October 1974 United Kingdom general election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = October 1974 United Kingdom general election
| country = United Kingdom
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = February 1974 United Kingdom general election
| previous_year = Feb 1974
| outgoing_members = List of MPs elected in the February 1974 United Kingdom general election
| next_election = 1979 United Kingdom general election
| next_year = 1979
| elected_members = List of MPs elected in the October 1974 United Kingdom general election
| seats_for_election = All 635 seats in the House of Commons
| majority_seats = 318
| elected_mps = List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, October 1974
| election_date = 10 October 1974
| turnout = 29,189,104
72.8% ({{decrease}}6.0 pp)
| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Harold Wilson 1975.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader1 = Harold Wilson
| leader_since1 = 14 February 1963
| party1 = Labour Party (UK)
| leaders_seat1 = Huyton
| last_election1 = 301 seats, 37.2%
| seats1 = 319
| seat_change1 = {{increase}}18
| popular_vote1 = 11,457,079
| percentage1 = 39.2%
| swing1 = {{increase}}2.0 pp
| image2 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Golda Meir and Edward Heath cropped (cropped).jpg|bSize = 140|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| leader2 = Edward Heath
| leader_since2 = 28 July 1965
| party2 = Conservative Party (UK)
| leaders_seat2 = Sidcup
| last_election2 = 297 seats, 37.9%
| seats2 = 277{{refn|group=note|name=speaker|The seat and vote count figures for the Conservatives given here include the Speaker of the House of Commons}}
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}20
| popular_vote2 = 10,462,565
| percentage2 = 35.8%
| swing2 = {{decrease}}2.1 pp
| image3 = {{eppt|Liberal Party (UK)}}
| leader3 = Jeremy Thorpe
| leader_since3 = 18 January 1967
| party3 = Liberal Party (UK)
| leaders_seat3 = North Devon
| last_election3 = 14 seats, 19.3%
| seats3 = 13
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}}1
| popular_vote3 = 5,346,704
| percentage3 = 18.3%
| swing3 = {{decrease}}1.0 pp
| map_image = UK General Election, October 1974.svg
| map_size = 200px
| map_caption = Colours denote the winning party—as shown in {{slink||Results}}
| map2_image = File:Oct 1974 UK GE Westminster diagram.svg
| map2_caption = Composition of the House of Commons after the election
| title = Prime Minister
| posttitle = Prime Minister after election
| before_election = Harold Wilson
| before_party = Labour Party (UK)
| after_election = Harold Wilson
| after_party = Labour Party (UK)
| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the 1974 United Kingdom general elections
}}
The October 1974 United Kingdom general election took place on Thursday 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members of the House of Commons. It was the second general election held that year; the first year in which two general elections had been held in the same year since 1910; and the first time that two general elections had been held less than a year apart from each other since the 1923 and 1924 elections, which took place 10 months apart.
The election resulted in a narrow victory for the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Harold Wilson, which won a wafer-thin majority of three seats, the narrowest in modern British history. It was to remain the last general election victory for the Labour Party until 1997, with the Conservative Party winning majorities in the next four general elections. It would also be the last time Labour won more seats at a national election than the Conservatives until the 1989 European Parliament election. This remains the most recent General Election that Labour made net gains in seats whilst in government.
The narrowness of the majority meant that the Labour government saw a gradual loss of its majority by 1977 through a series of by-election losses and defections, thus requiring deals with the Liberals, the Ulster Unionists, the Scottish Nationalists and the Welsh Nationalists. It led to the eventual defeat of the government in a no-confidence motion in March 1979, six months before the mandatory dissolution of Parliament was set to take place.
This election was held just seven months after the previous general election, held in February 1974, had led to a hung parliament, with Labour winning 301 seats and the Conservatives left with 297. Following the inconclusive nature of coalition talks between the Conservatives and other parties such as the Liberals and the Ulster Unionists, the Labour Leader Harold Wilson went on to form a minority government.
