View source for 1992 United Kingdom general election

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1992 United Kingdom general election
| country = United Kingdom
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1987 United Kingdom general election
| previous_year = 1987
| outgoing_members = List of MPs elected in the 1987 United Kingdom general election
| election_date = 9 April 1992
| elected_members = List of MPs elected in the 1992 United Kingdom general election
| next_election = 1997 United Kingdom general election
| next_year = 1997
| seats_for_election = All [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies (1983–1997)|651 seats]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]
| majority_seats = 326
| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the 1992 United Kingdom general election
| turnout = 33,614,074<br>77.7% ({{increase}}2.4 [[Percentage point|pp]])

<!--      Conservative     -->| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image = John Major Feb. 1993.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader1 = [[John Major]]
| party1 = Conservative Party (UK)
| leader_since1 = [[1990 Conservative Party leadership election|27 November 1990]]
| leaders_seat1 = [[Huntingdon (UK Parliament constituency)|Huntingdon]]
| last_election1 = 376 seats, 42.2%
| seats1 = '''336'''
| seat_change1 = {{decrease}}40
| popular_vote1 = '''14,094,116'''
| percentage1 = '''41.9%'''
| swing1 = {{decrease}}0.3 [[Percentage point|pp]]

<!--      Labour      -->| image2 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Official portrait of Neil Kinnock, Member of the EC (cropped).jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|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 = 229 seats, 30.8%
| seats2 = 271
| seat_change2 = {{increase}}42
| popular_vote2 = 11,557,062
| percentage2 = 34.4%
| swing2 = {{increase}}3.6 [[Percentage point|pp]]

<!--      Liberal Democrats      -->| image3 = {{CSS image crop|Image =ASHDOWN Paddy.jpg|bSize = 127|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader3 = [[Paddy Ashdown]]
| leader_since3 = [[1988 Social and Liberal Democrats leadership election|16 July 1988]]
| party3 = Liberal Democrats (UK)
| leaders_seat3 = [[Yeovil (UK Parliament constituency)|Yeovil]]
| last_election3 = 22 seats, 22.6%{{efn|As [[SDP–Liberal Alliance]]; two of these refused to join the Liberal Democrats and remained in the [[Social Democratic Party (UK, 1988–1990)|continuing SDP]]}}
| seats3 = 20
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}}2
| popular_vote3 = 6,027,038
| percentage3 = 17.8%
| swing3 = {{decrease}}4.8 [[Percentage point|pp]]
| map_image = UK General Election, 1992.svg
| map_size = 200px
| map_caption = Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results
| title = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]
| posttitle = Prime Minister after election
| before_election = [[John Major]]
| before_party = Conservative Party (UK)
| after_election = [[John Major]]
| after_party = Conservative Party (UK)
| map2_image = House of Commons 1992 Election.svg
| map2_caption = Composition of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] after the election
| map2_size = 360px
}}
The '''1992 United Kingdom general election''' was held on Thursday 9 April 1992, to elect [[List of MPs elected in the 1992 United Kingdom general election|651 members]] to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]. The governing [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] led by [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[John Major]] won a fourth consecutive election victory, with a majority of 21. This would be the last time that the Conservatives would win an overall majority at a general election until [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015]] and the last general election to be held on a day which did not coincide with any local elections until [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]]. This election result took many by surprise, as opinion polling leading up to the election day had shown a narrow but consistent lead for the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] under leader [[Neil Kinnock]] during a period of recession and declining living standards.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.sky.com/story/neil-kinnock-labour-leader-who-lost-unlosable-election-predicts-starmer-will-end-up-in-no-10-13074719 | title=Neil Kinnock: Labour leader who lost 'unlosable' election predicts Starmer will end up in No 10 | work=Sky News | first=Faye | last=Brown | date=19 February 2024 | access-date=5 July 2024}}</ref>

[[John Major]] had won the [[1990 Conservative Party leadership election|leadership election]] in November 1990 following the resignation of [[Margaret Thatcher]]. During his first term leading up to the 1992 election he oversaw the British involvement in the [[Gulf War]], introduced legislation to replace the unpopular [[Community Charge]] with [[Council Tax]], and signed the [[Maastricht Treaty]]. Britain was sliding into its second recession in a decade at the time of Major's appointment.

Opinion polls in the run-up to the election had suggested that it would end in a hung parliament or a narrow Labour majority. The fact that it produced a Conservative majority meant that it was one of the most dramatic and memorable elections in the UK since the end of the Second World War.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/basics/4393317.stm|title=1992: Tories win again against odds|work=BBC News|date=5 April 2005|access-date=22 October 2013|archive-date=22 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422045259/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/basics/4393317.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The Conservative Party received what remains the largest number of votes at a United Kingdom general election in British history, breaking the previous record set by the Labour Party in [[1951 United Kingdom general election|1951]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Election Statistics: UK 1918–2017|url=http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7529|page=12|date=23 April 2017|publisher=House of Commons Library|access-date=14 August 2017|archive-date=14 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814094935/http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7529|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Former [[Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative leader]] and [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] Margaret Thatcher, former [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] leader [[Michael Foot]], former SDP leader [[David Owen]], three former [[Chancellors of the Exchequer]], [[Denis Healey]], [[Geoffrey Howe]] and [[Nigel Lawson]], former [[Home Secretary]] [[Merlyn Rees]], [[Francis Maude]], [[Norman Tebbit]], [[Rosie Barnes]], [[Sinn Féin]] leader [[Gerry Adams]] and [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]] [[Bernard Weatherill]] left the House of Commons after this election, though Maude and Adams returned at the next election. Future Conservative leader [[Iain Duncan Smith]] was elected to Parliament for the first time in this election. {{as of|2025}}, the 1992-97 Parliament is the last in which every MP elected to the House of Commons took their seat (as Sinn Féin's MPs are [[abstentionist]]). Adams' defeat meant no Sinn Féin candidates were elected for the only time since 1983.

