|Scottish Land Restoration]]
  |candidates = 5
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 2,359
  |votes %    = 0.05
  |seats %    =0 
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = N/A
}}
{{Election summary with candidates|
  |party      = [[Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union|Irish Loyalist]]
  |candidates = 6
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 1,869
  |votes %    = 0.04
  |seats %    =0 
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with candidates|
  |party      = Social Democratic Federation
  |candidates = 3
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 
  |loss       = 
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 657
  |votes %    = 0.02
  |seats %    =0 
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
  |vps        = N/A
}}
|}

{{hatnote|Total votes cast: 4,347,984.{{efn|All parties shown.}}
<br/>Electorate: 5,708,030 (5,429,708 in contested seats)<br/>Turnout: 81.2%<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130011015/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html |archive-date=2012-01-30 |url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html |title=General Election Results 1885-1979}}</ref>}}

==Voting summary==

{{bar box
|title=Popular vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=380px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Liberal'''|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|47.65}}
{{bar percent|Conservative|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|43.00}}
{{bar percent|Irish Parliamentary|{{party color|Irish Parliamentary Party}}|6.88}}
{{bar percent|Independent Liberal|{{party color|Independent Liberal}}|1.28}}
{{bar percent|Crofters|{{party color|Crofters Party}}|0.38}}
{{bar percent|Independent Conservative|{{party color|Independent Conservative}}|0.29}}
{{bar percent|Lib-Lab|{{party color|Lib-Lab}}|0.19}}
{{bar percent|Independent|{{party color|Independent}}|0.15}}
{{bar percent|Others|#777777|0.18}}
}}

==Seats summary==

{{bar box
|title=Parliamentary seats
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=380px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Liberal'''|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|47.61}}
{{bar percent|Conservative|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|36.87}}
{{bar percent|Irish Parliamentary|{{party color|Irish Parliamentary Party}}|12.84}}
{{bar percent|Independent Liberal|{{party color|Independent Liberal}}|1.64}}
{{bar percent|Crofters|{{party color|Crofters Party}}|0.60}}
{{bar percent|Independent Conservative|{{party color|Independent Conservative}}|0.30}}
{{bar percent|Lib-Lab|{{party color|Liberal-Labour (UK)}}|0.15}}
}}

==See also==
*[[List of MPs elected in the 1885 United Kingdom general election]]
*[[Parliamentary franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918]]
*[[Representation of the People Act 1884]]
*[[Redistribution of Seats Act 1885]]
*[[1885 United Kingdom general election in Ireland]]
*[[1885 United Kingdom general election in Scotland]]
* [[Hawarden Kite]], Gladstone announces for Home Rule and wins over the Irish

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{citation |author-link=F. W. S. Craig |first=F. W. S. |last=Craig |title=British Electoral Facts: 1832–1987 |year=1989 |location=Dartmouth |publisher=Gower |isbn=0900178302 }}
*{{citation |title=British Electoral Facts 1832–1999 |editor1-first=Colin |editor1-last=Rallings |editor1-link=Colin Rallings |editor2-first=Michael |editor2-last=Thrasher |editor2-link=Michael Thrasher |publisher=Ashgate Publishing Ltd |year=2000}}

==Further reading==
* Roberts, Matthew. "Election Cartoons and Political Communication In Victorian England.' ''Cultural & Social History'' (2013) 10#3 pp 369–395, covers 1860 to 1890.
* {{citation |last=Walker |first=Brian |title=The 1885 and 1886 General Elections in Ireland |journal=History Ireland |volume=13 |pages=36–40 |number=6 |year=2005 |jstor=27725365}}

==External links==
* [http://www.spartacus-educational.com/politics.htm Spartacus: Political Parties and Election Results]
* [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html United Kingdom election results—summary results 1885–1979] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130011015/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html |date=30 January 2012 }}

{{British elections}}

[[Category:1885 United Kingdom general election| ]]
[[Category:1885 elections in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:General elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom|1885]]
[[Category:1885 in the United Kingdom|General election]]
[[Category:November 1885]]
[[Category:December 1885]]
[[Category:Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury]]
[[Category:William Ewart Gladstone]]