The October campaign was not as vigorous or exciting as the one in February. Despite continuing high inflation, Labour boasted that it had ended the miners' strike, which had dogged Heath's premiership, and had returned some stability. The Conservative Party, led by Leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister Edward Heath, released a manifesto promoting national unity, but its chances of forming a government were hindered by the Ulster Unionist Party refusing to take the Conservative whip at Westminster in response to the Sunningdale Agreement of 1973.
Both the Conservatives and the Liberals saw their vote share decline, and Heath, who had lost three of the four elections that he contested, was ousted as Conservative leader in February 1975 and replaced with future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The Scottish National Party won 30% of the Scottish popular vote and 11 of Scotland's 71 seats in the party's most successful general election result until 2015.
The election was broadcast live on the BBC and was presented by David Butler, Alastair Burnet, Robert McKenzie, Robin Day and Sue Lawley.{{YouTube |id=N2EQeftPkEw& |title=Election 1974 (October){{snd}}Part 1}}, {{YouTube |id=TYveS5L17CU|title=UK General Election 1974{{snd}}Results Round-up}}
{{UK general election navigation|clear=none|1970|February 1974|October 1974|1979|1983}}
Since Jeremy Thorpe's death in December 2014, this is the latest election where all the three major party leaders are deceased.
Campaign
The brief period between the elections gave Wilson the opportunity to demonstrate reasonable progress. Despite high inflation and high balance-of-trade deficits, the miners' strike, which had dogged Heath was over, and some stability had been restored. After the February election, Heath had remained largely out of the public eye.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}
As was expected, the campaign was not as exciting as the one in February, and overall coverage by broadcasters was significantly scaled back. The Conservatives campaigned on a manifesto of national unity in response to the mood of the public. Labour campaigned on its recent successes in government, and although the party was divided over Europe, the party's strengths outweighed that of Heath, who knew that his future relied on an election victory. Devolution was a key issue for the Liberals and the Scottish National Party, and it was now one that the two main parties also felt the need to address. The Liberals did not issue a new manifesto but simply reissued the one they had created for the last election.{{citation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/basics/4393307.stm |title=1974 Oct: Wilson makes it four |date=5 April 2005 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=8 June 2018}}{{citation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/background/pastelec/ge74oct.shtml |title=10 October 1974 |work=BBC Politics 97 |access-date=8 June 2018}}
Timeline
Prime Minister Harold Wilson's decision to call a general election on October 10th 1974 was reported in the newspapers that were dated September 9th 1974 and made a ministerial broadcast on television on 18 September to announce that the election would be held on 10 October, less than eight months since the previous election. The key dates were as follows:
| class="wikitable" | |
| style="width:25%;"|Friday 20 September | Dissolution of the 46th Parliament and campaigning officially begins |
| Monday 30 September | Last day to file nomination papers |
| Wednesday 9 October | Campaigning officially ends |
| Thursday 10 October | Polling day |
| Friday 11 October | The Labour Party wins control with a majority of 3 |
| Tuesday 22 October | 47th Parliament assembles |
| Tuesday 29 October | State Opening of Parliament |
Results
Labour achieved a swing of 2% against the Conservatives. It was the first time since 1922 that a government had won an overall majority with less than 40% of the vote, but the majority of only three seats. The Conservatives won just under 36% of the vote, their worst share since 1918. A slight drop in the Liberals' vote saw them suffer a net loss of one seat. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party added another 4 seats to their successes in the previous election and became the fourth-largest party.
Turnout was 72.8%, which was a significant decline on the February election's 78.8% turnout.
