1885 General Election
24 November – 18 December 1885 · The Mass Franchise · 670 seats, 336 for a majority
The first election after the Third Reform Act extended the household franchise to the counties and redrew the whole constituency map. Parnell's Irish Party won 86 seats and held the balance of power.
Prime Minister before
Marquess of Salisbury
Conservative
Prime Minister after
William Gladstone
Liberal
Government formed
Liberal
Turnout
81.2%
The result
| Share of Commons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | William Gladstone | 319 | 2,071,868 | 47.7% | -7.0 | |
| Conservative | Marquess of Salisbury | 247 | 1,869,560 | 43.0% | +0.5 | |
| Irish Parliamentary | Charles Stewart Parnell | 86 | 299,178 | 6.9% | +4.1 |
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.