==Overview==
The Conservatives had been re-elected in a landslide at the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 general election]] under the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher]], who had led the party back into power in 1979 and won a landslide majority in 1983, but her popularity and that of her government sharply declined due to [[Wets and dries|internal divisions in the party]] and the unpopular [[Poll tax (Great Britain)|Community Charge (also known as the 'poll tax')]], as well as the fact that Britain was sliding into recession in the run-up to her resignation in November 1990.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

Labour began to lead the Conservatives in the opinion polls by as much as 20 percentage points. Thatcher resigned following the [[1990 Conservative Party leadership election|party leadership ballot in November 1990]], initiated by [[Michael Heseltine]], and was replaced by her Chancellor of the Exchequer [[John Major]]. This was well received by the public; Labour lost some momentum as it reduced the impact of their calls for "Time for a Change".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8280050.stm | work=BBC News | title=Poll tracker: Interactive guide to the opinion polls | date=29 September 2009 | access-date=26 February 2014 | archive-date=29 July 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729111322/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8280050.stm | url-status=live }}</ref>

On 16 January 1991, Operation Desert Storm began the [[Gulf War]], the Major ministry's first foreign affairs crisis. The quick and successful outcome on the conflict led to a boost in opinion polls for Major, in spite of the deepening recession and rising unemployment. Another boost in the polls for Major was his announcement that the unpopular community charge [[Poll tax (Great Britain)|(poll tax)]] would be replaced with the [[Council Tax]]. The Labour opposition made repeated calls for a general election to be held during 1991, but Major resisted these calls.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

As 1992 dawned, the recession had still not ended, unemployment now topped 2.5 million and the election loomed, with most opinion polls suggested that the election would produce a hung parliament or a narrow Labour majority, although the lead in the polls had shifted between Tory and Labour on several occasions since November 1990.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

Parliament was due to expire no later than 16 June 1992. Major called the election on 11 March, as was widely expected, the day after [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] [[Norman Lamont]] had delivered [[1992 United Kingdom budget|the Budget]]. The Conservatives maintained strong support in many newspapers, especially ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'', which ran a series of anti-Labour articles that culminated on election day with a front-page headline which urged "the last person to leave Britain" to "turn out the lights" if Labour won the election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3654446.stm|title=Forty years of The Sun|work=BBC News|first=Torin|last=Douglas|date=14 September 2004|access-date=22 October 2013|archive-date=12 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912042605/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3654446.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Campaign==
The 50th Parliament of the United Kingdom sat for the last time on Monday 16 March, being dissolved on the same day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1992/mar/16/charities-bill-hl|title=Charities Bill [H.L.]  |website=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|access-date=30 July 2017|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731025133/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1992/mar/16/charities-bill-hl|date=16 March 1992|url-status=live}}</ref>

Under the leadership of [[Neil Kinnock]], the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] had undergone further developments and alterations since its [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 general election]] defeat. Labour entered the campaign confident, with most [[opinion poll]]s showing a slight Labour lead that if maintained suggested a [[hung parliament]], with no single party having an overall majority.

The parties campaigned on the familiar grounds of [[tax]]ation and health care. Major became known for delivering his speeches while standing on an upturned [[soapbox]] during public meetings. Immigration was also an issue, with Home Secretary [[Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking|Kenneth Baker]] making a controversial speech stating that, under Labour, the floodgates would be opened for immigrants from developing countries. Some speculated that this was a bid by the Conservatives to shore up its support amongst its white working-class supporters.{{who|date=December 2013}} The Conservatives also attacked The Labour Party over the issue of taxation, producing a memorable poster entitled "Labour's Double-Whammy", showing a boxer wearing gloves marked "tax rises" and "inflation".

An early setback for Labour came in the form of the "[[War of Jennifer's Ear]]" controversy, which questioned the truthfulness of a Labour party [[election broadcast]] concerning [[National Health Service (England)|National Health Service]] (NHS) waiting lists.

Labour seemingly recovered from the NHS controversy, and opinion polls on 1 April (dubbed "Red Wednesday") showed a clear Labour lead. But the lead fell considerably in the following day's polls. Observers blamed the decline on the Labour Party's triumphalist "[[Sheffield Rally]]", an enthusiastic American-style political convention at the [[Sheffield Arena]], where [[Neil Kinnock]] famously cried out "We're all right!" three times.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/7TOgB3Smvro Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100429203348/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TOgB3Smvro Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TOgB3Smvro|title=UK General Election 1992 – Neil "We're Alright" Kinnock at the 1992 Sheffield Rally|date=30 October 2009|website=YouTube|access-date=15 May 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> However, some analysts and participants in the campaign believed it actually had little effect, with the event only receiving widespread attention after the election.<ref>{{cite book |last=Westlake |first=Martin|year=2001|title=Kinnock: The Biography|edition=3rd |publisher=Little, Brown Book Group|location=London |isbn=0-3168-4871-9|pages=560–564}}</ref>

