View source for 1987 United Kingdom general election

{{short description|none}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1987 United Kingdom general election
| country = United Kingdom
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1983 United Kingdom general election
| previous_year = 1983
| outgoing_members = List of MPs elected in the 1983 United Kingdom general election
| next_election = 1992 United Kingdom general election
| next_year = 1992
| elected_members = List of MPs elected in the 1987 United Kingdom general election
| seats_for_election = All [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies (1983–1997)|650 seats]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]
| majority_seats = 326
| elected_mps = List of MPs elected in the 1987 United Kingdom general election
| election_date = 11 June 1987
| turnout = 32,529,578<br>75.3% ({{increase}}2.6 [[Percentage point|pp]])
<!--      Conservative     -->| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Margaret Thatcher in Israel (cropped).jpg|bSize = 113|cWidth = 113|cHeight = 150|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader1 = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
| leader_since1 = [[1975 Conservative Party leadership election|11 February 1975]]
| party1 = Conservative Party (UK)
| leaders_seat1 = [[Finchley (UK Parliament constituency)|Finchley]]
| last_election1 = 397 seats, 42.4%
| seats1 = '''376'''{{efn|name=speaker}}
| seat_change1 = {{decrease}}21
| popular_vote1 = '''13,760,583'''
| percentage1 = '''42.2%'''
| swing1 = {{decrease}}0.2 [[Percentage point|pp]]
<!--      Labour      -->| image2 =  {{CSS image crop|Image =Start campagne voor Europese verkiezingen van PvdA (Rotterdam) Neal Kinnoch , k, Bestanddeelnr 932-9811.jpg|bSize = 113|cWidth = 113|cHeight = 150|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader2 = [[Neil Kinnock]]
| leader_since2 = [[1983 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|2 October 1983]]
| party2 = Labour Party (UK)
| leaders_seat2 = [[Islwyn (UK Parliament constituency)|Islwyn]]
| last_election2 = 209 seats, 27.6%
| seats2 = 229
| seat_change2 = {{increase}}20
| popular_vote2 = 10,029,807
| percentage2 = 30.8%
| swing2 = {{increase}}3.2 [[Percentage point|pp]]
<!--      SDP Liberal Alliance      -->| image3 = {{Multiple candidates images|[[File:DavidSteel1987 (cropped) 2.jpg|160x80px]]|[[File:David Owen-1.jpg|160x80px]]}}{{eppt|SDP–Liberal Alliance|height= 75}}
| leader3 = {{ubl|[[David Steel]] ([[Liberal Party (UK)|Lib.]])|[[David Owen]] ([[Social Democratic Party (UK)|SDP]])}}
| leader_since3 = {{ubl|[[1976 Liberal Party leadership election|7 July 1976]] (Steel)|21 June 1983 (Owen)}}
| party3 = SDP–Liberal Alliance
| leaders_seat3 = {{ubl|[[Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale]] (Steel)|[[Plymouth Devonport]] (Owen)}}
| last_election3 = 23 seats, 25.4%
| seats3 = 22
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}}1
| popular_vote3 = 7,341,633
| percentage3 = 22.6%
| swing3 = {{decrease}}2.8 [[Percentage point|pp]]
| map_image = UK General Election, 1987.svg
| map_size = 200px
| map_caption = Colours denote the winning party—as shown in {{slink||Results}}
| map2_image = 1987 UK General Election composition diagram.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 = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
| before_party = Conservative Party (UK)
| after_election = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
| after_party = Conservative Party (UK)
| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the 1987 United Kingdom general election
}}

The '''1987 United Kingdom general election''' was held on Thursday 11 June 1987, to elect [[List of MPs elected in the 1987 United Kingdom general election|650 members]] to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]. The election was the third consecutive general election victory for the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], who won a majority of 102 seats and second [[Landslide victory|landslide]] under the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher]], who became the first Prime Minister since the [[Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool|Earl of Liverpool]] in [[1820 United Kingdom general election|1820]] to lead a party into three successive electoral victories.

The Conservatives ran a campaign focusing on lower taxes, a strong economy and strong defence. They also emphasised that unemployment had just fallen below the 3&nbsp;million mark for the first time since 1981, and inflation was standing at 4%, its lowest level since the 1960s. National newspapers also continued to largely back the Conservative government, particularly ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'', which ran anti–[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] articles with headlines such as "Why I'm backing Kinnock, by [[Stalin]]".<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=James |title=Popular Newspapers, the Labour Party and British Politics |publisher=[[Routledge]] |date=7 May 2007 |page=103 |isbn=978-1-135-77373-1}}</ref>

Labour, led by [[Neil Kinnock]] following [[Michael Foot]]'s resignation in the aftermath of the party's landslide defeat at the [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]], was slowly moving towards a more [[centrist]] policy platform, following the promulgation of a [[left-wing]] one under Foot's leadership. The main aim of the Labour Party was to re-establish itself as the main progressive [[centre-left]] alternative to the Conservatives, after the rise of the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]] (SDP) forced Labour onto the defensive; and Labour succeeded in doing so at this general election. The [[SDP–Liberal Alliance|Alliance]] between the SDP and the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] was renewed, but co-leaders [[David Owen]] and [[David Steel]] could not agree whether to support either major party in the event of a [[hung parliament]].

