1841 General Election
29 June – 22 July 1841 · Reform and Realignment · 658 seats, 330 for a majority
Peel's Conservatives won the first clear opposition-to-majority victory of the reformed era, a landmark in party government. Within five years he would split the party by repealing the Corn Laws.
Prime Minister before
Viscount Melbourne
Whig
Prime Minister after
Sir Robert Peel
Conservative
Government formed
Conservative
Turnout
63.5%
The result
| Share of Commons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Sir Robert Peel | 367 | 306,314 | 51.6% | +4.0 | |
| Whig | Viscount Melbourne | 271 | 273,902 | 46.2% | -6.2 | |
| Irish Repeal | Daniel O'Connell | 20 | 12,537 | 2.1% | — |
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.