1708 British general election
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All 558 seats in the House of Commons 280 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The House of Commons following the 1708 General Election | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland.
The election saw the Whigs gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by November the Whig-dominated parliament had succeeded in pressuring the Queen into accepting the Whig Junto into government for the first time since the late 1690s. The Whigs only able to take partial control of the government, however, owing to the continued presence of the moderate Tory Godolphin in the cabinet (as Lord High Treasurer) and the opposition of the Queen. Contests were held in 95 of the 269 English and Welsh constituencies and 28 of the 45 Scottish constituencies.
Following the election, Whig MP Lord Somers was appointed as Lord President of the Council. However, moderate Tory Lord Godolphin remained as Lord High Treasurer and the Godolphin–Marlborough ministry remained in place.