The Conservatives were returned to government, having suffered a net loss of only 21 seats, which left them with 376 MPs and a reduced but still strong majority of 102 seats. Labour succeeded in resisting the challenge by the SDP–Liberal Alliance to maintain its position as HM Official Opposition. Moreover, Labour managed to increase its vote share in Scotland, Wales and the North of England. Yet Labour still returned only 229 MPs to Westminster; and in certain London constituencies which Labour had held before the election, the Conservatives actually made gains.

The election was a disappointment for the Alliance, which saw its vote share fall and suffered a net loss of one seat as well as former SDP leader [[Roy Jenkins]] losing his seat to Labour. This led to the two Alliance parties merging completely soon afterwards to become the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]. In Northern Ireland, the main unionist parties maintained their alliance in opposition to the [[Anglo-Irish Agreement]]; however, the [[Ulster Unionist Party]] (UUP) lost two seats to the [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] (SDLP). One of the UUP losses was former Cabinet Minister [[Enoch Powell]], famous for his stance against immigration, and formerly a Conservative MP.

To date the Conservatives have not matched or surpassed their 1987 seat total in any general election held subsequently, although they recorded a greater share of the popular vote in the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]]. This Parliament, the 50th of its kind, would also be the last time that a Conservative government has lasted a full term with an overall majority of seats in Parliament, until the 2015-17 parliament.

The election night was covered live on the BBC, presented by [[David Dimbleby]], [[Peter Snow]] and [[Robin Day]].<ref>{{YouTube |id=wTPxE8oC0bI |title=BBC Election 1987 coverage}}</ref> It was also broadcast on ITV, presented by Sir [[Alastair Burnet]], [[Peter Sissons]] and [[Alastair Stewart]].

The 1987 general election saw the election of the first [[Black British people|Black]] Members of Parliament: [[Diane Abbott]], [[Paul Boateng]] and [[Bernie Grant]], all as representatives for the Labour Party. Other newcomers included future Cabinet members [[David Blunkett]], [[John Redwood]], [[John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan|John Reid]], [[Andrew Smith (British politician)|Andrew Smith]] and [[Alistair Darling]], future Shadow Cabinet minister [[Ann Widdecombe]], and future [[Leader of the Scottish National Party|SNP Leader]] [[Alex Salmond]]. MPs who left the House of Commons as a result of this election include former Labour Prime Minister [[James Callaghan]], [[Keith Joseph]], [[Jim Prior]], [[Ian Mikardo]], former SDP leader and Labour Cabinet Minister [[Roy Jenkins]], former Health Minister [[Enoch Powell]] (who had defected to the UUP in Northern Ireland from the Conservatives in 1974) and [[Clement Freud]].

==Campaign and policies==
{{UK general election navigation|clear=none|1979|1983|1987|1992|1997}}The [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] campaign emphasised lower taxes, a strong economy and defence, and also employed rapid-response reactions to take advantage of [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] errors. [[Norman Tebbit]] and [[Saatchi & Saatchi]] spearheaded the Conservative campaign. However, when on "Wobbly Thursday" it was rumoured a Marplan opinion poll showed a narrow 2% Conservative lead, the "exiles" camp of [[David Young, Baron Young of Graffham|David Young]], [[Tim Bell]] and the advertising firm [[Young & Rubicam]] advocated a more aggressively anti-Labour message. This was when, according to Young's memoirs, Young grabbed Tebbit by the lapels and shook him, shouting: "Norman, listen to me, we're about to lose this fucking election."{{sfn|Campbell|2003|p=522}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Oborne |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Oborne |title=Has Gordon Brown delivered his last Budget? The truth is that Blair hasn't yet decided |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2005/03/has-gordon-brown-delivered-his-last-budget-the-truth-is-that-blair-hasnt-yet-decided |work=[[The Spectator]] |date=19 March 2005 |access-date=2 July 2018}}</ref> In his memoirs, Tebbit defends the Conservative campaign: "We finished exactly as planned on the ground where Labour was weak and we were strong&mdash;defence, taxation, and the economy."{{sfn|Tebbit|1988|p=336}} During the election campaign, however, Tebbit and party leader [[Margaret Thatcher]] argued.{{sfn|Thatcher|1993|p=584}}

Bell and Saatchi & Saatchi produced memorable posters for the Conservatives, such as a picture of a British soldier's arms raised in surrender with the caption "Labour's Policy On Arms"—a reference to Labour's policy of [[unilateral nuclear disarmament]]. The first Conservative [[party political broadcast]] played on the theme of "Freedom" and ended with a fluttering Union Jack, the hymn ''[[I Vow to Thee, My Country]]'' (which Thatcher would later quote in her "[[Sermon on the Mound]]") and the slogan "It's Great To Be Great Again".

