Oxford — UK General Election Results
Oxford was won by Conservative at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 1,497 votes over Labour. This page covers every general election in Oxford from 1832 to 1979.
This constituency elected more than one MP at once in some years. Before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (and in a shrinking number of boroughs through 1948), most UK constituencies elected two or more MPs together by "multi-member plurality" (block vote): each elector could cast one vote per available seat, and the top vote-getters overall were all elected. In those elections below, "Elected" lists every MP returned, "Votes" is the count that secured the last seat, and "Majority" is the gap between that seat and the first candidate who missed out.
Full Election History, 1832–1979
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | James Haughton Langston (Whig); Thomas Stonor (Whig) | 953 | 34.5% (top seat) | William Hughes Hughes (Whig) | 34 (0.9 pts) | 79.0% |
| 1835 | William Hughes Hughes (Conservative); Donald Maclean (Conservative) | 1,217 | 38.4% (top seat) | Thomas Stonor (Whig) | 195 (5.4 pts) | 74.6% |
| 1837 | Donald Maclean (Conservative); William Erle (Whig) | 1,217 | 38.9% (top seat) | William Hughes Hughes (Conservative) | 320 (9.2 pts) | 71.4% |
| 1841 | James Haughton Langston (Whig); Donald Maclean (Conservative) | 1,238 | 37.2% (top seat) | Neil Malcolm (Conservative) | 197 (5.4 pts) | 65.1% |
| 1847 | James Haughton Langston (Whig); William Page Wood (Radical) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1852 | William Page Wood (Radical); James Haughton Langston (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1857 | James Haughton Langston (Whig); Charles Neate (Whig) | 1,057 | 41.9% (top seat) | Edward Cardwell (Peelite) | 41 (1.0 pts) | 75.1% |
| 1859 | James Haughton Langston (Liberal); Edward Cardwell (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1865 | Edward Cardwell (Liberal); Charles Neate (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1868 | Edward Cardwell (Liberal); William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt (Liberal) | 2,636 | 41.7% (top seat) | James Parker Deane (Conservative) | 1,411 (21.3 pts) | 62.2% |
| 1874 | William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt (Liberal); Edward Cardwell (Liberal) | 2,281 | 34.2% (top seat) | Alexander William Hall (Conservative) | 83 (1.2 pts) | 60.0% |
| 1880 | William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt (Liberal); Joseph William Chitty (Liberal) | 2,669 | 34.2% (top seat) | Alexander William Hall (Conservative) | 10 (0.1 pts) | 65.7% |
| 1885 | Alexander William Hall (Conservative) | 3,212 | 52.6% | Charles Alan Fyffe (Liberal) | 318 (5.2 pts) | 90.3% |
| 1886 | Alexander William Hall (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1892 | George Tomkyns Chesney (Conservative) | 3,276 | 50.9% | Robinson Souttar (Liberal) | 120 (1.9 pts) | 86.0% |
| 1895 | Arthur Annesley (Conservative) | 3,623 | 54.9% | Thomas Henry Kingerlee (Liberal) | 648 (9.8 pts) | 86.4% |
| 1900 | Arthur Annesley (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1906 | Arthur Annesley (Conservative) | 3,910 | 50.6% | George Whale (Liberal) | 100 (1.3 pts) | 89.6% |
| Jan 1910 | Arthur Annesley (Conservative) | 4,918 | 57.0% | George Whale (Liberal) | 1,211 (14.0 pts) | 93.5% |
| Dec 1910 | Arthur Annesley (Conservative) | 4,664 | 58.4% | John Fischer Williams (Liberal) | 1,346 (16.9 pts) | 86.5% |
| 1918 | John Arthur Ransome Marriott (Unionist) | 9,805 | 70.7% | George Herbert Higgins (Liberal) | 5,748 (41.5 pts) | 55.2% |
| 1922 | Frank Gray (Liberal) | 12,489 | 59.0% | John Arthur Ransome Marriott (Unionist) | 3,806 (18.0 pts) | 83.8% |
| 1923 | Frank Gray (Liberal) | 12,311 | 56.1% | Robert Croft Bourne (Unionist) | 2,693 (12.3 pts) | 83.5% |
| 1924 | Robert Croft Bourne (Unionist) | 12,196 | 57.3% | Robert Oswald Moon (Liberal) | 5,360 (25.2 pts) | 78.5% |
| 1929 | Robert Croft Bourne (Unionist) | 14,638 | 52.4% | Robert Oswald Moon (Liberal) | 6,057 (21.7 pts) | 72.2% |
| 1931 | Robert Croft Bourne (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1935 | Robert Croft Bourne (Conservative) | 16,306 | 62.8% | Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker (Labour) | 6,645 (25.6 pts) | 67.3% |
| 1945 | Quintin McGarel Hogg (Conservative) | 14,314 | 45.3% | Frank Aungier Pakenham (Labour) | 2,863 (9.0 pts) | 69.1% |
| 1950 | Quintin McGarel Hogg (Conservative) | 27,508 | 46.9% | Elizabeth Pakenham (Labour) | 3,606 (6.1 pts) | 84.9% |
| 1951 | Henry Frederic Lawrence Turner (Conservative) | 32,367 | 56.0% | George Henry Elvin (Labour) | 6,940 (12.0 pts) | 82.0% |
| 1955 | Henry Frederic Lawrence Turner (Conservative) | 27,708 | 52.3% | George Henry Elvin (Labour) | 7,778 (14.7 pts) | 78.2% |
| 1959 | Christopher Montague Woodhouse (Conservative) | 26,798 | 50.9% | Leslie N Anderton (Labour) | 8,488 (16.1 pts) | 78.9% |
| 1964 | Christopher Montague Woodhouse (Conservative) | 22,212 | 42.9% | David Evan Trant Luard (Labour) | 1,429 (2.8 pts) | 77.3% |
| 1966 | David Luard (Labour) | 24,412 | 46.5% | Christopher Woodhouse (Conservative) | 2,425 (4.6 pts) | 79.3% |
| 1970 | Christopher Woodhouse (Conservative) | 24,873 | 47.0% | David Luard (Labour) | 1,884 (3.6 pts) | 74.6% |
| Oct 1974 | David Luard (Labour) | 23,359 | 42.7% | Christopher Woodhouse (Conservative) | 1,036 (1.9 pts) | 70.8% |
| Feb 1974 | Christopher Woodhouse (Conservative) | 23,967 | 39.8% | David Luard (Labour) | 821 (1.4 pts) | 78.5% |
| 1979 | John Patten (Conservative) | 27,459 | 45.3% | David Luard (Labour) | 1,497 (2.5 pts) | 74.2% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Haughton Langston | Whig | 1,260 | 34.5% | Yes |
| Thomas Stonor | Whig | 953 | 26.1% | Yes |
| William Hughes Hughes | Whig | 919 | 25.1% | No |
| Charles Wetherell | Conservative | 523 | 14.3% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Hughes Hughes | Conservative | 1,394 | 38.4% | Yes |
| Donald Maclean | Conservative | 1,217 | 33.5% | Yes |
| Thomas Stonor | Whig | 1,022 | 28.1% | No |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Maclean | Conservative | 1,348 | 38.9% | Yes |
| William Erle | Whig | 1,217 | 35.2% | Yes |
| William Hughes Hughes | Conservative | 897 | 25.9% | No |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Haughton Langston | Whig | 1,349 | 37.2% | Yes |
| Donald Maclean | Conservative | 1,238 | 34.1% | Yes |
| Neil Malcolm | Conservative | 1,041 | 28.7% | No |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Haughton Langston | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
| William Page Wood | Radical | Unopposed | Yes | |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Page Wood | Radical | Unopposed | Yes | |
| James Haughton Langston | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Haughton Langston | Whig | 1,671 | 41.9% | Yes |
| Charles Neate | Whig | 1,057 | 26.5% | Yes |
| Edward Cardwell | Peelite | 1,016 | 25.5% | No |
| Stephen Gaselee | Radical | 245 | 6.1% | No |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Haughton Langston | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edward Cardwell | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Cardwell | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Charles Neate | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1868 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Cardwell | Liberal | 2,765 | 41.7% | Yes |
| William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt | Liberal | 2,636 | 39.8% | Yes |
| James Parker Deane | Conservative | 1,225 | 18.5% | No |
1874 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt | Liberal | 2,332 | 34.2% | Yes |
| Edward Cardwell | Liberal | 2,281 | 33.5% | Yes |
| Alexander William Hall | Conservative | 2,198 | 32.3% | No |
1880 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt | Liberal | 2,771 | 34.2% | Yes |
| Joseph William Chitty | Liberal | 2,669 | 33.0% | Yes |
| Alexander William Hall | Conservative | 2,659 | 32.8% | No |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander William Hall | Conservative | 3,212 | 52.6% | Yes |
| Charles Alan Fyffe | Liberal | 2,894 | 47.4% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander William Hall | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Tomkyns Chesney | Conservative | 3,276 | 50.9% | Yes |
| Robinson Souttar | Liberal | 3,156 | 49.1% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Annesley | Conservative | 3,623 | 54.9% | Yes |
| Thomas Henry Kingerlee | Liberal | 2,975 | 45.1% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Annesley | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Annesley | Conservative | 3,910 | 50.6% | Yes |
| George Whale | Liberal | 3,810 | 49.4% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Annesley | Conservative | 4,918 | 57.0% | Yes |
| George Whale | Liberal | 3,707 | 43.0% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Annesley | Conservative | 4,664 | 58.4% | Yes |
| John Fischer Williams | Liberal | 3,318 | 41.6% | No |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Arthur Ransome Marriott | Unionist | 9,805 | 70.7% | Yes |
| George Herbert Higgins | Liberal | 4,057 | 29.3% | No |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Gray | Liberal | 12,489 | 59.0% | Yes |
| John Arthur Ransome Marriott | Unionist | 8,683 | 41.0% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Gray | Liberal | 12,311 | 56.1% | Yes |
| Robert Croft Bourne | Unionist | 9,618 | 43.9% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Croft Bourne | Unionist | 12,196 | 57.3% | Yes |
| Robert Oswald Moon | Liberal | 6,836 | 32.1% | No |
| Frederic Ludlow | Labour | 2,260 | 10.6% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Croft Bourne | Unionist | 14,638 | 52.4% | Yes |
| Robert Oswald Moon | Liberal | 8,581 | 30.7% | No |
| John Lytellton Etty | Labour | 4,694 | 16.8% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Croft Bourne | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Croft Bourne | Conservative | 16,306 | 62.8% | Yes |
| Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker | Labour | 9,661 | 37.2% | No |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quintin McGarel Hogg | Conservative | 14,314 | 45.3% | Yes |
| Frank Aungier Pakenham | Labour | 11,451 | 36.2% | No |
| Anthony Norman | Liberal | 5,860 | 18.5% | No |
1950
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quintin McGarel Hogg | Conservative | 27,508 | 46.9% | Yes |
| Elizabeth Pakenham | Labour | 23,902 | 40.7% | No |
| Donald William Tweddle | Liberal | 6,807 | 11.6% | No |
| Ernest Keeling | Communist | 494 | 0.8% | No |
1951
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Frederic Lawrence Turner | Conservative | 32,367 | 56.0% | Yes |
| George Henry Elvin | Labour | 25,427 | 44.0% | No |
1955
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Frederic Lawrence Turner | Conservative | 27,708 | 52.3% | Yes |
| George Henry Elvin | Labour | 19,930 | 37.6% | No |
| Ivor Roland Morgan Davies | Liberal | 5,336 | 10.1% | No |
1959
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Montague Woodhouse | Conservative | 26,798 | 50.9% | Yes |
| Leslie N Anderton | Labour | 18,310 | 34.8% | No |
| Ivor Roland Morgan Davies | Liberal | 7,491 | 14.2% | No |
1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Montague Woodhouse | Conservative | 22,212 | 42.9% | Yes |
| David Evan Trant Luard | Labour | 20,783 | 40.1% | No |
| Ivor Roland Morgan Davies | Liberal | 8,797 | 17.0% | No |
1966
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Luard | Labour | 24,412 | 46.5% | Yes |
| Christopher Woodhouse | Conservative | 21,987 | 41.8% | No |
| Alexander Peterson | Liberal | 6,152 | 11.7% | No |
1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Woodhouse | Conservative | 24,873 | 47.0% | Yes |
| David Luard | Labour | 22,989 | 43.4% | No |
| Peter Reeves | Liberal | 5,103 | 9.6% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Luard | Labour | 23,359 | 42.7% | Yes |
| Christopher Woodhouse | Conservative | 22,323 | 40.8% | No |
| Margaret Stanmore Butler | Liberal | 8,374 | 15.3% | No |
| Ian Anderson | National Front | 572 | 1.0% | No |
| Bernice Olive Smith | Independent | 64 | 0.1% | No |
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Woodhouse | Conservative | 23,967 | 39.8% | Yes |
| David Luard | Labour | 23,146 | 38.4% | No |
| Margaret Stanmore Butler | Liberal | 13,094 | 21.7% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Patten | Conservative | 27,459 | 45.3% | Yes |
| David Luard | Labour | 25,962 | 42.8% | No |
| Dermot Roaf | Liberal | 6,234 | 10.3% | No |
| Anthony Cheeke | Oxford Ecological Movement | 887 | 1.5% | No |
| Bernice Olive Smith | Independent | 72 | 0.1% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Oxford has been contested at 38 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Radical, Liberal, Unionist, Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Oxford in the 1979 general election?
Conservative won Oxford in 1979 with 27,459 votes (45.3%), a majority of 1,497 votes over Labour in second place.
Which parties have won Oxford since 1832?
Since 1832, Oxford has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Radical, Unionist, Whig.
What was the closest result in Oxford?
The closest result on record for Oxford was 1880, when Liberal beat Conservative by just 10 votes (0.1 percentage points).
Did Oxford ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Oxford elected multiple MPs at once in some elections on this page (a system called multi-member plurality, or 'block vote'), each voter casting one vote per available seat.