1857 United Kingdom general election facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
1857 United Kingdom general election

← 1852 27 March – 24 April 1857 (1857-03-27 – 1857-04-24) 1859 →
← List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1852 List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1857 →
All 654 seats in the House of Commons 328 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Viscount Palmerston Earl of Derby Party Whig Conservative Leader since 6 February 1855 July 1846 Leader's seat Tiverton House of Lords Last election 324 seats, 57.9% 330 seats, 41.9% Seats won 377 264 Seat change 53 66 Popular vote 464,127 239,712 Percentage 64.8% 33.5% Swing 6.9% 8.4%
Colours denote the winning party—as shown in 1857 United Kingdom general election § Notes
Prime Minister before election Viscount Palmerston Whig Prime Minister after election Viscount Palmerston Whig

The 1857 United Kingdom general election was a big event in British politics. It was held from March 27 to April 24, 1857. During this election, people across the United Kingdom voted for who they wanted to represent them in the House of Commons. This is the main part of the British Parliament where laws are made.

The election happened because of a disagreement about how the government, led by Lord Palmerston, handled a situation known as the Arrow affair. This event led to a conflict called the Second Opium War. Because of this disagreement, a vote was held to see if Palmerston's government still had support. When they lost this vote, a new election was called.

Lord Palmerston's party, the Whigs, won a clear majority of seats. This meant they had more than half of the seats in the House of Commons. The Conservative party, led by Earl of Derby, lost many seats.

A famous historian, A. J. P. Taylor, said that this election was special. He believed it was mostly about whether people wanted Palmerston to be Prime Minister. It wasn't so much about different policies or ideas from the parties. It was more about supporting Palmerston himself.

What Were the Election Results?

The 1857 general election saw a clear victory for the Whig party. They gained many seats, while the Conservatives lost quite a few. This section shows how many votes and seats each main party won.

This map shows the winning party in each area.

How Did People Vote?

This chart shows the percentage of the total votes that each main party received. The Whigs clearly won the most votes.

How Many Seats Did Each Party Win?

This chart shows the percentage of seats each party won in the House of Commons. The Whigs secured a strong majority.

See Also

• List of MPs elected in the 1857 United Kingdom general election
• 1857 United Kingdom general election in Ireland