1886 General Election

The Home Rule election

1–27 July 1886 · The Mass Franchise · 670 seats, 336 for a majority

Fought on Gladstone's first Home Rule Bill, which had split the Liberals. Salisbury's Conservatives and the breakaway Liberal Unionists won decisively, beginning two decades of Unionist dominance.

Prime Minister before

William Ewart Gladstone

Liberal

Prime Minister after

Marquess of Salisbury

Conservative

Government formed

Conservative

Turnout

74.2%

The result

Sort by

Conservative and Liberal Unionist

Marquess of Salisbury · 51.4%

393

seats

Liberal

William Ewart Gladstone · 45.1%

192

seats

Irish Parliamentary

Charles Stewart Parnell · 3.4%

seats


Conservative and Liberal Unionist	Marquess of Salisbury	393	1,417,627	51.4%	+8.4
Liberal	William Ewart Gladstone	192	1,244,683	45.1%	-2.6
Irish Parliamentary	Charles Stewart Parnell	85	94,050	3.4%	-3.5

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.