This was the first general election for the newly formed [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], a party formed by the formal merger of the [[SDP–Liberal Alliance]] following the 1987 general election. Its formation had not been without its problems, but under the strong leadership of [[Paddy Ashdown]], who proved to be a likeable and candid figure, the party went into the election ready to win votes and seats. They focused on education throughout the campaign, as well as a promise on reforming the voting system.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/in_depth/election_battles/1992_person.stm|title=1992 Personalities|work=BBC News|access-date=22 October 2013|archive-date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023063520/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/in_depth/election_battles/1992_person.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The weather was largely dull for most of the campaign, as would be typical in early-spring Britain, but the warm and sunny conditions on 9 April may have been a factor in the high turnout.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monthly Weather Report: March 1992 |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/o/4/mar1992.pdf |website=[[Met Office]] |access-date=3 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113123806/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/o/4/mar1992.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Monthly Weather Report: April 1992 |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/o/7/apr1992.pdf |website=[[Met Office]] |access-date=3 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113123813/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/o/7/apr1992.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/YuvzOd3EYaE Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20090719232949/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuvzOd3EYaE&feature=related Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuvzOd3EYaE|title=BBC1 Election Day 1992 coverage|last=ratpackmanreturns|date=28 December 2007|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Minor parties==
In [[Scotland]], the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) hoped for a major electoral breakthrough in 1992 and had run a hard independence campaign with "Free by '93" as their slogan, urging voters to back a party which would deliver Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. Although the party increased its total vote by 50% compared to 1987, they only held onto the three seats they had won at the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|previous election]]. They lost [[Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Govan]], which their deputy leader [[Jim Sillars]] had taken from Labour in a [[1988 Glasgow Govan by-election|by-election in 1988]]. Sillars quit active politics after the general election with a parting shot at the Scottish electorate as being "ninety-minute patriots", referring to their support of the [[Scotland football team]] only during match time.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1428647/Swinney-should-stop-his-sneering-at-'second-best'.html |title=Swinney should stop his sneering at 'second best' |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |first=Tom |last=Peterkin |date=28 April 2003 |access-date=30 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204085549/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1428647/Swinney-should-stop-his-sneering-at-%27second-best%27.html |archive-date=4 December 2008  }}</ref>

The election also saw a small change in [[Northern Ireland]]: the Conservatives organised and stood candidates in the constituent country for the first time since the [[Ulster Unionist Party]] had broken with them in 1972 over the [[Sunningdale Agreement]]. Although they won no seats, their best result was Laurence Kennedy achieving over 14,000 votes to run second to [[James Kilfedder]] in [[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|North Down]].

==Retirees==

Former prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] stepped down at the general election, as did former cabinet minister [[Norman Tebbit]], Labour veteran [[Denis Healey]], former Conservative chancellor [[Nigel Lawson]], [[Geoffrey Howe]], former Labour leader [[Michael Foot]], former SDP leader [[David Owen]], [[Merlyn Rees]], then-[[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker]] [[Bernard Weatherill]], former Conservative Party chairman [[Cecil Parkinson]], [[John Wakeham]], [[Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale|Nicholas Ridley]] and [[Peter Morrison]]. [[Alan Clark]] also retired from Parliament, though he returned in 1997 as MP for [[Kensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)|Kensington and Chelsea]], only to die two years later.

==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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801141949/http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/may/04/general-election-newspaper-support |date=1 August 2013 }}' (2010) on [[The Guardian]]</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Newspaper
! colspan=2| Party/ies endorsed
! Circulation (in millions)
|-
| ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"|
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| 3.6
|-
| ''[[Daily Mirror]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
| 2.9
|-
| ''[[Daily Mail]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| 1.7
|-
| ''[[Daily Express]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"|
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| 1.5
|-
| ''[[Daily Telegraph]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| 1.0
|-
|rowspan="2"|  ''[[The Guardian]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|rowspan="2"| 0.4
|-
| style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]
|-
| ''[[The Independent]]''
| style="background-color:black" | 
| None
| 0.4
|-
| ''[[The Times]]''
| style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| 0.4
|}

In a move later described in ''[[The Observer]]'' as appalling to its [[City of London|City]] readership,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Robinson|first=James|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/30/financialtimes.pressandpublishing|title=FT's ebullient leader revels in the power of newsprint|date=30 March 2008|work=The Observer|access-date=28 March 2020|archive-date=28 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328170930/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/30/financialtimes.pressandpublishing|url-status=live}}</ref> the ''[[Financial Times]]'' endorsed the Labour Party in this general election.

==Opinion polling==
{{Main|Opinion polling for the 1992 United Kingdom general election}}
{{UK general election opinion polling|1983|1987|1992|1997|2001}}
[[File:1992 election polls.png|thumb|center|900x900px|Opinion polling for the 1992 UK General Election, with a 7-poll moving average.{{columns-list|colwidth=18em|
 {{Legend-line|#0087DC solid 5px|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]}}
 {{Legend-line|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}} solid 5px|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]}}
 {{Legend-line|#FAA61A solid 5px|[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]}}
}}
]]

Almost every poll leading up to polling day predicted either a [[hung parliament]] with [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] the largest party, or a small Labour majority of around 19 to 23. Polls on the last few days before the country voted predicted a very slim Labour majority.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/exclusive-how-did-labour-lose-in-92-the-most-authoritative-study-of-the-last-general-election-is-published-tomorrow-here-its-authors-present-their-conclusions-and-explode-the-myths-about-the-greatest-upset-since-1945-1439286.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/exclusive-how-did-labour-lose-in-92-the-most-authoritative-study-of-the-last-general-election-is-published-tomorrow-here-its-authors-present-their-conclusions-and-explode-the-myths-about-the-greatest-upset-since-1945-1439286.html |archive-date=1 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=How did Labour lose in '92?: The most authoritative study of the last general election is published tomorrow. Here, its authors present their conclusions and explode the myths about the greatest upset since 1945 |newspaper=The Independent |date=29 May 1994 |access-date=24 March 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Of the 50 opinion polls published during the election campaign period, 38 suggested Labour had a narrow but clear lead.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31504146|title=How political polling shapes public opinion|last=Cowling|first=David|date=18 February 2015|work=BBC News|access-date=15 May 2019|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420230626/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31504146|url-status=live}}</ref> After the polls closed, the BBC and ITV [[exit poll]]s still predicted that there would be a hung parliament and "that the Conservatives would only just get more seats than Labour".<ref>Firth, D., [http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/staff/academic-research/firth/exit-poll-explainer/ Exit polling explained] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509034439/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/staff/academic-research/firth/exit-poll-explainer |date=9 May 2015 }}, University of Warwick, Statistics Department.</ref>

With opinion polls at the end of the campaign showing Labour and the Conservatives neck and neck, the actual election result was a surprise to many in the media and in polling organisations. The apparent failure of the opinion polls to come close to predicting the actual result led to an inquiry by the ''Market Research Society'', and would eventually result in the creation of the [[British Polling Council]] a decade later. Following the election, most opinion polling companies changed their methodology in the belief that a '[[Shy Tory factor]]' affected the polling.

