1857 General Election

27 March – 24 April 1857 · Reform and Realignment · 654 seats, 328 for a majority

Effectively a plebiscite on Palmerston after Parliament censured him over the bombardment of Canton. The country backed Palmerston emphatically, punishing his Radical and Peelite critics.

Prime Minister before

Viscount Palmerston

Whig

Prime Minister (continued)

Viscount Palmerston

Whig

Government formed

Whig

Turnout

—

The result

Sort by

Whig

Viscount Palmerston · 64.8%

377

seats

Conservative

Earl of Derby · 33.5%

264

seats

			Share of Commons
Whig	Viscount Palmerston	377		464,127	64.8%	+6.9
Conservative	Earl of Derby	264		239,712	33.5%	-8.4

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.