1918 United Kingdom general election in England

Coalition Liberals and Liberal Party

The newly formed Coalition Liberal Party under Prime Minister David Lloyd George won a total of 83 seats, with 82 being won in the county and borough territorial constituencies, and one seat in Cambridge University. The wins were primarily from the Liberal Party from which it had emerged. Amongst these wins, Austin Hopkinson won the seat of Mossley which replaced the seat of Prestwich. Hopkinson entered Parliament at the October 1918 Prestwich by-election,^[9] and his retention was a win from the Liberal Party. He was regarded as a Coalition Liberals due to being a supporter of Lloyd George's Government and being a recipient of a Coalition Coupon, despite him not being a member.

The Liberal Party under H. H. Asquith conversely lost several seats to the Coalition Liberals as well as the Conservative Party. The Liberals were left with 25 seats in England, the majority of the 36 seats it held at this election across the United Kingdom. The Liberals, however, win Lambeth North, Weston-super-Mare (which had replaced the abolished Somerset Northern). The party's win in Lambeth North was from the Conservative Party. It also gained the newly created seats of Portsmouth Central and Stourbridge.

Coalition and non-Coalition Conservatives

The Conservative Party won 321 seats, an increase of 83 seat when compared to the last election. The Conservative Party, which had formed in 1912 from the unification of the Conservative and Liberal Unionists won seats at the election after fielding only eight candidates in total.

Combined with the results across the United Kingdom, the party won the largest number of seats in the House of Commons despite the Coalition Government being led by Lloyd George and his Coalition Liberal Party. Amongst the candidates in the Conservative, however, 34 did not receive Coalition Coupons.^[10] 20 non-Coalition Conservatives won seats in England, with 301 being recipients of Coupons.^[11] This was an overall gain of one seat in Wales for the Conservatives combined compared with the last election. The non-Coalition Conservatives elected, along with the rest elected across the United Kingdom, did not form an opposition or bloc against the National Coalition, but were principally concerned with the issue of Irish independence.^[12]

Prominent Conservatives that entered Parliament at this election included Future Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in Birmingham Ladywood. The first female MP to enter Parliament and take her seat at the House of Commons Nancy Astor was a member of the Conservative Party. She entered in the seat of Plymouth Sutton, and would hold it until 1945.^[13]

Other Coalition parties

Two newly formed parties were created, with many members supporting of the Coalition Government and receiving Coalition Coupons. These were National Democratic and Labour Party and Coalition Labour grouping.

Within the National Democratic and Labour Party (NDP), 15 candidates were recipients of Coupons with seven candidates standing without in England.^[14] None of the non-Coalition NDP candidates won seats. However, the Coalition NDP candidates won seven seats in England.^[15] These were the new seats of Birmingham Duddeston, Don Valley, East Ham South, Leicester West and Wallsend. It gained Bradford East from the Liberal Party, as well as Walthamstow West which had replaced the Liberal-held Walthamstow. It also won Hanley from the Labour Party, although it had been won by the Liberal Party at the 1912 Hanley by-election.^[16] Nevertheless, the gain was from the Labour Party in comparison to the last election. Combined with the party's one seat in Scotland and one seat in Wales, the party won nine seats nationally. Clement Edwards, who had won East Ham South, was elected chairman of the Party following the election.

Amongst the grouping of the Coalition Labour, three won seats in England. James Parker won the new seat of Cannock. George Roberts retained his seat in the two-member seat of Norwich, which was a gain from his former party Labour. George Wardle in Stockport won unopposed in the two-member seat, which was also a gain from his former party Labour. The grouping's fourth candidate John R. Bell who stood in Kingston upon Hull South West, and who was sponsored by the National Union of Seamen, did not win the seat against the Liberal Party. Combined with the one seat won in Scotland, the National Labour group won four seats nationally.

In addition, Douglas King, who had received a Coalition Coupon, won in North Norfolk as an independent. His win was a gain from the Liberal Party.

Labour Party and Co-operative Party

The Labour Party also gained seats at this election, with the party winning 42 seats, an increase of eight compared with the last election.^[17] Amongst its gains were Forest of Dean, Leek and Wellingborough (which replaced Northamptonshire Mid). These were gains from the Liberal Party. The Party also won Kingswinford, Wednesbury and West Bromwich from the Conservative Party.