==Results==
{{See also|Results of the 1992 United Kingdom general election}}[[File:Neil Kinnock, Glenys Kinnock and Bryan Gould in 1992.jpg|thumb|Labour Leader [[Neil Kinnock]] conceding defeat]]
[[File:1992 United Kingdom General Election.svg|thumb|400px|Results map]]
The election turnout of 77.67%<ref name=M13 /> was the highest in 18 years. There was an overall Labour swing of 2.2%, which widened the gap between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Although the percentage of Conservative votes was only 0.3% down on 1987, the Conservative [[Majority government|overall majority]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] was reduced from 102 to 21. This number was reduced progressively during the course of Major's term in office due to defections of MPs to other parties, by-election defeats, and for a time in 1994–95 the suspension of the Conservative whip for some MPs who voted against the government on its European policy{{mdash}}by 1996, the Conservative majority had been reduced to just 1 seat, and they were in a [[minority government|minority]] going into 1997 until the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]]. The Conservatives in 1992 received 14,093,007 votes,<ref name=M13 /> the highest total of votes for any political party in any UK general election, beating the previous largest total vote of 13.98 million achieved by Labour in [[1951 United Kingdom general election|1951]] (although this was from a smaller electorate and represented a higher vote share). Nine government ministers lost their seats in 1992, including party chairman [[Chris Patten]].

''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]''{{'}}s analysis of the election results was headlined "[[It's The Sun Wot Won It]]", though in his testimony to the April 2012 [[Leveson Inquiry]], [[Rupert Murdoch]] claimed that the "infamous" headline was "both tasteless and wrong".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/apr/25/rupert-murdoch-sun-wot-won-it-tasteless?newsfeed=true|title=Rupert Murdoch: 'Sun wot won it' headline was tasteless and wrong|last=Dowell|first=Ben|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Newspapers|date=25 April 2012|access-date=27 April 2012|location=London|archive-date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023104009/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/apr/25/rupert-murdoch-sun-wot-won-it-tasteless?newsfeed=true|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tony Blair]] also accepted this theory of Labour's defeat and put considerable effort into securing ''The Sun''{{'}}s support for [[New Labour]], both as [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]] before the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]] and as [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] afterwards.

[[Steve Richards]] notes that one theory for Labour's defeat relates to Kinnock seeming triumphalist, "overconfident and cocky" at a major [[Sheffield Rally|Labour Party election rally in Sheffield]]. At the time of the event polls suggested Labour was well ahead of the Conservatives. Richards argues the rally "acquired a mythological status as fatal event" after Labour's defeat, but considers this theory to be "a red herring". He notes that prior to the result of the election becoming known, "there was no suggestion that Kinnock had made a terrible blunder" at the event. Indeed, Richards notes that the BBC's political editor [[John Cole (journalist)|John Cole]] had indicated he had been impressed in his live reporting of the rally which Cole compared with similar events held by [[President Kennedy]]. Richards concluded that the party would have lost the election even if there had been no Sheffield Rally.<ref name="SRichardspp157-158">{{cite book |last1=Richards |first1=Steve |title=The Prime Ministers We Never Had; Success and Failure from Butler to Corbyn |date=2021 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=London |isbn=978-1-83895-241-9 |pages=157–158}}</ref>

This election continued the Conservatives' decline in Northern England, with Labour regaining many seats they had not held since 1979. The Conservatives also began to lose support in the Midlands, but achieved a slight increase in their vote in Scotland, where they had a net gain of one seat. Labour and [[Plaid Cymru]] strengthened in Wales, with Conservative support declining. However, in the South East, South West, London and Eastern England the Conservative vote held up, leading to few losses there: many considered [[Basildon in the 1992 General Election|Basildon]] to be indicative of a [[nouveau riche]] working-class element, referred to as [[Essex man]], voting strongly Conservative. This election is the most recent in which the Conservatives won more seats than Labour in [[Greater London]], at 48 to 35;<ref name=M13 /> in the 1997 election, the Conservatives would win only 11.<ref name="M15">{{cite web |last1=Rallings |first1=Colin |author-link1=Colin Rallings |first2=Michael |last2=Thrasher |author-link2=Michael Thrasher |title=General Election Results, 1 May 1997 |url=https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/m15.pdf |website=UK Parliament Information Office |access-date=7 July 2020 |archive-date=4 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204080932/http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/m15.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

For the Liberal Democrats their first election campaign was a reasonable success; the party had worked itself up from a "low base" during its troubled creation and come out relatively unscathed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/in_depth/election_battles/1992_results.stm|title=1992 Results|work=BBC News|access-date=22 October 2013|archive-date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023062301/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/in_depth/election_battles/1992_results.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

It was Labour's second general election defeat under leader [[Neil Kinnock]] and deputy leader [[Roy Hattersley]]. Both resigned soon after the election, and were succeeded by [[John Smith (Labour Party leader)|John Smith]] and [[Margaret Beckett]] respectively.

