1835 General Election
6 January – 6 February 1835 · Reform and Realignment · 658 seats, 330 for a majority
Peel's Tamworth Manifesto, issued for this campaign, founded modern Conservatism as a creed of reform-accepting stability. He gained around 100 seats but fell short, and Melbourne's Whigs returned with Irish and Radical support.
Prime Minister before
Sir Robert Peel
Conservative
Prime Minister after
Viscount Melbourne
Whig
Government formed
Whig
Turnout
—
The result
| Share of Commons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Viscount Melbourne | 385 | 349,868 | 57.2% | -13.6 | |
| Conservative | Sir Robert Peel | 273 | 261,269 | 42.8% | +13.6 |
Before 1918, party labels were looser and many seats went uncontested, so vote totals and shares understate real support. Seat counts are the reliable measure.