The Labour campaign was a marked change from previous efforts; professionally directed by [[Peter Mandelson]] and [[Bryan Gould]], it concentrated on presenting and improving [[Neil Kinnock]]'s image to the electorate. Labour's first party political broadcast, dubbed ''Kinnock: The Movie'', was directed by [[Hugh Hudson]] of ''[[Chariots of Fire]]'' fame, and concentrated on portraying Kinnock as a caring, compassionate family man. It was filmed at the Great Orme in Wales and had "[[Ode to Joy]]" as its music.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pr1b5 |work=The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook |title=World in Motion |publisher=BBC |access-date=2 July 2018}}</ref> He was particularly critical of the high unemployment that the government's economic policies had resulted in, as well as condemning the wait for treatment that many patients had endured on the [[National Health Service]]. Kinnock's personal popularity jumped 16 points overnight following the initial broadcast.{{sfn|Butler|Kavanagh|1988|p=154}}

On 24 May, Kinnock was interviewed by [[David Frost]] and claimed that Labour's alternative defence strategy in the event of a Soviet attack would be "using the resources you've got to make any occupation totally untenable".{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}} In a speech two days later Thatcher attacked Labour's defence policy as a programme for "defeat, surrender, occupation, and finally, prolonged guerrilla fighting&nbsp;... I do not understand how anyone who aspires to Government can treat the defence of our country so lightly".<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=106843 |title=Speech to Conservative Rally in Newport |date=26 May 1987 |publisher=Margaret Thatcher Foundation |access-date=2 July 2018}}</ref>

During the 1987 election campaign the Conservative Party issued attack posters which claimed that the Labour Party wanted the book ''[[Young, Gay and Proud]]'' to be read in schools, as well as ''Police: Out of School'', ''The Playbook for Kids about Sex'',{{efn|Authored by [[Joani Blank]]}}<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sanders|first1=Sue|last2=Spraggs|first2=Gill|title=Section 28 and Education|url=http://www.schools-out.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Section-28-and-Education-Sue-Sanders-Gillian-Spragg-1989.pdf|access-date=22 May 2015|date=1989|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101636/http://www.schools-out.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Section-28-and-Education-Sue-Sanders-Gillian-Spragg-1989.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Booth, Janine|title=The story of Section 28|url=http://www.workersliberty.org/node/1531|publisher=Workers' Liberty|access-date=22 May 2015|date=December 1997}}</ref> and ''The Milkman's on his Way'',{{efn|Authored by [[David Rees (author)|David Rees]]}} which, according to the [[Monday Club]]'s [[Jill Knight]] [[Member of parliament|MP]] – who introduced [[Section 28]] and later campaigned against [[same-sex marriage]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Baroness Knight: Parliament can't help blind people see, so can't help "artistic" gays get married|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/06/03/baroness-knight-parliament-cant-help-blind-people-see-so-cant-help-artistic-gays-get-married/|access-date=24 May 2015|newspaper=[[Pink News]]|date=3 June 2013}}</ref> – were being taught to "little children as young as five and six", which contained "brightly coloured pictures of little stick men showed all about homosexuality and how it was done", and "explicitly described homosexual intercourse and, indeed, glorified it, encouraging youngsters to believe that it was better than any other sexual way of life".<ref name=Hansard1>Quoted in [[Hansard]], {{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/vo991206/text/91206-10.htm |title=Lords Hansard text for 6 Dec 1999 (191206-10) |access-date=2008-08-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930012922/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/vo991206/text/91206-10.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007}}, 6 December 1999, Column 1102.</ref>

== Endorsements ==
The following [[newspaper]]s endorsed political parties running in the election in the following ways:<ref>'[https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/may/04/general-election-newspaper-support Newspaper support in UK general elections]' (2010) on ''[[The Guardian]]''.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Newspaper
! colspan=2| Party/ies endorsed
|-
| ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"|
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
| ''[[Daily Mirror]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
| ''[[Daily Mail]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
| ''[[Daily Express]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"|
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
| ''[[Daily Telegraph]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|  ''[[The Guardian]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|''[[The Independent]]''
| style="background-color:black" | 
| None
|-
| ''[[The Times]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|}

==Opinion polling==
{{main|Opinion polling for the 1987 United Kingdom general election}}
{{UK general election opinion polling|1979|1983|1987|1992|1997}}
[[File:UK opinion polling 1983-1987.svg|center|thumb|613x613px|{{Legend-line|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}} solid 5px|Conservative|inline=yes}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}} solid 5px|Labour|inline=yes}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|SDP–Liberal Alliance}} solid 5px|SDP–Liberal Alliance|inline=yes}}]]

