2015 United Kingdom general election

2015 United Kingdom general election
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Election name	2015 United Kingdom general election
Country	United Kingdom
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2010 United Kingdom general election
Previous year	2010
Next election	2017 United Kingdom general election
Next year	2017
Seats for election	All 650 seats in the House of Commons
Majority seats	326
Turnout	66.1% (1.3%)
Opinion polls	Opinion polling for the 2015 United Kingdom general election
Election date	7 May 2015
Registered	46,354,197
Party1	Conservative Party (UK)
Leader1	David Cameron
Leaders seat1	Witney
Last election1	306 seats, 36.1%
Seats1	330
Seat change1	24
Popular vote1	11,334,920
Percentage1	36.9%
Swing1	0.8%
Party2	Labour Party (UK)
Leader2	Ed Miliband
Leaders seat2	Doncaster North
Last election2	258 seats, 29.0%
Seats2	232
Seat change2	26
Popular vote2	9,347,304
Percentage2	30.4%
Swing2	1.5%
Party3	Scottish National Party
Leader3	Nicola Sturgeon
Leaders seat3	Did not stand
Last election3	6 seats, 1.7%
Seats3	56
Seat change3	50
Popular vote3	1,454,436
Percentage3	4.7%
Swing3	3.0%
Party4	Liberal Democrats (UK)
Leader4	Nick Clegg
Leaders seat4	Sheffield Hallam
Last election4	57 seats, 23.0%
Seat change4	49
Popular vote4	2,415,888
Percentage4	7.9%
Swing4	15.1%
Party5	Democratic Unionist Party
Leader5	Peter Robinson
Leaders seat5	Belfast East
Last election5	8 seats, 0.6%
Popular vote5	184,260
Percentage5	0.6%
Swing5	0.0%
Title	Prime Minister
Before election	David Cameron
Before party	Conservative Party (UK)
After election	David Cameron
After party	Conservative Party (UK)

2015 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 7 May 2015 to elect members to the House of Commons. It resulted in a surprise majority victory for the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, ending the coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. The election was marked by the dramatic collapse of the Liberal Democrats, a surge for the Scottish National Party in Scotland, and the failure of the Labour Party under Ed Miliband to make anticipated gains in England and Wales.

Background

The election followed the coalition government formed after the 2010 United Kingdom general election, which was the first such arrangement in the United Kingdom since the Second World War. Key issues shaping the political landscape included the government's austerity programme, the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and debates over membership of the European Union. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 mandated the election date, providing a rare five-year fixed term for the Parliament. The political climate was also influenced by the rise of UKIP under Nigel Farage and the Green Party under Natalie Bennett, who challenged the traditional dominance of the Conservatives and Labour.

Campaign

The campaign was dominated by debates over the NHS, the economy, and further devolution for Scotland following the referendum. Key events included televised leaders' debates featuring David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, and Nicola Sturgeon. The Labour campaign, managed by Douglas Alexander, focused on a cost-of-living crisis, while the Conservative campaign, overseen by Lynton Crosby, emphasized economic recovery and a referendum on European Union membership. The Liberal Democrats, led by Nick Clegg, struggled to define a distinct identity after five years in coalition. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party, led by Nicola Sturgeon, ran a highly effective campaign capitalizing on post-referendum sentiment, targeting every constituency.

Results

The Conservative Party won 330 seats, achieving a slim overall majority of 12, a result that defied most pre-election opinion polls and forecasts. The Labour Party won 232 seats, losing ground in Scotland and failing to gain sufficient seats in England. The Scottish National Party achieved a historic landslide, winning 56 of the 59 seats in Scotland, decimating the Labour presence there. The Liberal Democrats collapsed from 57 to just 8 seats, with senior figures like Vince Cable and Ed Davey losing their seats, though leader Nick Clegg narrowly held Sheffield Hallam. UKIP won 12.6% of the national vote but secured only one seat, Clacton, for Douglas Carswell. The Green Party held its single seat of Brighton Pavilion.

Aftermath

Prime Minister David Cameron formed the first majority Conservative government since the 1992 election. Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, and Natalie Bennett all resigned as leaders of their respective parties following the results. The dramatic changes in Scotland led to the appointment of David Mundell as Secretary of State for Scotland and intensified debates about further devolution as promised by the Smith Commission. The Conservative majority enabled the swift introduction of legislation for a referendum on European Union membership, a key manifesto pledge. The new parliament also saw a significant increase in female MPs, with the election of 191 women.

Analysis

Analysts attributed the Conservative victory to a strong economic message, effective targeting of marginal seats by strategist Lynton Crosby, and a collapse of the Liberal Democrat vote in many coalition seats. The failure of the Labour campaign was blamed on a lack of clear economic credibility, weak leadership perception of Ed Miliband, and the catastrophic loss of its Scottish heartlands to the Scottish National Party. The result highlighted the increasing fragmentation of the UK's party system, with a significant disconnect between national vote share and parliamentary seats for parties like UKIP and the Greens. The election's legacy was the political realignment of Scotland and the setting of a direct path towards the Brexit referendum in 2016.

Category:2015 elections in the United Kingdom Category:General elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom Category:2010s in British politics