Sitting MPs [[Dave Nellist]], [[Terry Fields]], [[Ron Brown (Scottish politician)|Ron Brown]], [[John Hughes (Coventry North East MP)|John Hughes]] and [[Syd Bidwell]], who had been expelled or deselected by the Labour Party and stood as independents, were all defeated, although in Nellist's case only very narrowly. [[Tommy Sheridan]], fighting the election from prison, polled 19% in [[Glasgow Pollok (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Pollok]].

[[File:House of Commons 1992 Election.svg|left|300px]]
{{clear left}}
<!-- this section is transcluded on Electoral history of John Major -->:[[File:Results_of_the_UK_General_Election,_1992.svg|alt=Ring charts of the election results showing popular vote against seats won, coloured in party colours|right|thumb|200x200px|Seats won in the election (outer ring) against number of votes (inner ring)]]
<section begin="UK General Election 1992"/>
{{Election summary begin with leaders| title = UK general election 1992<ref name=M13>{{cite web|title=General Election Results 9 April 1992|url=http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/m13.pdf|publisher=parliament.uk|access-date=14 June 2011|archive-date=13 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013125923/http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/m13.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |leader     = [[John Major]]
  |candidates = 645
  |seats      = 336
  |gain       = 3
  |loss       = 44
  |net        = −41
  |votes      = 14,094,116
  |votes %    = 41.9
  |seats %    = 51.69
  |plus/minus = −0.3
  |government = yes
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |leader     = [[Neil Kinnock]]
  |candidates = 634{{efn| Includes 27 [[Co-operative Party]] candidates, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |seats      = 271{{efn| Includes 14 [[Co-operative Party]] MPs, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |gain       = 43
  |loss       = [[Aberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |net        = +42{{efn| Includes +5 [[Co-operative Party]] MPs, as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |votes      = 11,557,062{{efn| Includes 495,702 for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |votes %    = 34.4{{efn| Includes 1.5% for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |seats %    = 41.62{{efn| Includes 2.2% for the [[Co-operative Party]], as part of the [[Labour and Co-operative Party|Labour-Co-op]] alliance |name=|group=}}
  |plus/minus = +3.6{{efn| Includes +0.5% 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      = Liberal Democrats (UK)
  |leader     = [[Paddy Ashdown]]
  |candidates = 632
  |seats      = 20
  |gain       = 4
  |loss       = 6
  |net        = −2
  |votes      = 6,027,038
  |votes %    = 17.8
  |seats %    = 3.07
  |plus/minus = −4.8
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Scottish National Party
  |leader     = [[Alex Salmond]]
  |candidates = 72
  |seats      = 3
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 629,552
  |votes %    = 1.9
  |seats %    = 0.46
  |plus/minus = +0.6
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Ulster Unionist Party
  |leader     = [[James Molyneaux]]
  |candidates = 13
  |seats      = 9
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 270,749
  |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      = 4
  |gain       = [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = +1
  |votes      = 184,445
  |votes %    = 0.5
  |seats %    = 0.61
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
  |leader     = [[Jean Lambert]] and [[Richard Lawson (Green politician)|Richard Lawson]]
  |candidates = 253
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 170,047
  |votes %    = 0.5
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = +0.2
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Plaid Cymru
  |leader     = [[Dafydd Wigley]]
  |candidates = 38
  |seats      = 4
  |gain       = [[Ceredigion and Pembroke North (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = +1
  |votes      = 156,796
  |votes %    = 0.5
  |seats %    = 0.61
  |plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Democratic Unionist Party
  |leader     = [[Ian Paisley]]
  |candidates = 7
  |seats      = 3
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 103,039
  |votes %    = 0.3
  |seats %    = 0.46
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Sinn Féin
  |leader     = [[Gerry Adams]]
  |candidates = 14
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |net        = −1
  |votes      = 78,291
  |votes %    = 0.2
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = −0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
  |leader     = [[John Alderdice]]
  |candidates = 16
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 68,695
  |votes %    = 0.2
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Liberal Party (UK, 1989)
  |leader     = [[Michael Meadowcroft]]
  |candidates = 73
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 64,744
  |votes %    = 0.2
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Natural Law Party
  |leader     = Geoffrey Clements
  |candidates = 309
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 62,888
  |votes %    = 0.2
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Independent Social Democrat
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 2
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 28,599
  |votes %    = 0.1
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Independent politician|Independent Labour
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 6
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 22,844
  |votes %    = 0.1
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Ulster Popular Unionist Party
  |leader     = [[James Kilfedder]]
  |candidates = [[James Kilfedder|1]]
  |seats      = [[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 19,305
  |votes %    = 0.1
  |seats %    = 0.15
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Independent Conservative
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 12
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 11,356
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Official Monster Raving Loony Party
  |leader     = [[Screaming Lord Sutch]]
  |candidates = 25
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 7,929
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Independent politician
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = 23
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 7,631
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = British National Party
  |leader     = [[John Tyndall (far-right activist)|John Tyndall]]
  |candidates = 13
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 7,631
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990)
  |leader     = John Bates
  |candidates = 8
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 6,649
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Scottish Militant Labour
  |leader     = [[Tommy Sheridan]]
  |candidates = [[Glasgow Pollok (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 6,287
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = National Front (UK)|National Front (United Kingdom)
  |leader     = John McAuley
  |candidates = 14
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 4,816
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = True Labour
  |leader     = [[Sydney Bidwell]]
  |candidates = [[Ealing Southall (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 4,665
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = [[Anti-Federalist League|Anti-Federalist]]
  |leader     = [[Alan Sked]]
  |candidates = 17
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 4,383
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Workers' Party (Ireland)
  |leader     = [[Marian Donnelly]]
  |candidates = 8
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 4,359
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = Official Conservative Hove Party
  |leader     = Nigel Furness
  |candidates = [[Hove (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 2,658
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = [[Raving Loony Green Giant Party|Loony Green]]
  |leader     = [[Stuart Hughes (politician)|Stuart Hughes]]
  |candidates = 5
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 2,538
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Independent Unionist
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = [[Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 2,256
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = [[Democratic Left (Ireland)|New Agenda]]
  |leader     = [[Proinsias De Rossa]]
  |candidates = 2
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 2,133
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = Independent Progressive Socialist
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = [[Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 1,094
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Islamic Party of Britain
  |leader     = David Pidcock
  |candidates = 4
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 1,085
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
  |party      = Revolutionary Communist Party (UK, 1978)
  |leader     = [[Frank Furedi]]
  |candidates = 8
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 745
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = Independent Nationalist
  |leader     = ''N/A''
  |candidates = [[Halifax (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1990s|1]]
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 649
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
  |party      = [[Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee)|Communist (PCC)]]
  |leader     = Jack Conrad
  |candidates = 4
  |seats      = 0
  |gain       = {{Steady}}
  |loss       = {{Steady}}
  |net        = {{Steady}}
  |votes      = 603
  |votes %    = 0.0
  |seats %    = 0.0
  |plus/minus = {{Steady}}
}}
{{Election summary end}}
''All parties with more than 500 votes shown. Plaid Cymru result includes votes for Green/Plaid Cymru Alliance.''