==Timeline==
The Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] visited [[Buckingham Palace]] on 11 May and asked the Queen to [[Dissolution of the Parliament of the United Kingdom|dissolve Parliament]] on 18 May, announcing that the election would be held on 11 June. The key dates were as follows:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP97-40/RP97-40.pdf |title=Parliamentary Election Timetables |edition=3rd |publisher=[[House of Commons Library]] |date=25 March 1997 |access-date=3 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1987-06-25/debates/bdc96065-c2fd-434f-8dd9-835aea476a23/QueenSSpeech |title=Queen's Speech |publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] |date=25 June 1987 |access-date=3 July 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="width:25%;"|Monday 18 May||Dissolution of the [[List of MPs elected in the 1983 United Kingdom general election|49th Parliament]] and campaigning officially begins
|-
|Wednesday 10 June|| Campaigning officially ends
|-
|Thursday 11 June|| Polling day
|-
|Friday 12 June|| The Conservative Party wins with a majority of 102 to retain power
|-
|Wednesday 17 June||[[List of MPs elected in the 1987 United Kingdom general election|50th Parliament]] assembles
|-
|Thursday 25 June||[[State Opening of Parliament]]
|}

==Results==
{{Further|Results of the 1987 United Kingdom general election}}
The Conservatives were returned by a second [[landslide victory]] after their first in 1983,<ref>{{Cite news |title=1983: Thatcher wins landslide victory |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/9/newsid_2500000/2500847.stm |access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref> with a comfortable majority, down slightly on 1983 with a swing of 1.5% towards Labour. This marked the first time since the [[Reform Act 1832|Great Reform Act of 1832]] that a party leader had won three consecutive elections, although the Conservatives had won consecutively in the 1950s under three different leaders ([[Churchill]] in [[1951 United Kingdom general election|1951]], [[Sir Anthony Eden|Eden]] in [[1955 United Kingdom general election|1955]] and [[Harold Macmillan|Macmillan]] in 1959) and early in the century, the Liberals also had three successive wins under two leaders ([[Henry Campbell-Bannerman]] in 1906 and [[H. H. Asquith]] twice in 1910). The Conservative lead over Labour of 11.4% was the second-greatest for any party since the Second World War; surpassed only by the previous 1983 result.<ref name="TimesGuide1987p253">{{cite book |author1=David Butler |author2=Robert Waller |title=The Times Guide to the House of Commons June 1987 |date=1987 |publisher =Times Books Ltd |location=London |isbn=0-7230-0298-3 |page=253 |chapter=Survey of the voting. Election of haves and have-nots}}</ref>

The BBC announced the result at 02:35. Increasing [[Political polarization|polarisation]] marked divisions across the country; the Conservatives dominated [[Southern England]] and took additional seats from Labour in London and the rest of the South, but performed less well in [[Northern England]], Scotland and Wales, losing many of the seats they had won there at previous elections. Yet the overall result of this election proved that [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s policies retained significant support.

Despite initial optimism and the professional campaign by [[Neil Kinnock]], the election brought only twenty additional seats for Labour from the 1983 Conservative landslide. In many southern areas, the Labour vote actually fell, with the party losing seats in London. However, it represented a decisive victory against the SDP–Liberal Alliance and marked out the Labour Party as the main contender to the Conservative Party. This was in stark contrast to 1983, when the Alliance votes almost matched Labour; although Labour had almost 10 times as many seats as the Alliance due to the structure of the First-Past-The-Post voting system.

The result for the Alliance was a disappointment, in that they had hoped to overtake Labour as the Official Opposition in the UK in terms of vote share. Instead, they lost [[Roy Jenkins]]' seat and saw their vote share drop by almost 3%, with a widening gap of 8% between them and the Labour Party (compared to a 2% gap four years before). These results would eventually lead to the end of the Alliance and the birth of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]].

Most of the prominent MPs retained their seats. Notable losses included: [[Enoch Powell]] (the controversial former Conservative Cabinet Minister who had defected to the [[Ulster Unionist Party]]), [[Gordon Wilson (Scottish politician)|Gordon Wilson]] (leader of the [[Scottish National Party]]) and two Alliance members: Liberal [[Clement Freud]] and former SDP leader [[Roy Jenkins]] (a former Labour Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer). [[Neil Kinnock]] increased his share of the vote in [[Islwyn (UK Parliament constituency)|Islwyn]] by almost 12%. [[Margaret Thatcher]] increased her share of the vote in her [[Finchley (UK Parliament constituency)|Finchley]] seat, but the Labour vote increased more, slightly reducing her majority.

