Social Democratic Federation election results

This article lists the Social Democratic Federation's election results in UK parliamentary elections. It also includes the results of its successor, the British Socialist Party.

Summary of general election performance

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Year Number of Candidates Total votes Average voters per candidate Percentage of vote Saved deposits Change (%) Number of MPs
1885 3 657 219 0.0 N/A N/A 0
1886 0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0
1892 2 659 330 0.0 N/A N/A 0
1895 4 3,730 933 0.1 N/A +0.1 0
1900 2 6,997 3,499 0.2 N/A +0.1 0
1906 8 18,446 2,310 0.4 N/A +0.2 0
Jan 1910 9 13,479 1,498 0.2 N/A -0.2 0
Dec 1910 2 5,733 2,867 0.1 N/A -0.1 0
1918 16 71,762 4,485 0.7 13 +0.6 0

Elections results

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1885 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Hampstead Jack Williams 27 0.6 3
Kennington John Fielding 32 0.5 3
Nottingham West John Burns 598 5.4 3

1892 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Bethnal Green North East Hugh Robert Taylor 106 2.0 3
Salford South William Knight Hall 553 7.5 3

By-elections, 1892–1895

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By-election Candidate Votes % Position
1895 Walworth by-election George Lansbury 347 6.8 3

1895 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Burnley H. M. Hyndman 1,498 12.4 3
Northampton Frederick George Jones 1,216 6.7 5
Salford South Henry William Hobart 813 10.8 3
Walworth George Lansbury 203 3.8 3

By-elections, 1895–1900

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By-election Candidate Votes % Position
1896 Southampton by-election C. A. Gibson 274 2.4
1898 Reading by-election Harry Quelch 270 3.1

1900 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Bow and Bromley George Lansbury 2,558 36.7 2
West Ham South Will Thorne 4,439 44.2 2

For the 1900 general election, the Social Democratic Federation stood candidates as part of the Labour Representation Committee.

By-elections, 1900–1906

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By-election Candidate Votes % Position
1902 Dewsbury by-election Harry Quelch 1,597 13.6 3

1906 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Aberdeen North Tom Kennedy 1,935 25.1 2
Accrington Dan Irving 4,852 38.3 2
Bradford East Edward Hartley 3,090 22.8 3
Burnley H. M. Hyndman 4,932 32.5 3
Camborne Jack Jones 109 1.5 3
Northampton James Gribble 2,366 10.9 6
Northampton Jack Williams 2,544 11.7 5
Southampton Harry Quelch 2,146 8.0 5

By-elections, 1906–1910

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By-election Candidate Votes % Position
1908 Manchester North West by-election Dan Irving 276 2.6 3
1908 Haggerston by-election Herbert Burrows 986 17.7 3
1908 Newcastle-upon-Tyne by-election Edward Hartley 2,971 10.4 3

January 1910 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Aberdeen North Tom Kennedy 1,344 16.9 3
Bradford East Edward Hartley 1,740 12.0 3
Burnley H. M. Hyndman 4,948 30.2 3
Carlisle Arthur Charles Bannington 777 11.3 3
Haggerston Herbert Burrows 701 11.1 3
Northampton James Gribble 1,792 7.7 5
Northampton Harry Quelch 1,617 7.0 6
Rochdale Dan Irving 1,755 12.6 3
Sheffield Brightside Charles Lapworth 510 4.7 3

December 1910 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Burnley H. M. Hyndman 3,810 23.8 3
Rochdale Dan Irving 1,901 14.5 3

By-elections, 1910–1918

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By-election Candidate Votes % Position
1913 Leicester by-election Edward Hartley 2,580 11.4 3
1913 Reading by-election Joseph George Butler 1,063 10.4 3
1914 Poplar by-election Jack Jones 893 11.6 3

The Social Democratic Party merged into the British Socialist Party in 1911. Hartley was endorsed by the Labour Party.

1918 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Bradford South William Hirst 8,291 30.9 2
Edmonton Frank Broad 3,575 25.7 2
Glasgow Gorbals John Maclean 7,436 34.3 2
Glasgow Tradeston James D. MacDougall 3,751 19.4 2
Great Yarmouth William McConnell 1,845 12.8 3
Greenock Fred Shaw 2,542 11.2 3
Grimsby Charles E. Franklin 9,015 33.7 2
Hastings Joseph George Butler 3,556 24.1 2
Islington North John Arnall 4,000 19.3 2
Motherwell Walton Newbold 4,135 23.2 3
Portsmouth Central Hugh Hinshelwood 4,004 19.1 3
Salford South James Gorman 3,807 19.0 2
Sheffield Central Robert George Murray 643 4.0 3
Sheffield Park Alf Barton 3,167 20.4 2
Southampton Tommy Lewis 7,828 10.6 4
Walthamstow West Valentine McEntee 4,167 29.3 2

All candidates other than Arnall, Hirst and Murray stood for the Labour Party. Hirst stood for the Co-operative Party.

References

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  • Martin Crick, The History of the Social Democratic Federation, pp.330-332