{| class="wikitable" style="width:630px"
|-
|'''Government's new majority'''
|'''21'''
|-
|Total votes cast<ref name=M13 />
|33,614,074
|-
|Turnout
|77.7%
|}<section end="UK General Election 1992"/>

{{bar box
|title=Popular vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=410px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Conservative'''|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|41.9}}
{{bar percent|Labour|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|34.4}}
{{bar percent|Liberal Democrat|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|17.8}}
{{bar percent|Scottish National|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|1.9}}
{{bar percent|Ulster Unionist|{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}|0.8}}
{{bar percent|Others|#777777|2.9}}
}}
{{bar box
|title=Parliamentary seats
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=410px
|bars=
{{bar percent|'''Conservative'''|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|51.6}}
{{bar percent|Labour|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|41.6}}
{{bar percent|Liberal Democrat|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|3.1}}
{{bar percent|Ulster Unionist|{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}|1.4}}
{{bar percent|Others|#777777|2.3}}
}}
[[File:1992 UK General Election Gallagher Index.png|right|thumb|The disproportionality of the house of parliament in the 1992 election was 13.59 according to the [[Gallagher Index]], mainly between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.]]

=== 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)
|81%
|10%
|n/a
|9%
|-
|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>
|77%
|11%
|10%
|3%
|-
|Afro-Caribbean<ref name=":0" />
|85%
|8%
|6%
|1%
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ethnic group by class voting intention<ref name=":0" />
! rowspan="3" |Ethnic group
! colspan="4" |Class
|-
! colspan="2" |White
! colspan="2" |non-White
|-
!ABC1
!C2DE
!ABC1
!C2DE
|-
|Labour
|37%
|52%
|54%
|78%
|-
|Conservative
|47%
|28%
|31%
|8%
|}