In Northern Ireland, the various unionist parties maintained an [[electoral pact]] (with few dissenters) in opposition to the [[Anglo-Irish Agreement]]. However, the Ulster Unionists lost two seats to the [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]].

The Conservatives' victory could also arguably be attributed to the rise in [[living standards]] during their time in office. As noted by [[Dennis Kavanagh]] and [[David Butler (psephologist)|David Butler]]:
{{blockquote|Since 1987 the Conservatives had located a large constituency of "winners", people who have an interest in the return of a Conservative government. It includes much of the affluent South, home-owners, share-owners, and most of those in work, whose standard of living, measured in post-tax incomes, has risen appreciably since 1979.{{sfn| Butler|Kavanagh| 1988|p=277}}
}}
[[File:1987 UK parliament.svg|center|300px]]
<!-- this section is transcluded on Electoral history of Margaret Thatcher -->:
<section begin="UK General Election 1987"/>
{{Election summary begin with leaders| title = UK general election 1987}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |leader     = [[Margaret Thatcher]]
  |candidates = 633
  |seats      = 376{{efn|name=speaker|The seat and vote count figures for the Conservatives given here include the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]]}}
  |gain       = 9
  |loss       = 30
  |net        = &minus;21
  |votes      = 13,760,583
  |votes %    = 42.2
  |seats %    = 57.85
  |plus/minus = &minus;0.2
  |government = yes
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |leader     = [[Neil Kinnock]]
  |candidates = 633{{efn| Includes 20 [[Co-operative Party]] candidates, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |seats      = 229{{efn| Includes 9 [[Co-operative Party]] MPs, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |gain       = 26
  |loss       = 6
  |net        = +20{{efn| Includes +2 [[Co-operative Party]] MPs, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |votes      = 10,029,807{{efn| Includes 334,132 for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |votes %    = 30.8{{efn| Includes 1.0% for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |seats %    = 35.23{{efn| Includes 1.4% for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |plus/minus = +3.2{{efn| Includes +0.0% 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      = SDP–Liberal Alliance
  |leader     = [[David Owen]] & [[David Steel]]
  |candidates = 633
  |seats      = 22
  |gain       = 5
  |loss       = 6
  |net        = &minus;1
  |votes      = 7,341,633
  |votes %    = 22.6
  |seats %    = 3.38
  |plus/minus = &minus;2.8
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Scottish National Party
  |leader     = [[Gordon Wilson (Scottish politician)|Gordon Wilson]]
  |candidates = 72
  |seats      = 3
  |gain       = 3
  |loss       = 2
  |net        = +1
  |votes      = 416,473
  |votes %    = 1.3
  |seats %    = 0.46
  |plus/minus = +0.2
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Ulster Unionist Party
  |leader     = [[James Molyneaux]]
  |candidates = 12
  |seats      = 9
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 2
  |net        = &minus;2
  |votes      = 276,230
  |votes %    = 0.8
  |seats %    = 1.38
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Social Democratic and Labour Party
  |leader     = [[John Hume]]
  |candidates = 13
  |seats      = 3
  |gain       = 2
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = +2
  |votes      = 154,067
  |votes %    = 0.5
  |seats %    = 0.46
  |plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Plaid Cymru
  |leader     = [[Dafydd Elis-Thomas]]
  |candidates = 38
  |seats      = 3
  |gain       = [[Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = +1
  |votes      = 123,599
  |votes %    = 0.4
  |seats %    = 0.46
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Green Party (UK)
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 133
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 89,753
  |votes %    = 0.3
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Democratic Unionist Party
  |leader     = [[Ian Paisley]]
  |candidates = 4
  |seats      = 3
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 85,642
  |votes %    = 0.3
  |seats %    = 0.46
  |plus/minus = &minus;0.2
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Sinn Féin
  |leader     = [[Gerry Adams]]
  |candidates = 14
  |seats      = [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 83,389
  |votes %    = 0.3
  |seats %    = 0.15
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
  |leader     = [[John Alderdice]]
  |candidates = 16
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 72,671
  |votes %    = 0.2
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Workers' Party (Ireland)
  |leader     = [[Tomás Mac Giolla]]
  |candidates = 14
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 19,294
  |votes %    = 0.1
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Ulster Popular Unionist Party
  |leader     = [[James Kilfedder]]
  |candidates = [[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = [[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 18,420
  |votes %    = 0.1
  |seats %    = 0.15
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party      = [[Robert McCartney (Northern Irish politician)|Real Unionist]]
  |leader     = [[Robert McCartney (Northern Irish politician)|Robert McCartney]]
  |candidates = [[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 14,467
  |votes %    = 0.1
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Communist Party of Great Britain
  |leader     = [[Gordon McLennan (politician)|Gordon McLennan]]
  |candidates = 19
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 6,078
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party      = [[George Seawright|Protestant Unionist]]
  |leader     = [[George Seawright]]
  |candidates = [[Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 5,671
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party      = [[Red Front (UK)|Red Front]]
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 14
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 3,177
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party      = [[Orkney and Shetland Movement]]
  |leader     = John Goodlad
  |candidates = [[Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 3,095
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party      = [[Moderate Labour Party|Moderate Labour]]
  |leader     = Brian Marshall
  |candidates = 2
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 2,269
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Official Monster Raving Loony Party
  |leader     = [[Screaming Lord Sutch]]
  |candidates = 5
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 1,951
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)
  |leader     = Sheila Torrance
  |candidates = 10
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 1,721
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = Independent Liberal
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = [[Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 686
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders|
  |party      = British National Party
  |leader     = [[John Tyndall (far-right activist)|John Tyndall]]
  |candidates = 2
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 553
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary with leaders|
  |party      = Spare the Earth
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = [[Hove (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = 0
  |loss       = 0
  |net        = 0
  |votes      = 522
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    =
  |plus/minus = ''N/A''
}}
|-
|+ style="caption-side: bottom; font-weight:normal" |All parties gaining over 500 votes listed.
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! Government's new majority
! 102
|-
|Total votes cast
|32,529,578
|-
|Turnout
|75.3%
|}<section end="UK General Election 1987"/>

