HistoryData
politics2019

2019 United Kingdom general election — election to the 58th United Kingdom House of Commons

December 12, 2019

The Conservative Party won an 80-seat majority, securing a mandate to complete Brexit and reshaping the political map of England.

Quick Facts

Year
2019
Category
politics

Key Facts

Registered voters
47,074,800
Conservative seats won
365 seats
Conservative majority
80 seats
Conservative vote share
43.6 %
Labour seats won
202 seats
SNP seats won
48 seats

By the Numbers

47,074,800
Registered voters
365seats
Conservative seats won
80seats
Conservative majority
43.6%
Conservative vote share

Location

Map of United KingdomMap of United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

After losing its parliamentary majority in 2017, the Conservative government struggled to pass Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement. May resigned in July 2019, and her successor Boris Johnson also failed to secure parliamentary approval for a revised deal by October, leading him to call a snap election under the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019.

Event

On 12 December 2019, voters across the United Kingdom elected 650 MPs to the House of Commons. The Conservatives, led by Boris Johnson, won 365 seats and 43.6 per cent of the vote, securing an 80-seat majority. Labour fell to 202 seats, its worst result since 1935, while the SNP gained 13 seats in Scotland.

Consequence

Johnson gained the mandate to complete Brexit, and the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson both resigned following the result. Irish nationalist MPs outnumbered unionists in Northern Ireland for the first time, and Johnson himself later resigned amid a government crisis in 2022.

Political Outcome

Outcome

Conservative Party won a landslide majority of 80 seats with 43.6% of the vote, securing a mandate to implement Brexit.

Before

Conservative minority government with DUP support, unable to pass Brexit withdrawal agreement

After

Conservative majority government under Boris Johnson with 80-seat majority

Timeline Context

Timeline around 201920192016201720182020202120222019 Africa Cup of Nations — 2019 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations2019 Formula One World Championship — 70th season of Formula One motor racing2019 AFC Asian Cup — 17th edition of the AFC Asian CupJanuary 2019 — month of 20192019 Copa América — Edition's XLVI Copa AmericaJunior Eurovision Song Contest 2019 — 17th annual Junior Eurovision Song ContestOpuntia ficus-indica — species of plant2019 FIFA Women's World Cup — 2019 edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup2019-united-kingdom-general-election-election-to-the-58th-2019