It also won the new seat of Smethwick against Women's Party founder and candidate and Coalition Coupon recipient Christabel Pankhurst. Although a member of the Labour Party, Pankhurst had supported the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Lloyd George at the election.

The newly formed Co-operative Party candidate Alfred Waterson won the seat of Kettering. The seat had replaced North Northamptonshire which was held by the Conservatives, thereby being a gain from the Conservative Party.^[18] The party fielded a further seven candidates in England without success. Chairman of the party William Henry Watkins, although a councillor, did not stand in the election.^[19] This was the only election in which the party would stand alone, before it and its members took the Labour Whip before the next election.

Minor Parties and independents

In comparison to the previous elections in 1910, several new parties, candidates and independents, many receiving military organisation sponsorship, stood across the United Kingdom. This occurrence was primarily in England; however, such candidates saw limited success and therefore representation at Parliament.

The newly formed National Party, which had split from the Conservative Party in 1917, stood 26 candidates across England. At the election, party leader Henry Page Croft won his seat of Bournemouth, with Sir Richard Cooper winning his seat of Walsall.^[20] Both were gains from the Conservative Party. The National Party and its two MPs, however, would rejoin the Conservative Party, with the National Party being disbanded in 1921 before the new election.

The newly formed National Socialist Party candidate Jack Jones won the seat of Silvertown. Sowerby was a new seat, succeeding the abolished Labour-held seat of West Ham South.^[21]

Amongst the independents that won seats, Horatio Bottomley won Hackney South and Noel Pemberton Billing gained Hertford. Bottomley had previous held the seat of Hackney South as a member of the Liberal Party, however had resigned the seat due to bankruptcy. The Liberal Party had won 1912 Hackney South by-election.^[22] Bottomley's win was a gain from the Liberals. Additionally, Noel Pemberton Billing had won Hertford at the 1916 Hertford by-election.^[23] His retention at this election was a gain from the Conservative Party in comparison to December 1910. Billing would resign the seat, following which the 1921 Hertford by-election would occur wherein another independent would win the seat.^[24]

Other independents that won seat included Independent Unionist Robert Hewitt Barker in Sowerby with support of the National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers. The gain was from the Liberal Party. Independent Liberal candidate Josiah Wedgwood in Newcastle-under-Lyme. He had received but did not accept it. He was supported by the local liberal group, however regarded himself as an independent. His switch from the Liberal Party was a gain from his former party, with Wedgwood going on to join the Labour Party following the election. However, Independent ConservativeFrancis Bennett-Goldney in Canterbury had died since the last election. The 1918 Canterbury by-election saw the Conservatives regain the seat unopposed,^[25] its retention in this election was a win from the Independent Unionist seat since last election.

Irish Nationalist, and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, T. P. O'Connor retained Liverpool Scotland. Another candidate in Liverpool Exchange was unsuccessful.

Popular vote

Parliament seats

University results summary

Below is a table summarising the seats and vote share of the English university constituencies in the 1918 general election.

More information Party, Seats ...

Party[7]			Seats				First preference votes
			Total	Gains	Losses	Net	Total	Of all (%)
	Coalition Government (Total)		7	New		2	12,850	63.9
		Conservative	6	1	0	1	11,891[o]	59.1
		Coalition Liberal	1	New		1	959	4.8
	Labour		0	0	0		3,482	17.3
	Independent		0	0	0		1,935	9.6
	Teachers		0	New			885	4.4
	Liberal		0	0	0		742	3.7
	Ind. Unionist		0	0	0		210	1.0
Total			7			2	20,104

Close

Cambridge University

See also: Cambridge University (constituency)

The constituency for Cambridge University returned two Members of Parliament using the single transferable vote electoral system. The electorate consisted of graduates of the university.^[7]

Combined English Universities

See also: Combined English Universities

The Combined English Universities constituency, which represented effectively all red brick universities and Durham University, returned two Members of Parliament using the single transferable vote electoral system. The electorate consisted of graduates of the university.^[7]

London University

See also: London University (constituency)

The constituency for London University returned one Member of Parliament using the First-past-the-post electoral system. The electorate consisted of graduates of the university.^[7]

Oxford University

See also: Oxford University (constituency)

The constituency for Oxford University returned two Members of Parliament using the single transferable vote electoral system. The electorate consisted of graduates of the university.^[7]