===Votes summary===
{{Plain image with caption |Results of the UK General Election, 1987.svg |Seats won in the election (outer ring) against number of votes (inner) |250px |left |top |triangle}}

{{bar box
|title=Popular vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=550px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Conservative'''|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|42.3}}
{{bar percent|Labour|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|30.8}}
{{bar percent|SDP–Liberal|{{party color|SDP–Liberal Alliance}}|22.6}}
{{bar percent|Scottish National|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|1.3}}
{{bar percent|Ulster Unionist|{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}|0.9}}
{{bar percent|Others|#777777|2.2}}
}}

===Seats summary===
{{bar box
|title=Parliamentary seats
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=550px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Conservative'''|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|57.9}}
{{bar percent|Labour|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|35.2}}
{{bar percent|SDP–Liberal|{{party color|SDP–Liberal Alliance}}|3.4}}
{{bar percent|Ulster Unionist|{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}|1.4}}
{{bar percent|Others|#777777|2.2}}
}}

{{Plain image with caption |1987 UK General Election Gallagher Index.png |The [[Gallagher Index]] of disproportionality of the 1987 election was 17.82, between the Alliance and the Conservatives. |700px |left |bottom |triangle}}{{clear}}

=== Results by voter characteristics ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ethnic group voting intention<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saggar |first=Shamit |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.15976631 |title=Race and representation: Electoral politics and ethnic pluralism in Britain |date=2000 |publisher=Manchester University Press}}</ref>
! rowspan="2" |Ethnic group
! colspan="4" |Party
|-
!Labour
!Conservative
!SDP/Lib
!Other
|-
|Ethnic minority (non-White)
|72%
|18%
|n/a
|10%
|-
|Asian<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Race And British Electoral Politics |url=https://www.routledge.com/Race-And-British-Electoral-Politics/Saggar/p/book/9781857288308 |access-date=2025-10-07 |website=Routledge & CRC Press |language=en}}</ref>
|67%
|23%
|10%
|n/a
|-
|Afro-Caribbean<ref name=":0" />
|86%
|6%
|7%
|n/a
|}

