Conservative
instead of the traditional term, Tory, was
first used in Britain by George Canning
in 1824. The term became more popular after it was used by Sir
Robert Peel in his Tamworth Manifesto in 1834. In the Tamworth
Manifesto Peel attempted to combine the idea of moderate reform with
a strong belief in traditional institutions. After Peel became Prime
Minister in 1834, his followers tended to describe themselves as Conservatives
rather than Tories.
| General
Election |
Total
Votes |
%
of total votes |
MPs
Elected |
| 1835 |
261,269 |
42.6 |
273 |
| 1837 |
379,694 |
48.3 |
314 |
| 1841 |
306,314 |
50.9 |
367 |
| 1847 |
205,481 |
42.2 |
325 |
| 1852 |
311,481 |
41.4 |
330 |
| 1857 |
239,712 |
33.1 |
148 |
| 1859 |
193,232 |
34.3 |
298 |
| 1865 |
346,035 |
39.8 |
289 |
| 1868 |
903,318 |
38.4 |
271 |
| 1874 |
1,091,708 |
43.9 |
350 |
| 1880 |
1,426,351 |
42.0 |
237 |
| 1885 |
2,020,927 |
43.5 |
249 |
| 1886 |
1,520,886 |
51.4 |
393 |
| 1892 |
2,159,150 |
47.0 |
313 |
| 1895 |
1,894,772 |
49.1 |
411 |
| 1900 |
1,767,958 |
50.3 |
402 |
| 1906 |
2,422,071 |
43.4 |
156 |
| 1910
(Jan) |
3,104,407 |
46.8 |
272 |
| 1910
(Dec) |
2,420,169 |
46.6 |
271 |
| 1918 |
3,472,738 |
32.5 |
332 |
| 1922 |
5,502,298 |
38.5 |
344 |
| 1923 |
5,514,541 |
38.0 |
258 |
| 1924 |
7,854,523 |
46.8 |
412 |
| 1929 |
8,656,225 |
38.1 |
260 |
| 1931 |
11,905,925 |
55.0 |
470 |
| 1935 |
10,496,300 |
47.8 |
387 |
| 1945 |
9,101,099 |
36.2 |
197 |
| 1950 |
11,507,061 |
40.0 |
282 |
| 1951 |
12,660,061 |
44.3 |
302 |
| 1955 |
12,468,778 |
46.6 |
324 |
| 1959 |
12,985,081 |
46.6 |
345 |
| 1964 |
11,676,512 |
42.2 |
298 |
| 1966 |
11,268,676 |
41.3 |
250 |
| 1970 |
13,145,123 |
46.4 |
330 |
| 1974
(Feb) |
11,872,180 |
37.9 |
297 |
| 1974
(Oct) |
10,462,565 |
35.8 |
277 |
| 1979 |
13,697,923 |
43.9 |
339 |
| 1983 |
13,012,316 |
42.4 |
397 |
| 1987 |
13,760,583 |
42.3 |
376 |
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