The 2024 general election has resulted in a historic win for the Labour Party, with a landslide majority of 174 and a projected total of 412 seats. The Conservatives experienced their worst result in terms of seats in history, with projections suggesting they won as few as 122. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats recorded their highest tally since 1923, with 71 seats, and the SNP is projected to finish with 10 seats. Reform UK, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party each secured four seats, while 23 seats were won by other parties and independent candidates in Northern Ireland.
Despite gaining over 200 seats, Labour’s vote share only increased by less than two percentage points to 34%. In contrast, the Conservatives suffered a significant drop in vote share, plummeting by 20 points to 24%, resulting in the loss of 251 seats. Reform UK attained third place by share of the vote on 14%, but the party had difficulty converting votes into seats. One highlight of the election was the Liberal Democrats’ 12% vote share, which translated into 71 seats. The Green Party’s seven per cent of the vote allowed them to record their best general election performance, winning four seats.
Scotland was the only part of the UK where Labour’s vote share saw a significant boost, rising by 17 points as the party took 36 seats from the SNP. Conversely, the SNP’s vote share dipped by 15 points, resulting in the loss of three seats to the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, the Conservatives lost 12 seats in Wales, leaving them with no MPs there, while Labour gained nine seats, taking its total to 27, despite a four-point drop in share. Plaid Cymru secured two seats, and the Liberal Democrats attained one.
Finally, turnout across the UK was 60%, the second-lowest in a UK election since 1885, with the lowest being the 2001 election at 59%. It was lowest in Wales, with only 56% of the electorate voting. Northern Ireland had a turnout of 57%, Scotland 59%, and England 60%, with the lowest turnout of any constituency at 40% in Manchester Rusholme, where Afzal Khan retained the seat for Labour. The bottom five for turnout also included Leeds South, Hull East, Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney, and Tipton & Wednesbury
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