2005 United Kingdom general election

2005 United Kingdom general election
swiss-image.ch / Photo by Remy Steinegger · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Election name	2005 United Kingdom general election
Country	United Kingdom
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2001 United Kingdom general election
Previous year	2001
Next election	2010 United Kingdom general election
Next year	2010
Seats for election	All 646 seats in the House of Commons
Majority seats	324
Turnout	61.4% (2.0 pp)
Elected mps	list
Party1	Labour Party (UK)
Leader1	Tony Blair
Leaders seat1	Sedgefield
Last election1	413 seats, 40.7%
Seats1	356
Seat change1	57
Popular vote1	9,552,436
Percentage1	35.2%
Swing1	5.5 pp
Party2	Conservative Party (UK)
Leader2	Michael Howard
Leaders seat2	Folkestone and Hythe
Last election2	166 seats, 31.7%
Seats2	198
Seat change2	32
Popular vote2	8,784,915
Percentage2	32.4%
Swing2	0.7 pp
Party3	Liberal Democrats (UK)
Leader3	Charles Kennedy
Leaders seat3	Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Last election3	52 seats, 18.3%
Seats3	62
Seat change3	10
Popular vote3	5,985,454
Percentage3	22.0%
Swing3	3.7 pp
Title	Prime Minister
Before election	Tony Blair
Before party	Labour Party (UK)
After election	Tony Blair
After party	Labour Party (UK)

2005 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005, to elect all 646 members to the House of Commons. The Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, won a historic third consecutive term in government, though with a significantly reduced parliamentary majority. The main opposition Conservative Party, under Michael Howard, made modest gains, while Charles Kennedy's Liberal Democrats achieved their highest number of seats since the 1920s.

Background

The political landscape was dominated by the aftermath of the Iraq War, with the decision to join the United States-led invasion in 2003 proving deeply controversial and damaging the public's trust in Tony Blair. The Hutton Inquiry and the subsequent Butler Review scrutinized the government's use of intelligence in the run-up to the conflict, creating a sustained period of political difficulty for Labour. Domestically, the government pointed to a strong economy, low unemployment, and investment in public services like the National Health Service under Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. The Conservative Party had undergone several leadership changes since 1997, finally settling on Michael Howard, who sought to modernize the party's image and focus on issues like immigration, tax cuts, and law and order.

Campaign

The Labour campaign, under the slogan "Britain forward not back", emphasized economic stability and continued investment, seeking to move past the controversy of the Iraq War. Tony Blair faced significant anti-war protests, notably from the Stop the War Coalition, and was challenged on the issue throughout the campaign, including during the televised debates. The Conservative campaign, "Are you thinking what we're thinking?", focused on immigration, cleaner hospitals, and school discipline, but was sometimes criticized for its tone. The Liberal Democrats, uniquely among the three main parties, had opposed the Iraq War, a stance that boosted their support, and campaigned on raising income tax for high earners to fund public services. Other parties, such as the Scottish National Party in Scotland and Plaid Cymru in Wales, fought strongly on devolved issues, while the UK Independence Party campaigned on withdrawal from the European Union.

Results

Labour secured a majority with 356 seats, a loss of 57 from the 2001 United Kingdom general election, and its share of the popular vote fell to 35.2%, the lowest ever for a majority government. The Conservative Party won 198 seats, a gain of 32, with 32.4% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats increased their seat count to 62, winning 22.0% of the vote. In Scotland, the Labour Party remained the largest party but saw its dominance challenged, while in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin strengthened their positions as the largest unionist and nationalist parties respectively. The overall turnout was 61.4%, a slight increase from 2001. Notable losses included Labour Minister Stephen Twigg and Conservative Shadow Minister Tim Collins.

Aftermath

Tony Blair returned to 10 Downing Street but acknowledged the public's discontent, particularly over Iraq, in his victory speech. The reduced majority of 66 made governing more difficult for Labour, with backbench rebellions becoming more frequent, notably over proposals for identity cards and education reforms. In September 2006, facing sustained pressure, Blair announced he would step down within a year, leading to the successful leadership campaign of Gordon Brown who became Prime Minister in 2007. For the Conservatives, Michael Howard announced his resignation, triggering a leadership contest that was eventually won by David Cameron, who began a major modernization project for the party. The election result solidified the Liberal Democrats' position as a substantial third force in British politics under Charles Kennedy.

Electoral system and voting

The election was conducted under the first-past-the-post system across 646 constituencies, a reduction from 659 due to boundary changes in Scotland. Voting took place in polling stations across the United Kingdom, with ballots counted manually after polls closed at 10 PM. The Electoral Commission oversaw the administration of the poll. For the first time, all-regional postal voting was piloted in four regions: the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands, though this was later controversial due to incidents of fraud. Citizens of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and Commonwealth countries resident in the UK and aged 18 or over were eligible to vote, provided they were on the electoral register.

Category:2005 elections in the United Kingdom Category:General elections in the United Kingdom Category:2000s in British politics