File:1974 (2) UK parliament.svg
{{Election summary begin with leaders| title = UK General Election October 1974}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|leader = Harold Wilson
|candidates = 623
|seats = 319
|gain = 19
|loss = 1
|net = +18
|votes = 11,457,079
|votes % = 39.2
|seats % = 50.2
|plus/minus = +2.0
|government = yes
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|leader = Edward Heath
|candidates = 622
|seats = 277{{refn|group=note|name=speaker}}
|gain = 2
|loss = 22
|net = −20
|votes = 10,462,565
|votes % = 35.8
|seats % = 43.6
|plus/minus = −2.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|leader = Jeremy Thorpe
|candidates = 619
|seats = 13
|gain = 1
|loss = 2
|net = −1
|votes = 5,346,704
|votes % = 18.3
|seats % = 2.1
|plus/minus = −1.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Scottish National Party
|leader = William Wolfe
|candidates = 71
|seats = 11
|gain = 4
|loss = 0
|net = +4
|votes = 839,617
|votes % = 2.9
|seats % = 1.7
|plus/minus = +0.9
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|leader = Harry West
|candidates = 7
|seats = 6
|gain = 0
|loss = 1
|net = −1
|votes = 256,065
|votes % = 0.9
|seats % = 0.9
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Plaid Cymru
|leader = Gwynfor Evans
|candidates = 36
|seats = 3
|gain = 1
|loss = 0
|net = +1
|votes = 166,321
|votes % = 0.6
|seats % = 0.5
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
|leader = Gerry Fitt
|candidates = 9
|seats = 1
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 154,193
|votes % = 0.6
|seats % = 0.2
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = National Front (UK)
|leader = John Kingsley Read
|candidates = 90
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 113,843
|votes % = 0.4
|seats % =
|plus/minus = +0.2
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party
|leader = William Craig
|candidates = 3
|seats = 3
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 92,262
|votes % = 0.3
|seats % = 0.5
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|leader = Ian Paisley
|candidates = 2
|seats = 1
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 59,451
|votes % = 0.3
|seats % = 0.2
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
|leader = Oliver Napier
|candidates = 5
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 44,644
|votes % = 0.2
|seats % =
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Independent Labour
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 7
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 1
|net = −1
|votes = 33,317
|votes % = 0.2
|seats % =
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 1
|seats = 1
|gain = 1
|loss = 0
|net = +1
|votes = 32,795
|votes % = 0.2
|seats % = 0.2
|plus/minus = +0.2
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Republican Clubs
|leader = Tomás Mac Giolla
|candidates = 5
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 21,633
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
|leader = Brian Faulkner
|candidates = 2
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 20,454
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Communist Party of Great Britain
|leader = John Gollan
|candidates = 29
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 17,426
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Lincoln Democratic Labour Association
|leader = Dick Taverne
|candidates = 1
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 1
|net = −1
|votes = 13,714
|votes % = 0.1
|seats % =
|plus/minus = +0.1
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
|leader = Alan Carr
|candidates = 3
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 11,539
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Independent (politician)
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 32
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 8,812
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = −0.1
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
|party = Independent Ulster Unionist
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 1
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 4,982
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
|party = United Democratic
|leader = James Tippett
|candidates = 13
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 4,810
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Independent Conservative
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 4
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 4,559
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain
|leader = Tom Keen and Harold Smith
|candidates = 25
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 4,301
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Workers' Revolutionary Party (UK)
|leader = Gerry Healey
|candidates = 10
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 3,404
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Independent Liberal
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 3
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 3,277
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = −0.2
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
|party = Volunteer Political
|leader = Ken Gibson
|candidates = 1
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 2,690
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
|party = Irish Civil Rights
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 7
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 2,381
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = PEOPLE Party
|leader = Tony Whittaker
|candidates = 5
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 1,996
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Communist Party of England (Marxist-Leninist)
|leader = John Buckle
|candidates = 8
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 1,320
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = 0.0
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = English National Party
|leader = Frank Hansford-Miller
|candidates = 2
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 1,115
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary with leaders
|party = United English National
|leader = John Kynaston
|candidates = 1
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 793
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist)
|leader = Carole Reakes
|candidates = 3
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 540
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Mebyon Kernow
|leader = Richard Jenkin
|candidates = 1
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 384
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
{{Election summary party with leaders
|party = Socialist Party of Great Britain
|leader = N/A
|candidates = 1
|seats = 0
|gain = 0
|loss = 0
|net = 0
|votes = 118
|votes % = 0.0
|seats % =
|plus/minus = N/A
}}
|-
|+ style="caption-side: bottom; font-weight:normal" |All parties shown.