==Incumbents defeated==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! colspan="2" |Party
!Name
!Constituency
!Office held whilst in power
!Year elected
!Defeated by
! colspan="2" |Party
|-
! rowspan=27 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 
| rowspan=27|{{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|[[Gerry Malone]]
|[[Aberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency)|Aberdeen South]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Frank Doran (British politician)|Frank Doran]]
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|-
|The Rt Hon [[Peter Fraser, Baron Fraser of Carmyllie|Peter Fraser]]
|[[East Angus (UK Parliament constituency)|East Angus]]
|[[Solicitor General for Scotland]]
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Andrew Welsh (politician)|Andrew Welsh]]
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish National Party}} 
|-
|[[John MacKay, Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish|John MacKay]]
|[[Argyll and Bute (UK Parliament constituency)|Argyll and Bute]]
|[[Under-Secretary of State for Scotland]]
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Ray Michie]]
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Albert McQuarrie|Sir Albert McQuarrie]]
|[[Banff and Buchan (UK Parliament constituency)|Banff and Buchan]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Alex Salmond]]
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish National Party}}
|-
|[[Geoffrey Lawler]]
|[[Bradford North]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Pat Wall]]
! rowspan=8 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=8|{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} 
|-
|[[Peter Hubbard-Miles]]
|[[Bridgend (UK Parliament constituency)|Bridgend]]
|[[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to the [[Secretary of State for Wales]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Win Griffiths]]
|-
|[[Stefan Terlezki]]
|[[Cardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiff West]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Rhodri Morgan]]
|-
|[[Robert Harvey (Clwyd politician)|Robert Harvey]]
|[[Clwyd South-West]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Martyn Jones]]
|-
|[[John Corrie]]
|[[Cunninghame North (UK Parliament constituency)|Cunninghame North]]
|
|[[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|{{nowrap|February 1974}}]]
|[[Brian Wilson (Labour politician)|Brian Wilson]]
|-
|[[John Whitfield (politician)|John Whitfield]]
|[[Dewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Dewsbury]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton|Ann Taylor]]
|-
|[[Alexander MacPherson Fletcher]]
|[[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]]
|
|[[1973 Edinburgh North by-election|1973]]
|[[Alistair Darling]]
|-
|[[Steven Norris]]
|[[Oxford East]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Andrew Smith (British politician)|Andrew Smith]]
|-
|[[Barry Henderson]]
|[[North East Fife (UK Parliament constituency)|North East Fife]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Menzies Campbell]]
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Richard Hickmet]]
|[[Glanford and Scunthorpe]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Elliot Morley]]
! rowspan=5 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=5|{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Roy Galley]]
|[[Halifax (UK Parliament constituency)|Halifax]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Alice Mahon]]
|-
|[[Peter Bruinvels]]
|[[Leicester East]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Keith Vaz]]
|-
|[[Derek Spencer]]
|[[Leicester South]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Jim Marshall (British politician)|Jim Marshall]]
|-
|[[Fred Silvester]]
|[[Manchester Withington]]
|
|[[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974]]
|[[Keith Bradley, Baron Bradley|Keith Bradley]]
|-
|[[Alexander Fletcher (British politician)|Alexander Pollock]]
|[[Moray (UK Parliament constituency)|Moray]]
|[[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to the [[Secretary of State for Defence]] 
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Margaret Ewing]]
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish National Party}}
|-
|[[Piers Merchant]]
|[[Newcastle upon Tyne Central]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Jim Cousins]]
! rowspan=8 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=8|{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Mark Robinson (English politician)|Mark Robinson]]
|[[Newport West (UK Parliament constituency)|Newport West]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Paul Flynn (British politician)|Paul Flynn]]
|-
|[[Richard Ottaway]]
|[[Nottingham North]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Graham Allen (politician)|Graham Allen]]
|-
|[[Anna McCurley]]
|[[Renfrew West and Inverclyde]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Tommy Graham (politician)|Tommy Graham]]
|-
|[[Michael Hirst (politician)|Michael Hirst]]
|[[Strathkelvin and Bearsden (UK Parliament constituency)|Strathkelvin and Bearsden]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Sam Galbraith]]
|-
|[[Warren Hawksley]]
|[[The Wrekin (historic UK Parliament constituency)|The Wrekin]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Bruce Grocott]]
|-
|[[John Powley]]
|[[Norwich South]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[John Garrett (British politician)|John Garrett]]
|-
|The Rt Hon [[Michael Ancram|Michael Ancram, Earl of Ancram]]
|[[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Nigel Griffiths]]
|-
! rowspan=6 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=6|{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}}
|[[Alfred Dubs]]
|[[Battersea (UK Parliament constituency)|Battersea]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[John Bowis]]
! rowspan=7 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=7|{{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Willie Hamilton]]
|[[Central Fife (UK Parliament constituency)|Central Fife]] (stood in [[South Hams (UK Parliament constituency)|South Hams]])
|
|[[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]]
|[[Anthony Steen]]
|-
|[[Nick Raynsford]]
|[[Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)|Fulham]]
|
|[[1986 Fulham by-election|1986]]
|[[Matthew Carrington, Baron Carrington of Fulham|Matthew Carrington]]
|-
|[[Ken Weetch]]
|[[Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)|Ipswich]]
|
|[[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|October 1974]]
|[[Michael Irvine]]
|-
|[[Oonagh McDonald]]
|[[Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency)|Thurrock]]
|Opposition Spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs
|[[1976 Thurrock by-election|1976]]
|[[Tim Janman]]
|-
|[[Eric Deakins]]
|[[Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)|Walthamstow]]
|
|[[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970]]
|[[Hugo Summerson]]
|-
! rowspan=3 style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=3|{{party shortname linked|Liberal Party (UK)}}
|[[Sir Clement Freud]]
|[[North East Cambridgeshire]]
|
|[[1973 Isle of Ely by-election|1973]]
|[[Malcolm Moss]]
|-
|[[Michael Meadowcroft]]
|[[Leeds West]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[John Battle (politician)|John Battle]]
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Elizabeth Shields]]
|[[Ryedale (UK Parliament constituency)|Ryedale]]
|
|[[1986 Ryedale by-election|1986]]
|[[John Greenway (British politician)|John Greenway]]
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|-
! rowspan=3 style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=3|{{party shortname linked|Social Democratic Party (UK)}}
| The Rt Hon [[Roy Jenkins]]
|[[Glasgow Hillhead]]
|Former Leader of the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]]
|[[1982 Glasgow Hillhead by-election|1982]]
|[[George Galloway]]
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Mike Hancock (British politician)|Mike Hancock]]
|[[Portsmouth South]]
|
|[[1984 Portsmouth South by-election|1984]]
|[[David Martin (English politician)|David Martin]]
! rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=2|{{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|-
|[[Ian Wrigglesworth]]
|[[Stockton South]]
|
|[[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974]]
|[[Tim Devlin]]
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish National Party}}
|[[Gordon Wilson (Scottish politician)|Gordon Wilson]]
|[[Dundee East (UK Parliament constituency)|Dundee East]]
|Leader of the [[Scottish National Party]]
|[[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974]]
|[[John McAllion]]
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Ulster Unionist Party}}
| The Rt Hon Brig [[Enoch Powell]]
|[[South Down (UK Parliament constituency)|South Down]]
|
|[[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]]
|[[Eddie McGrady]]
| {{Party name with colour|Social Democratic and Labour Party}}
|-
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of MPs elected in the 1987 United Kingdom general election]]
* [[1987 United Kingdom general election in England]]
* [[1987 United Kingdom general election in Scotland]]
* [[1987 United Kingdom general election in Wales]]
* [[1987 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland]]
* [[1987 United Kingdom local elections]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

