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
| 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.