Chamber:
	House of Commons
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	9 April 1992
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in the House of Commons following dissolution of this body on 16 March 1992. General elections had previously been held in June 1987.
Background and outcome of elections:
	When the election date was announced on 11 March 1992, Parliament was only three months from completing its maximum five-year term. The month-long campaign was relatively calm, focusing on domestic issues. Prominent among these were the country’s economy, mired in its longest recession in years, and at the state of public services, including the National Health Service (NHS). Also seen as important was the credibility of the leaders of the two biggest political parties - Prime Minister John Major (Conservative Party), who had succeeded Mrs. Margaret Thatcher in November 1990, and Mr. Neil Kinnock (Labour Party). A key item of the economic debate involved taxes, the ruling Conservatives advocating a low-tax policy and opposition Labour proposing hikes at higher incomes levels. The Conservatives moreover criticized their opponent’s plans to increase public expenditure, while Labour countered by blaming the Government for the recession and outlined plans to redress social inequalities. Public opinion polls predicted a close outcome, with the resulting possibility that the small centrist Liberal Democrats Party, led by Mr. Paddy Ashdown, would hold the balance of power. The Liberal Democrats had stressed the need to revise the “first-past-the-post” electoral system and to revitalize the educational sector. Altogether, 2,948 candidates were in the running for the enlarged House of Commons’ 651 seats (one more than before). On polling day, the swing to Labour was smaller than foreseen as the Conservatives captured 336 seats to gain an overall majority of 21 in the Commons. Labour, for its part, reinforced its position as main opposition by picking up 42 additional seats. The Conservatives’ victory, albeit with a reduced majority, was their fourth consecutive one, a feat unmatched in the country since the early 19th century. Political observers attributed this in part to voters’ anxieties over the prospects of a socialist Government or a hung (no majority) Parliament but also to Mr. Major’s personal popularity. Given the election outcome, he continued as Prime Minister and named his new Cabinet on 11 April.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (9 April 1992): Elections results
Number of registered electors	43,253,000 (approx.)
Voters	77%
Valid votes	33,609,431

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%
Conservative Party	645	14,093,148	41.9
Labour Party	634	11,557,134	34.4
Liberal Democrats	632	5,998,446	17.8
Scottish National Party	72	629,552	1.9
Plaid Cymru	38	156,796	0.5
Ulster Unionist Party	13	271,049	0.8
Democratic Unionist Party	7	103,039	0.3
Ulster Popular Unionist	1	19,305	0.1
Social Democratic and Labour Party	13	184,445	0.5
Others	893	596,517	1.8

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
Conservative Party	336	-39
Labour Party	271	+42
Liberal Democrats	20	-2
Scottish National Party	3	=
Plaid Cymru	4	+1
Ulster Unionist Party	9	=
Democratic Unionist Party	3	=
Ulster Popular Unionist	1	=
Social Democratic and Labour Party	4	+1
Others	0	-2

Comments:
	One seat added since last elections.

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	591
Women:	60

Distribution of seats according to age:
25-29 years	1
30-34 years	21
35-39 years	60
40-44 years	117
45-49 years	141
50-54 years	125
55-59 years	88
60-64 years	65
65-69 years	30
70-74 years	2
75-79 years	1