1837 General Election
24 July – 18 August 1837 · Reform and Realignment · 658 seats, 330 for a majority
Victoria's accession required the last accession-triggered general election. Melbourne's Whigs held on with a shrinking majority, increasingly dependent on O'Connell's Irish members.
Prime Minister before
Viscount Melbourne
Whig
Prime Minister (continued)
Viscount Melbourne
Whig
Government formed
Whig
Turnout
—
The result
| Share of Commons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Viscount Melbourne | 344 | 418,331 | 52.4% | -4.8 | |
| Conservative | Sir Robert Peel | 314 | 379,694 | 47.6% | +4.8 |
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.