===Biographies===
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last=Campbell |first=John |author-link=John Campbell (biographer) |year=2003 |title=Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady |volume=2 |publisher=Pimlico |isbn=978-0-7126-6781-4}}
* {{citation |last=Tebbit |first=Norman |author-link=Norman Tebbit |year=1988 |title=Upwardly Mobile |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |isbn=978-0-297-79427-1}}
* {{citation |last=Thatcher |first=Margaret |author-link=Margaret Thatcher |year=1993 |title=The Downing Street Years |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-00-255354-4 |title-link=The Downing Street Years}}
{{refend}}

=== Scholarly sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last1=Butler |first1=David E. |author1-link=David Butler (psephologist) |last2=Kavanagh |first2=Dennis |author2-link=Dennis Kavanagh |title=The British General Election of 1987 |year=1988 |postscript=,}} the standard scholarly study.
* {{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 |editor-last=Craig |editor-first=F. W. S. |title=British General Election Manifestos, 1959–1987 |year=1990}}
* {{citation |last1=Crewe |first1=Ivor |author-link=Ivor Crewe |last2=Harrop |first2=Martin |title=Political Communications: The General Election Campaign of 1987 |year=1989 |page=316}}
* {{citation |last1=Galbraith |first1=John W. |last2=Rae |first2=Nicol C. |title=A Test of the Importance of Tactical Voting: Great Britain, 1987 |journal=British Journal of Political Science |year=1989 |volume=19 |pages=126–136 |number=1 |jstor=193792|doi=10.1017/S0007123400005366 |s2cid=154797699}}
* {{citation |last=Scott |first=Len |title=Selling or Selling Out Nuclear Disarmament? Labour, the Bomb, and the 1987 General Election |journal=International History Review |year=2012 |volume=34 |pages=115–137 |number=1 |doi=10.1080/07075332.2012.620242 |s2cid=154319694}}
* {{citation |last1=Stewart |first1=Marianne C. |last2=Clarke |first2=Harold D. |title=The (un)importance of party leaders: Leader images and party choice in the 1987 British election |journal=Journal of Politics |year=1992 |volume=54 |pages=447–470 |number=2 |postscript=,|doi=10.2307/2132034 |jstor=2132034 |s2cid=154890477}} says the well-organised, media-wise Labour campaign helped Kinnock, but he was hurt by Conservative momentum and Thatcher's image as a decisive leader. Leadership images proved more important in voters' choices than did party identification, economic concerns, etc.
{{refend}}

== Manifestos ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111206085517/http://politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/con87.htm ''The Next Moves Forward''], 1987 Conservative Party manifesto
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111206085214/http://politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lab87.htm ''Britain will win with Labour''], 1987 Labour Party manifesto
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111206060134/http://politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib87.htm ''Britain United: The Time Has Come''], 1987 SDP–Liberal Alliance manifesto

{{United Kingdom elections}}
{{1987 United Kingdom general election}}
{{Margaret Thatcher}}
{{Neil Kinnock}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1987 United Kingdom general election| ]]
[[Category:General elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom|1987]]
[[Category:1987 elections in the United Kingdom|General election]]
[[Category:June 1987 in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom general election]]
[[Category:Premiership of Margaret Thatcher]]
[[Category:Neil Kinnock]]
[[Category:History of the Conservative Party (UK)]]