Britain: An official handbook > 1959

32
BRITAIN: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
TABLE 3
Votes Cast at General Elections 1945—1955
Party
Labour (and
Co-operative) .
Conservative and
supporters
Liberal
Communist
Others (c)
1945 (a)
11,992,292
9,960,809
2,245,319
102,780
677,749
1950 (a)
13,295,736
12,501,983
2,621,489
91,815
258,454
1951 (a)
13,948,385
13,724,418
730,551
21,640
177,329
1955
12,405,146(6)
13,311,938
722,395
33,144
288,038
(a) Figures for 1945, 1950 and 1951 exclude those few constituencies for which candi¬
dates were returned unopposed. All seats were contested in ipSS-
(b) Includes Northern Ireland Labour (35,614).
(c) ‘Others’ include Welsh and Scottish Nationalists, Independent Labour Party, other
Independents, Irish Labour, Irish Nationalist, Irish Anti-Partitionist and Sinn hem.
The distribution of seats in the House of Commons resulting from the General
Elections of 1951 and 1955 is shown in Table 4.
TABLE 4
Seats Gained at General Elections in 1951 and 1955
1951
Conservative and supporters
Labour
Liberal
Others (a) . .
The Speaker
320
295
6
3
1
625
1955
Conservative and supporters
Labour
Liberal
The Speaker
346(6)
277
6
1
630
(а) Two Irish Nationalists and one Irish Labour Party.
(б) A majority of 63 (excluding the Speaker) over all other parties. This was the first time
in 90 years that a Government in office had been returned with an increased majority. Sinn
Fein candidates headed the poll in two Northern Ireland constituencies, but as they were
serving sentences of penal servitude (for taking part in an armed raid on an army barracks
in 1954) they were legally incapable of becoming members of Parliament. Ulster Unionist
candidates now represent both constituencies. , , , • ,
By August 1958, as a result of by-elections held since 1955. the Labour party had gained
four seats—three from the Conservative party and one from the Liberal party, and the
Liberals had gained one seat from the Conservatives. Therefore, at that date, Conservatives
and their supporters held 342 seats, Labour 281, and the Liberals 6, and the Government
majority (excluding the Speaker) was 55 over all other parties.
The effectiveness of the party system in Parliament rests to a considerable extent
upon the fact that Government and Opposition alike are carried on by agreement.
that is to say, the minority agrees that the majority must govern and, therefore,
accepts its decisions; and the majority agrees that the minority should criticise and,
therefore, sets time aside for that criticism to be heard. As far as is compatible with
effective government, the Prime Minister meets the convenience of the Leader of