|}
| class="wikitable" style="width:70%" |
| Government's new majority
|3 |
| Total votes cast
|29,189,104 |
| Turnout
|72.8% |
=Votes summary=
{{bar box
|title=Popular vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=360px
|bars=
{{bar percent|Labour|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|39.25}}
{{bar percent|Conservative|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|35.84}}
{{bar percent|Liberal|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|18.32}}
{{bar percent|Scottish National|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|2.88}}
{{bar percent|Others|#A9A9A9|3.71}}
}}
=Seats summary=
{{bar box
|title=Parliamentary seats
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=600px
|barwidth=360px
|bars=
{{bar percent|Labour|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|50.24}}
{{bar percent|Conservative|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|43.62}}
{{bar percent|Liberal|{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}|2.05}}
{{bar percent|Scottish National|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|1.73}}
{{bar percent|Others|#A9A9A9|2.36}}
}}
Incumbents defeated
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! colspan="2" |Party !Name !Constituency !Office held whilst in Parliament !Year elected !Defeated by ! colspan="2" |Party |
| rowspan="21" style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan="21" |{{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}} | |1964 | style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish National Party}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Scottish National Party}} |
| Michael Ancram
| | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Harold Gurden
| |1955 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Robert Redmond
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Martin McLaren
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Michael Fidler
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Barry Henderson
| | style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish National Party}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Scottish National Party}} |
| James Allason
| |1959 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Tom Iremonger
| | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Ernle Money
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Tom Boardman
|Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1974) | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Jack d'Avigdor-Goldsmid
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| David Waddington
| | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Montague Woodhouse
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Ian MacArthur
| |1959 | style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish National Party}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Scottish National Party}} |
| Harmar Nicholls
| |1950 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Peggy Fenner
|Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1972–1974) |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Ronald Bray
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| James Hill
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| Piers Dixon
| |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Liberal Party (UK)}} |
| Robert Lindsay
|Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (1972–1974) |1955 | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan="1" |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} | |1970 | style="background-color: {{party color|Plaid Cymru}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Plaid Cymru}} |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan="3" |{{party shortname linked|Liberal Party (UK)}} | | style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}} |
| Michael Winstanley
| | style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}} |
| Christopher MayhewElected as a Labour MP
|Woolwich East (contested Bath) | | style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Conservative Party (UK)}} |
| rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Independent politician}}" |
| rowspan=2|{{party shortname linked|Independent politician}} |Eddie MilneElected as a Labour MP | | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
|---|
| Edward GriffithsElected as a Labour MP
| | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
| rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}" |
| rowspan=1|{{party shortname linked|Ulster Unionist Party}} |Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (1974 –1979) !style="background-color: {{party color|Independent (politician)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Independent (politician)}} |
| rowspan=1 style="background-color: {{party color|Lincoln Democratic Labour Association}}" |
| rowspan=1|{{party shortname linked|Lincoln Democratic Labour Association}} |Dick TaverneElected as a Labour MP |Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1969–1970) | style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" | |{{party shortname linked|Labour Party (UK)}} |
See also
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{citation |last=Butler |first=David E. |author-link=David Butler (psephologist) |display-authors=etal |title=The British General Election of October 1974 |year=1975 |postscript=,}} the standard scholarly study
- {{citation |author-link=F. W. S. Craig |first=F. W. S. |last=Craig |title=British Electoral Facts: 1832–1987 |year=1989 |location=Dartmouth |publisher=Gower |isbn=0900178302 }}
External links
- [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/geresults.html United Kingdom election results—summary results 1885–1979]
=Manifestos=
- [http://politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/con74oct.htm Putting Britain First], October 1974 Conservative Party manifesto
- [http://politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lab74oct.htm Britain Will Win With Labour], October 1974 Labour Party manifesto
- [http://politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib74oct.htm Why Britain Needs Liberal Government], October 1974 Liberal Party manifesto
{{October 1974 United Kingdom general election|state=collapsed}}
{{British elections}}
{{1975 United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum}}
{{Harold Wilson}}
{{Edward Heath}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1974 10 United Kingdom general election}}
Category:General elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom