Abingdon — UK General Election Results
Abingdon was won by Conservative at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 22,291 votes over Labour. This page covers every general election in Abingdon from 1832 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1832–1979
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | Thomas Duffield (Conservative) | 157 | 78.1% | William Leader Maberly (Whig) | 114 (56.7 pts) | 67.0% |
| 1835 | Thomas Duffield (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1837 | Thomas Duffield (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1841 | Thomas Duffield (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | Frederic Thesiger (Conservative) | 153 | 50.3% | James Caulfeild (Whig) | 2 (0.7 pts) | 89.7% |
| 1852 | James Caulfeild (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1857 | John Thomas Norris (Radical) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1859 | John Thomas Norris (Liberal) | 144 | 54.8% | John Godfrey Bellingham Hudson (Conservative) | 25 (9.5 pts) | 82.2% |
| 1865 | Charles Hugh Lindsay (Conservative) | 137 | 54.2% | John Thomas Norris (Liberal) | 21 (8.3 pts) | 83.2% |
| 1868 | Charles Hugh Lindsay (Conservative) | 397 | 55.1% | Godfrey Lushington (Liberal) | 73 (10.1 pts) | 90.0% |
| 1874 | John Creemer Clarke (Liberal) | 439 | 56.9% | Charles Hugh Lindsay (Conservative) | 106 (13.7 pts) | 89.8% |
| 1880 | John Creemer Clarke (Liberal) | 428 | 52.6% | Alban George Henry Gibbs (Conservative) | 42 (5.2 pts) | 91.5% |
| 1885 | Philip Wroughton (Conservative) | 4,245 | 58.7% | Robert Purvis (Liberal) | 1,259 (17.4 pts) | 82.3% |
| 1886 | Philip Wroughton (Conservative) | 3,899 | 67.1% | Edward Colston Keevil (Liberal) | 1,989 (34.2 pts) | 66.1% |
| 1892 | Philip Wroughton (Conservative) | 3,565 | 52.4% | Charles Alfred Pryce (Liberal) | 326 (4.8 pts) | 79.3% |
| 1895 | Archie Kirkman Loyd (Conservative) | 4,064 | 57.4% | Charles Alfred Pryce (Liberal) | 1,045 (14.8 pts) | 82.2% |
| 1900 | Archie Kirkman Loyd (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1906 | Edward Anthony Strauss (Liberal) | 3,943 | 51.1% | Harold Greenwood Henderson (Conservative) | 176 (2.3 pts) | 86.9% |
| Jan 1910 | Harold Greenwood Henderson (Conservative) | 4,829 | 56.1% | Edward Anthony Strauss (Liberal) | 1,053 (12.2 pts) | 93.0% |
| Dec 1910 | Harold Greenwood Henderson (Conservative) | 4,677 | 58.4% | Martin Harcourt Sands (Liberal) | 1,349 (16.9 pts) | 86.5% |
| 1918 | John Tyson Wigan (Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1922 | Arthur Thomas Loyd (Unionist) | 10,507 | 51.3% | Edward Albert Lessing (Liberal) | 540 (2.6 pts) | 77.1% |
| 1923 | Edward Albert Lessing (Liberal) | 10,932 | 50.6% | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Unionist) | 254 (1.2 pts) | 79.5% |
| 1924 | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Unionist) | 13,117 | 56.4% | Edward Albert Lessing (Liberal) | 4,312 (18.5 pts) | 82.9% |
| 1929 | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Unionist) | 14,094 | 47.5% | Edward Albert Lessing (Liberal) | 2,198 (7.4 pts) | 80.8% |
| 1931 | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1935 | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1945 | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Conservative) | 16,968 | 44.6% | Dale Hope Parkinson (Labour) | 4,988 (13.1 pts) | 67.4% |
| 1950 | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Conservative) | 20,595 | 46.5% | Robert Jarrett McCullagh (Labour) | 3,862 (8.7 pts) | 82.1% |
| 1951 | Ralph George Campbell Glyn (Conservative) | 24,774 | 55.5% | John Curthoys (Labour) | 4,883 (10.9 pts) | 80.0% |
| 1955 | Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave (Conservative) | 25,613 | 50.0% | Margaret Reid (Labour) | 8,634 (16.9 pts) | 80.1% |
| 1959 | Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave (Conservative) | 27,943 | 54.2% | Philip Picard (Labour) | 10,972 (21.3 pts) | 80.8% |
| 1964 | Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave (Conservative) | 26,707 | 48.0% | Frederick J Riddell (Labour) | 6,373 (11.5 pts) | 80.6% |
| 1966 | Airey Neave (Conservative) | 27,749 | 46.3% | Alan Matterson (Labour) | 3,302 (5.5 pts) | 82.5% |
| 1970 | Airey Neave (Conservative) | 36,209 | 54.4% | Norman Price (Labour) | 13,073 (19.7 pts) | 77.5% |
| Feb 1974 | Airey Neave (Conservative) | 34,771 | 46.8% | Denis Edmund Hugh Moriarty (Labour) | 13,743 (18.5 pts) | 83.0% |
| Oct 1974 | Airey Neave (Conservative) | 31,956 | 46.6% | Denis Edmund Hugh Moriarty (Labour) | 10,637 (15.5 pts) | 75.8% |
| 1979 | Thomas Benyon (Conservative) | 41,211 | 53.7% | Andrew John Daniel Popper (Labour) | 22,291 (29.1 pts) | 79.5% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Duffield | Conservative | 157 | 78.1% | Yes |
| William Leader Maberly | Whig | 43 | 21.4% | No |
| Thomas Bowles | Whig | 1 | 0.5% | No |
1835
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Duffield | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1837
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Duffield | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1841
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Duffield | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederic Thesiger | Conservative | 153 | 50.3% | Yes |
| James Caulfeild | Whig | 151 | 49.7% | No |
1852
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Caulfeild | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1857
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Thomas Norris | Radical | Unopposed | Yes | |
1859
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Thomas Norris | Liberal | 144 | 54.8% | Yes |
| John Godfrey Bellingham Hudson | Conservative | 119 | 45.2% | No |
1865
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Hugh Lindsay | Conservative | 137 | 54.2% | Yes |
| John Thomas Norris | Liberal | 116 | 45.8% | No |
1868
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Hugh Lindsay | Conservative | 397 | 55.1% | Yes |
| Godfrey Lushington | Liberal | 324 | 44.9% | No |
1874
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Creemer Clarke | Liberal | 439 | 56.9% | Yes |
| Charles Hugh Lindsay | Conservative | 333 | 43.1% | No |
1880
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Creemer Clarke | Liberal | 428 | 52.6% | Yes |
| Alban George Henry Gibbs | Conservative | 386 | 47.4% | No |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Wroughton | Conservative | 4,245 | 58.7% | Yes |
| Robert Purvis | Liberal | 2,986 | 41.3% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Wroughton | Conservative | 3,899 | 67.1% | Yes |
| Edward Colston Keevil | Liberal | 1,910 | 32.9% | No |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Wroughton | Conservative | 3,565 | 52.4% | Yes |
| Charles Alfred Pryce | Liberal | 3,239 | 47.6% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archie Kirkman Loyd | Conservative | 4,064 | 57.4% | Yes |
| Charles Alfred Pryce | Liberal | 3,019 | 42.6% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archie Kirkman Loyd | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Anthony Strauss | Liberal | 3,943 | 51.1% | Yes |
| Harold Greenwood Henderson | Conservative | 3,767 | 48.9% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harold Greenwood Henderson | Conservative | 4,829 | 56.1% | Yes |
| Edward Anthony Strauss | Liberal | 3,776 | 43.9% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harold Greenwood Henderson | Conservative | 4,677 | 58.4% | Yes |
| Martin Harcourt Sands | Liberal | 3,328 | 41.6% | No |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Tyson Wigan | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Thomas Loyd | Unionist | 10,507 | 51.3% | Yes |
| Edward Albert Lessing | Liberal | 9,967 | 48.7% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Albert Lessing | Liberal | 10,932 | 50.6% | Yes |
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Unionist | 10,678 | 49.4% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Unionist | 13,117 | 56.4% | Yes |
| Edward Albert Lessing | Liberal | 8,805 | 37.8% | No |
| Daniel Fernley Brundril | Labour | 1,355 | 5.8% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Unionist | 14,094 | 47.5% | Yes |
| Edward Albert Lessing | Liberal | 11,896 | 40.1% | No |
| Arthur Essex Edgeworth Reade | Labour | 3,712 | 12.5% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Conservative | 16,968 | 44.6% | Yes |
| Dale Hope Parkinson | Labour | 11,980 | 31.5% | No |
| John Henry Charles Miller | Liberal | 7,031 | 18.5% | No |
| John Clement Dix Dunman | Communist | 1,668 | 4.4% | No |
| Charles Freake | Independent | 419 | 1.1% | No |
1950
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Conservative | 20,595 | 46.5% | Yes |
| Robert Jarrett McCullagh | Labour | 16,733 | 37.7% | No |
| Eric Digby Tempest Vane | Liberal | 6,612 | 14.9% | No |
| John Clement Dix Dunman | Communist | 396 | 0.9% | No |
1951
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph George Campbell Glyn | Conservative | 24,774 | 55.5% | Yes |
| John Curthoys | Labour | 19,891 | 44.5% | No |
1955
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave | Conservative | 25,613 | 50.0% | Yes |
| Margaret Reid | Labour | 16,979 | 33.1% | No |
| George R Allen | Liberal | 4,270 | 8.3% | No |
1959
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave | Conservative | 27,943 | 54.2% | Yes |
| Philip Picard | Labour | 16,971 | 32.9% | No |
| Verdun Isabel Perl | Liberal | 6,651 | 12.9% | No |
1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave | Conservative | 26,707 | 48.0% | Yes |
| Frederick J Riddell | Labour | 20,334 | 36.5% | No |
| Verdun Isabel Perl | Liberal | 8,627 | 15.5% | No |
1966
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airey Neave | Conservative | 27,749 | 46.3% | Yes |
| Alan Matterson | Labour | 24,447 | 40.8% | No |
| Denis Case | Liberal | 7,703 | 12.9% | No |
1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airey Neave | Conservative | 36,209 | 54.4% | Yes |
| Norman Price | Labour | 23,136 | 34.8% | No |
| SR Caradoc Evans | Liberal | 7,198 | 10.8% | No |
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airey Neave | Conservative | 34,771 | 46.8% | Yes |
| Denis Edmund Hugh Moriarty | Labour | 21,028 | 28.3% | No |
| Michael Fogarty | Liberal | 18,458 | 24.9% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airey Neave | Conservative | 31,956 | 46.6% | Yes |
| Denis Edmund Hugh Moriarty | Labour | 21,319 | 31.1% | No |
| Michael Fogarty | Liberal | 15,239 | 22.2% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Benyon | Conservative | 41,211 | 53.7% | Yes |
| Andrew John Daniel Popper | Labour | 18,920 | 24.7% | No |
| Ian Murray Blair | Liberal | 16,164 | 21.1% | No |
| Ruth Pinder | Independent | 381 | 0.5% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Abingdon has been contested at 38 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative, Whig, Radical, Liberal, Unionist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Abingdon in the 1979 general election?
Conservative won Abingdon in 1979 with 41,211 votes (53.7%), a majority of 22,291 votes over Labour in second place.
Which parties have won Abingdon since 1832?
Since 1832, Abingdon has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Radical, Unionist, Whig.
What was the closest result in Abingdon?
The closest result on record for Abingdon was 1847, when Conservative beat Whig by just 2 votes (0.7 percentage points).