1859 General Election
28 April – 18 May 1859 · Reform and Realignment · 654 seats, 328 for a majority
Derby's Conservatives gained but fell short again. Weeks later Whigs, Peelites and Radicals met at Willis's Rooms to unite behind Palmerston, the founding moment of the Liberal Party.
Prime Minister before
Earl of Derby
Conservative
Prime Minister after
Viscount Palmerston
Whig
Government formed
Whig
Turnout
—
The result
| Share of Commons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Viscount Palmerston | 356 | 372,117 | 65.8% | +1.0 | |
| Conservative | Earl of Derby | 298 | 193,232 | 34.2% | +0.7 |
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.