Scarborough — UK General Election Results
Scarborough was won by Conservative at the 1992 general election, with a majority of 11,734 votes over Labour. This page covers every general election in Scarborough from 1832 to 1992.
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, 1832–1992
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Whig); George Cayley (Whig) | 255 | 41.6% (top seat) | Frederick William Trench (Conservative) | 110 (16.1 pts) | 79.5% |
| 1835 | Frederick William Trench (Conservative); John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Whig) | 161 | 38.3% (top seat) | George Cayley (Whig) | 39 (8.5 pts) | 55.7% |
| 1837 | Frederick William Trench (Conservative); Thomas Charles Style (Whig) | 211 | 35.8% (top seat) | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Conservative) | 19 (3.0 pts) | 64.3% |
| 1841 | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Conservative); Frederick William Trench (Conservative) | 253 | 37.7% (top seat) | Charles Beaumont Phipps (Whig) | 16 (2.0 pts) | 69.7% |
| 1847 | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Peelite); George Augustus Constantine Phipps (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1852 | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Peelite); George Augustus Constantine Phipps (Whig) | 387 | 37.6% (top seat) | George Frederick Young (Conservative) | 74 (6.6 pts) | 69.7% |
| 1857 | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Peelite); George Augustus Constantine Phipps (Whig) | 508 | 40.8% (top seat) | Augustus Frederick Bayford (Conservative) | 233 (17.6 pts) | 70.8% |
| 1859 | William Henry Forester Denison (Liberal); John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Liberal) | 540 | 35.2% (top seat) | John Dent Dent (Liberal) | 112 (7.0 pts) | 82.5% |
| 1865 | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Liberal); John Dent Dent (Liberal) | 674 | 45.5% (top seat) | George John Cayley (Conservative) | 233 (11.4 pts) | 75.8% |
| 1868 | John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Liberal); John Dent Dent (Liberal) | 1,678 | 43.0% (top seat) | George John Cayley (Conservative) | 936 (22.0 pts) | 71.6% |
| 1874 | Charles Legard (Conservative); Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Liberal) | 1,103 | 32.4% (top seat) | John Dent Dent (Liberal) | 304 (7.7 pts) | 54.4% |
| 1880 | Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (Liberal); William Sproston Caine (Liberal) | 2,065 | 29.3% (top seat) | John Cookson Fife-Cookson (Conservative) | 484 (6.6 pts) | 85.6% |
| 1885 | George Reresby Sitwell (Conservative) | 2,185 | 51.6% | John Glover (Liberal) | 137 (3.2 pts) | 90.7% |
| 1886 | Joshua Rowntree (Liberal) | 2,122 | 51.2% | George Reresby Sitwell (Conservative) | 102 (2.5 pts) | 88.8% |
| 1892 | George Reresby Sitwell (Conservative) | 2,293 | 51.9% | Joshua Rowntree (Liberal) | 171 (3.9 pts) | 90.5% |
| 1895 | Joseph Compton Rickett (Liberal) | 2,415 | 50.2% | George Reresby Sitwell (Conservative) | 24 (0.5 pts) | 91.0% |
| 1900 | Joseph Compton Rickett (Liberal) | 2,548 | 51.1% | George Reresby Sitwell (Conservative) | 107 (2.1 pts) | 87.1% |
| 1906 | Walter Russell Rea (Liberal) | 3,128 | 54.4% | Charles Edward Hunter (Conservative) | 509 (8.9 pts) | 92.0% |
| Jan 1910 | Walter Russell Rea (Liberal) | 3,011 | 52.5% | George Vere Arundel Monckton-Arundell (Conservative) | 292 (5.1 pts) | 92.9% |
| Dec 1910 | Walter Russell Rea (Liberal) | 2,763 | 50.5% | George Vere Arundel Monckton-Arundell (Conservative) | 52 (0.9 pts) | 88.8% |
| Feb 1974 | Michael Shaw (Conservative) | 21,858 | 47.7% | Michael Ford Pitts (Liberal) | 5,107 (11.1 pts) | 78.9% |
| Oct 1974 | Michael Shaw (Conservative) | 19,831 | 49.7% | Michael John Lee Brook (Liberal) | 9,708 (24.3 pts) | 68.1% |
| 1979 | Michael Shaw (Conservative) | 23,669 | 53.2% | Erkki Johnnnes Lahteela (Labour) | 12,325 (27.7 pts) | 73.1% |
| 1983 | Michael Shaw (Conservative) | 27,977 | 54.3% | Rosamund Jordan (Social Democratic Party) | 13,929 (27.0 pts) | 71.3% |
| 1987 | Michael Shaw (Conservative) | 27,672 | 50.7% | Hilary Margaret West Callan (Social Democratic Party) | 13,626 (24.9 pts) | 73.2% |
| 1992 | John Sykes (Conservative) | 29,334 | 49.8% | David Billing (Labour) | 11,734 (19.9 pts) | 77.2% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Whig | 285 | 41.6% | Yes |
| George Cayley | Whig | 255 | 37.2% | Yes |
| Frederick William Trench | Conservative | 145 | 21.2% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick William Trench | Conservative | 176 | 38.3% | Yes |
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Whig | 161 | 35.1% | Yes |
| George Cayley | Whig | 122 | 26.6% | No |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick William Trench | Conservative | 225 | 35.8% | Yes |
| Thomas Charles Style | Whig | 211 | 33.6% | Yes |
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Conservative | 192 | 30.6% | No |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Conservative | 296 | 37.7% | Yes |
| Frederick William Trench | Conservative | 253 | 32.2% | Yes |
| Charles Beaumont Phipps | Whig | 237 | 30.2% | No |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Peelite | Unopposed | Yes | |