==Incumbents defeated==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! colspan="2" |Party
!Name
!Constituency
!Office held while in power
!Year elected
!Defeated by
! colspan="2" |Party
|-
! rowspan=38 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | 
| rowspan=38|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|[[Humfrey Malins]]
|[[Croydon North West]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Malcolm Wicks]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Michael Knowles (politician)|Michael Knowles]]
|[[Nottingham East]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[John Heppell]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Martin Brandon-Bravo]]
|[[Nottingham South]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Alan Simpson (British politician)|Alan Simpson]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Andy Stewart (politician)|Andy Stewart]]
|[[Sherwood (UK Parliament constituency)|Sherwood]]
|[[Parliamentary private secretary]] to the [[Leader of the House of Commons]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Paddy Tipping]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Tim Janman]]
|[[Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency)|Thurrock]]
|
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Andrew MacKinlay]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Michael Irvine]]
|[[Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)|Ipswich]]
|
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Jamie Cann]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Colin Moynihan]]
|[[Lewisham East (UK Parliament constituency)|Lewisham East]]
|[[Parliamentary under-secretary of state|Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Bridget Prentice]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Bill Shelton (politician)|Sir William Shelton]]
|[[Streatham (UK Parliament constituency)|Streatham]]
|
|[[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970]]
|[[Keith Hill (politician)|Keith Hill]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Patrick Ground]] <small>[[King's Counsel|QC]]</small>
|[[Feltham and Heston]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Alan Keen]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Neil Thorne|Sir Neil Thorne]]
|[[Ilford South]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Mike Gapes]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Hugo Summerson]]
|[[Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)|Walthamstow]]
|
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Neil Gerrard]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Michael Fallon]]
|[[Darlington (UK Parliament constituency)|Darlington]]
|[[Parliamentary under-secretary of state|Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Alan Milburn]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Chris Butler (politician)|Chris Butler]]
|[[Warrington South]]
|
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Mike Hall (British politician)|Mike Hall]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Cecil Franks]]
|[[Barrow and Furness]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[John Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness|John Hutton]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Tony Favell]]
|[[Stockport (UK Parliament constituency)|Stockport]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Ann Coffey]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Ken Hargreaves]]
|[[Hyndburn (UK Parliament constituency)|Hyndburn]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Greg Pope]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[John Lee, Baron Lee of Trafford|John Lee]]
|[[Pendle (UK Parliament constituency)|Pendle]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Gordon Prentice]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Ken Hind]]
|[[West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)|Lancashire West]]
|[[Parliamentary private secretary]] to the [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Colin Pickthall]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[David Trippier|Sir David Trippier]]
|[[Rossendale and Darwen]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Janet Anderson]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|<small>[[The Right Honourable]]</small><br /> [[Lynda Chalker]]
|[[Wallasey (UK Parliament constituency)|Wallasey]]
|[[Minister of State for Development|Minister for Overseas Development & Africa]]
|[[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|1974]]
|[[Angela Eagle]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Christopher Chope]]
|[[Southampton Itchen]]
|[[Parliamentary under-secretary of state|Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[John Denham (politician)|John Denham]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|<small>[[The Right Honourable]]</small><br /> [[Chris Patten]]
|[[Bath (UK Parliament constituency)|Bath]]
|[[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] & [[Chairman of the Conservative Party]]
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Don Foster, Baron Foster of Bath|Don Foster]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] 
|-
|[[Jonathan Sayeed]]
|[[Bristol East]]
|[[Parliamentary private secretary]] to the [[Paymaster General]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Jean Corston, Baroness Corston|Jean Cortson]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Rob Hayward]]
|[[Kingswood (UK Parliament constituency)|Kingswood]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Roger Berry]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Gerry Neale|Sir Gerry Neale]]
|[[North Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)|North Cornwall]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Paul Tyler]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] 
|-
|[[Tony Speller]]
|[[North Devon (UK Parliament constituency)|North Devon]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Nick Harvey]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] 
|-
|[[Lewis Stevens]]
|[[Nuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)|Nuneaton]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Bill Olner]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|<small>[[The Right Honourable]]</small><br /> [[Francis Maude]]
|[[North Warwickshire (UK Parliament constituency)|North Warwickshire]]
|[[Financial Secretary to the Treasury]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Mike O'Brien (British politician)|Mike O'Brien]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Roger King (politician)|Roger King]]
|[[Birmingham Northfield]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Richard Burden]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[Anthony Beaumont-Dark]]
|[[Birmingham Selly Oak]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Lynne Jones]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 
|-
|[[David Gilroy Bevan]]
|[[Birmingham Yardley]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Estelle Morris]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Maureen Hicks]]
|[[Wolverhampton North East]]
|[[Parliamentary private secretary]] to the [[Minister of State]] for the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]]
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Ken Purchase]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Ian Grist]]
|[[Cardiff Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiff Central]]
|
|[[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|1974]]
|[[Jon Owen Jones]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[John Maples]]
|[[Lewisham West (UK Parliament constituency)|Lewisham West]]
|[[Economic Secretary to the Treasury]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Jim Dowd (politician)|Jim Dowd]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Gerald Bowden]]
|[[Dulwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Dulwich]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Tessa Jowell]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Gerald Howarth]]
|[[Cannock and Burntwood]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Tony Wright (Cannock Chase MP)|Tony Wright]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Conal Gregory]]
|[[York (UK Parliament constituency)|York]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Hugh Bayley]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Nicholas Bennett (politician)|Nicholas Bennett]]
|[[Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Pembrokeshire]]
|[[Parliamentary under-secretary of state|Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Nick Ainger]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
! rowspan=5 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=5|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|[[Frank Doran (British politician)|Frank Doran]]
|[[Aberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency)|Aberdeen South]]
|
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Raymond Robertson (politician)|Raymond Robertson]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[John Smith (Welsh politician)|John Smith]]
|[[Vale of Glamorgan (UK Parliament constituency)|Vale of Glamorgan]]
|
|[[1989 Vale of Glamorgan by-election|1989]]
|[[Walter Sweeney (politician)|Walter Sweeney]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Huw Edwards (politician)|Huw Edwards]]
|[[Monmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Monmouth]]
|
|[[1991 Monmouth by-election|1991]]
|[[Roger Kenneth Evans]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Ashok Kumar (British politician)|Ashok Kumar]]
|[[Langbaurgh (UK Parliament constituency)|Langbaurgh]]
|
|[[1991 Langbaurgh by-election|1991]]
|[[Michael Bates, Baron Bates|Michael Bates]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Sylvia Heal]]
|[[Mid Staffordshire]]
|
|[[1990 Mid Staffordshire by-election|1990]]
|[[Michael Fabricant]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
! rowspan=6 style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=6|[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]
|[[Michael Carr (Liberal Democrat politician)|Michael Carr]]
|[[Ribble Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Ribble Valley]]
|
|[[1991 Ribble Valley by-election|1991]]
|[[Nigel Evans]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Ronnie Fearn]]
|[[Southport (UK Parliament constituency)|Southport]]
|
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Matthew Banks]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[David Bellotti]]
|[[Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency)|Eastbourne]]
|
|[[1990 Eastbourne by-election|1990]]
|[[Nigel Waterson]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Nicol Stephen]]
|[[Kincardine and Deeside (UK Parliament constituency)|Kincardine and Deeside]]
|
|[[1991 Kincardine and Deeside by-election|1991]]
|[[George Kynoch (Kincardine and Deeside MP)|George Kynoch]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Richard Livsey]]
|[[Brecon and Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Brecon and Radnor]]
|
|[[1985 Brecon and Radnor by-election|1985]]
|[[Jonathan Evans (politician)|Jonathan Evans]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Geraint Howells]]
|[[Ceredigion and Pembroke North]]
|
|[[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|1974]]
|[[Cynog Dafis]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Plaid Cymru}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Plaid Cymru]]
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=2 |[[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]]
|[[Rosie Barnes]]
|[[Greenwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Greenwich]]
|
|[[1987 Greenwich by-election|1987]]
|[[Nick Raynsford]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[John Cartwright (British politician)|John Cartwright]]<ref>Former Labour MP, joined SDP.</ref>
|[[Woolwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Woolwich]]
|
|[[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|1974]]
|[[John Austin (politician)|John Austin]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| rowspan=2 |[[Scottish National Party]]
|[[Jim Sillars]]
|[[Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Govan]]
| [[Scottish National Party#Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party|Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party]]
|[[1988 Glasgow Govan by-election|1988]]
|[[Ian Davidson (Scottish politician)|Ian Davidson]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Dick Douglas]]<ref>Former Labour MP, joined SNP. Contested sitting MP's seat.</ref>
|[[Dunfermline West (UK Parliament constituency)|Dunfermline West]] (contested [[Glasgow Garscadden]])
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Donald Dewar]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
! rowspan=6 style="background-color: {{party color|Independent politician}}" |
| rowspan=6 |[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|[[John Browne (Conservative politician)|John Browne]]
|[[Winchester (UK Parliament constituency)|Winchester]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Gerry Malone]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|[[Dave Nellist]]<ref name="ReferenceA">Former Labour MP, expelled from party.</ref>
|[[Coventry South East]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Jim Cunningham (politician)|Jim Cunningham]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[John Hughes (Coventry North East MP)|John Hughes]]<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
|[[Coventry North East]]
|
|[[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987]]
|[[Bob Ainsworth]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Terry Fields]]<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
|[[Liverpool Broadgreen]]
|
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Jane Kennedy (politician)|Jane Kennedy]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Syd Bidwell]]<ref>Former Labour MP, de-selected by party.</ref>
|[[Ealing Southall]]
|
|[[1966 United Kingdom general election|1966]]
|[[Piara Khabra]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
|[[Ron Brown (Scottish politician)|Ron Brown]]<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
|[[Edinburgh Leith]]
|
|[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]
|[[Malcolm Chisholm]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|-
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Sinn Féin}}" |
| rowspan=1 |[[Sinn Féin]]
|[[Gerry Adams]] 
|[[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast West]]
|President of [[Sinn Féin]]
|[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]]
|[[Joe Hendron]]
! rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic and Labour Party}}" |
| rowspan=1|[[Social Democratic and Labour Party]]
|-
|}

