1818 United Kingdom general election

1818 United Kingdom general election

17 June – 18 July 1818

All 658 seats in the House of Commons
330 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Earl of Liverpool Earl Grey
Party Tory (Pittite) Whig
Leader since 8 June 1812
Seats before 399 196
Seats won 280 175
Seat change 120 21

Composition of the House of Commons after the election

Prime Minister before election

Earl of Liverpool
Tory

Prime Minister after election

Earl of Liverpool
Tory

The 1818 United Kingdom general election was the 5th general election after the Acts of Union 1800, held on 17 June 1818 to 18 July 1818. It saw the Whigs gain a few seats, but the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool retained a majority of around 90 seats. The Whigs were divided over their response to growing social unrest and the introduction of the Corn Laws.

The fifth United Kingdom Parliament was dissolved on 10 June 1818. The new Parliament was summoned to meet on 4 August 1818, for a maximum seven-year term from that date. The maximum term could be and normally was curtailed, by the monarch dissolving the Parliament, before its term expired. The sixth Parliament lasted only about a year and a half, as King George III's death on 29 January 1820 triggered a dissolution of Parliament.