| George Augustus Constantine Phipps | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Peelite | 422 | 37.6% | Yes |
| George Augustus Constantine Phipps | Whig | 387 | 34.5% | Yes |
| George Frederick Young | Conservative | 313 | 27.9% | No |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Peelite | 540 | 40.8% | Yes |
| George Augustus Constantine Phipps | Whig | 508 | 38.4% | Yes |
| Augustus Frederick Bayford | Conservative | 275 | 20.8% | No |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Henry Forester Denison | Liberal | 562 | 35.2% | Yes |
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Liberal | 540 | 33.8% | Yes |
| John Dent Dent | Liberal | 428 | 26.8% | No |
| George John Cayley | Conservative | 66 | 4.1% | No |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Liberal | 932 | 45.5% | Yes |
| John Dent Dent | Liberal | 674 | 32.9% | Yes |
| George John Cayley | Conservative | 441 | 21.5% | No |
1868 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Liberal | 1,826 | 43.0% | Yes |
| John Dent Dent | Liberal | 1,678 | 39.5% | Yes |
| George John Cayley | Conservative | 742 | 17.5% | No |
1874 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Legard | Conservative | 1,280 | 32.4% | Yes |
| Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Liberal | 1,103 | 27.9% | Yes |
| John Dent Dent | Liberal | 799 | 20.2% | No |
| James Edwin Thorold Rogers | Liberal | 772 | 19.5% | No |
1880 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | Liberal | 2,157 | 29.3% | Yes |
| William Sproston Caine | Liberal | 2,065 | 28.0% | Yes |
| John Cookson Fife-Cookson | Conservative | 1,581 | 21.5% | No |
| Charles Legard | Conservative | 1,562 | 21.2% | No |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Reresby Sitwell | Conservative | 2,185 | 51.6% | Yes |
| John Glover | Liberal | 2,048 | 48.4% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Rowntree | Liberal | 2,122 | 51.2% | Yes |
| George Reresby Sitwell | Conservative | 2,020 | 48.8% | No |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Reresby Sitwell | Conservative | 2,293 | 51.9% | Yes |
| Joshua Rowntree | Liberal | 2,122 | 48.1% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Compton Rickett | Liberal | 2,415 | 50.2% | Yes |
| George Reresby Sitwell | Conservative | 2,391 | 49.8% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Compton Rickett | Liberal | 2,548 | 51.1% | Yes |
| George Reresby Sitwell | Conservative | 2,441 | 48.9% | No |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Russell Rea | Liberal | 3,128 | 54.4% | Yes |
| Charles Edward Hunter | Conservative | 2,619 | 45.6% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Russell Rea | Liberal | 3,011 | 52.5% | Yes |
| George Vere Arundel Monckton-Arundell | Conservative | 2,719 | 47.5% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Russell Rea | Liberal | 2,763 | 50.5% | Yes |
| George Vere Arundel Monckton-Arundell | Conservative | 2,711 | 49.5% | No |
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Shaw | Conservative | 21,858 | 47.7% | Yes |
| Michael Ford Pitts | Liberal | 16,751 | 36.5% | No |
| David John Taylor-Goodby | Labour | 7,034 | 15.3% | No |
| Mahlo Jane Ellis | Independent | 114 | 0.2% | No |
| Bower Morrill Stoker | Independent Conservative | 102 | 0.2% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Shaw | Conservative | 19,831 | 49.7% | Yes |
| Michael John Lee Brook | Liberal | 10,123 | 25.4% | No |
| David John Taylor-Goodby | Labour | 9,923 | 24.9% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Shaw | Conservative | 23,669 | 53.2% | Yes |
| Erkki Johnnnes Lahteela | Labour | 11,344 | 25.5% | No |
| Stephen Fred Galloway | Liberal | 9,025 | 20.3% | No |
| Tristram Yelin | Independent | 487 | 1.1% | No |
1983
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Shaw | Conservative | 27,977 | 54.3% | Yes |
| Rosamund Jordan | Social Democratic Party | 14,048 | 27.2% | No |
| John Battersby | Labour | 9,545 | 18.5% | No |
1987
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Shaw | Conservative | 27,672 | 50.7% | Yes |
| Hilary Margaret West Callan | Social Democratic Party | 14,046 | 25.7% | No |
| Mark Christian Wolstenholme | Labour | 12,913 | 23.6% | No |
1992
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Sykes | Conservative | 29,334 | 49.8% | Yes |
| David Billing | Labour | 17,600 | 29.9% | No |
| A Bromley Davenport | Liberal Democrat | 11,133 | 18.9% | No |
| Dr Richard Richardson | Green | 876 | 1.5% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Scarborough has been contested at 26 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Peelite, Liberal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Scarborough in the 1992 general election?
Conservative won Scarborough in 1992 with 29,334 votes (49.8%), a majority of 11,734 votes over Labour in second place.
Which parties have won Scarborough since 1832?
Since 1832, Scarborough has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Peelite, Whig.
What was the closest result in Scarborough?
The closest result on record for Scarborough was 1895, when Liberal beat Conservative by just 24 votes (0.5 percentage points).
Did Scarborough ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Scarborough 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.