==Television coverage==

The BBC ran coverage from 21:55 till 06:00, and from 09:30 till 16:00 on Friday 10 April.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/p4YY7KWJAtA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170609063720/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4YY7KWJAtA&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4YY7KWJAtA|title=BBC: Election 92 (Part 1)|last=Here Is The News|date=9 April 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Z_JE8kwL-ew Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200118001235/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JE8kwL-ew Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JE8kwL-ew|title=BBC: Election 92 (Part 2)|last=Here Is The News|date=9 April 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Unlike most prior British elections, the BBC's coverage started five minutes before the polls closed and the result of the exit poll was announced live, accompanied by footage of [[Big Ben]] striking, at 10pm. This method of revealing the exit poll has been repeated in all subsequent BBC election night broadcasts.

Coverage was, according to the ''[[Radio Times]]'', supposed to end at 04:00 on Friday morning, but was extended.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1992-04-09|title=BBC One London – 9 April 1992 – BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|access-date=22 May 2019|archive-date=23 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323195656/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1992-04-09|url-status=live}}</ref>

The BBC began construction of the Election 92 studio in October 1990, completing it in February 1991, due to speculation that an early election may be called in 1991. Rehearsals were held in the event of a Conservative and Labour victory.<ref>{{Cite web|title=British Elections {{!}} C-SPAN.org|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?25480-1/british-elections|access-date=2021-02-24|website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us|archive-date=9 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409231825/https://www.c-span.org/video/?25480-1%2Fbritish-elections|url-status=live}}</ref>

Although the election was not part of the storyline, there was much background chanting and campaigning in the BBC television [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home · BoB|url=https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/151DD5F6?bcast=131047530|access-date=2021-02-24|website=learningonscreen.ac.uk|archive-date=15 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115072339/https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/151DD5F6%3Fbcast%3D131047530|url-status=live}}</ref>

On ITV, ITN produced their election night coverage from their studios in London, with Jon Snow anchoring the coverage from 22:00 until 06:00. They continued their daytime coverage on Friday 10 April from 09:25 until 15:25. Breakfast coverage of the election results were provided by TV-am, the ITV breakfast franchise, from 06:00 until 09:25, who were producing their third and final general election special.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FP6_wzIWQAIB7As?format=jpg&name=4096x4096 |title=TV Thursday 9 April |date=4-10 April 1992 |page=66 |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |via=pbs.twimg.com |access-date=28 April 2022 |archive-date=28 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428190229/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FP6_wzIWQAIB7As?format=jpg&name=4096x4096 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of MPs elected in the 1992 United Kingdom general election]]
* [[Baltic Exchange bombing]]
* [[1992 United Kingdom general election in Scotland]]
* [[1992 United Kingdom general election in England]]
* [[1992 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland]]
* [[1992 United Kingdom general election in Wales]]
* [[1992 United Kingdom local elections]]

==Manifestos==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130619201834/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/con92.htm The Best Future For Britain] – 1992 Conservative manifesto.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131209110043/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lab92.htm It's time to get Britain working again] – 1992 Labour Party manifesto.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130603195707/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/libdem92.htm Changing Britain for good] – 1992 Liberal Democrats manifesto.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Butler, David E., et al. ''The British General Election of 1992''  (1992), the standard scholarly study

==External links==
* [http://archives.lse.ac.uk/TreeBrowse.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&field=RefNo&key=GENERAL%20ELECTION%201992 Catalogue of 1992 general election ephemera] at the [http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/using-the-library/access-archives-and-special-collections Archives Division] of the [[London School of Economics]].

{{United Kingdom elections}}
{{1992 United Kingdom general election|state=collapsed}}
{{John Major}}
{{Neil Kinnock}}

[[Category:1992 United Kingdom general election| ]]
[[Category:General elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom|1992]]
[[Category:1992 elections in the United Kingdom|General election]]
[[Category:April 1992 in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom general election]]
[[Category:Neil Kinnock]]
[[Category:Premiership of John Major]]
[[Category:History of the Conservative Party (UK)]]