Sunderland — UK General Election Results
Sunderland elected 2 MPs at the 1945 general election: Frederick Thomas Willey (Labour) and Richard Ewart (Labour). This page covers every general election in Sunderland from 1832 to 1945.
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, 1832–1945
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | William Chaytor (Whig); George Barrington (Whig) | 525 | 34.5% (top seat) | David Barclay (Whig) | 121 (6.0 pts) | 73.2% |
| 1835 | William Thompson (Conservative); David Barclay (Whig) | 709 | 43.5% (top seat) | William Chaytor (Whig) | 320 (16.5 pts) | 71.4% |
| 1837 | William Thompson (Conservative); Andrew White (Whig) | 628 | 36.1% (top seat) | David Barclay (Whig) | 37 (1.9 pts) | 62.2% |
| 1841 | William Thompson (Conservative); David Barclay (Whig) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | George Hudson (Conservative); David Barclay (Whig) | 642 | 42.1% (top seat) | William Arthur Wilkinson (Radical) | 74 (3.5 pts) | 61.7% |
| 1852 | George Hudson (Conservative); William Digby Seymour (Radical) | 814 | 37.2% (top seat) | Henry Fenwick (Whig) | 160 (6.9 pts) | 59.2% |
| 1857 | Henry Fenwick (Whig); George Hudson (Conservative) | 1,081 | 36.6% (top seat) | Ralph Walters (Radical) | 218 (7.1 pts) | 61.5% |
| 1859 | Henry Fenwick (Liberal); William Schaw Lindsay (Liberal) | 1,292 | 42.3% (top seat) | George Hudson (Conservative) | 502 (13.9 pts) | 72.4% |
| 1865 | Henry Fenwick (Liberal); James Hartley (Conservative) | 1,355 | 40.7% (top seat) | John Candlish (Liberal) | 48 (1.1 pts) | 64.7% |
| 1868 | John Candlish (Liberal); Edward Temperley Gourley (Liberal) | 4,901 | 42.3% (top seat) | Thomas Charles Thompson (Liberal) | 1,305 (8.9 pts) | 64.8% |
| 1874 | Edward Temperley Gourley (Liberal); Henry Marshman Havelock (Liberal) | 5,920 | 38.9% (top seat) | Laurence Richardson Baily (Conservative) | 2,139 (13.5 pts) | 56.7% |
| 1880 | Edward Temperley Gourley (Liberal); Henry Marshman Havelock-Allan (Liberal) | 6,995 | 40.4% (top seat) | Edward Brooke (Conservative) | 2,733 (14.5 pts) | 62.9% |
| 1885 | Samuel Storey (Liberal); Edward Temperley Gourley (Liberal) | 7,759 | 36.5% (top seat) | Samuel Peter Austin (Conservative) | 1,056 (4.6 pts) | 79.7% |
| 1886 | Samuel Storey (Liberal); Edward Temperley Gourley (Liberal) | 6,840 | 35.1% (top seat) | William Stobart (Liberal Unionist) | 813 (4.1 pts) | 71.2% |
| 1892 | Samuel Storey (Liberal); Edward Temperley Gourley (Liberal) | 9,554 | 27.2% (top seat) | Frederick William Lambton (Liberal Unionist) | 1,160 (3.2 pts) | 80.7% |
| 1895 | William Theodore Doxford (Conservative); Edward Temperley Gourley (Liberal) | 8,232 | 37.5% (top seat) | Samuel Storey (Liberal) | 47 (0.2 pts) | 79.9% |
| 1900 | William Theodore Doxford (Conservative); John Stapylton Grey Pemberton (Conservative) | 9,566 | 25.7% (top seat) | George Burton Hunter (Liberal) | 196 (0.5 pts) | 78.3% |
| 1906 | James Stuart (Liberal); Thomas Summerbell (Labour) | 13,430 | 32.3% (top seat) | David Henry Haggle (Conservative) | 5,551 (13.2 pts) | 85.5% |
| Dec 1910 | Hamar Greenwood (Liberal); Frank Walter Goldstone (Labour) | 11,291 | 27.4% (top seat) | William Joynson-Hicks (Conservative) | 991 (2.3 pts) | 81.2% |
| Jan 1910 | Samuel Storey (Independent Tariff Reform); James Knott (Conservative) | 12,270 | 26.1% (top seat) | James Stuart (Liberal) | 741 (1.6 pts) | 87.2% |
| 1918 | Hamar Greenwood (Liberal); Ralph Milbanke Hudson (Unionist) | 25,698 | 43.9% (top seat) | Frank Walter Goldstone (Labour) | 16,095 (25.6 pts) | 43.0% |
| 1922 | Walter Raine (Unionist); Luke Thompson (Unionist) | 24,591 | 25.0% (top seat) | Hamar Greenwood (National Liberal) | 5,533 (5.0 pts) | 74.6% |
| 1923 | Walter Raine (Unionist); Luke Thompson (Unionist) | 23,379 | 19.9% (top seat) | Lawrence Andrew Common (Liberal) | 941 (0.8 pts) | 76.9% |
| 1924 | Luke Thompson (Unionist); Walter Raine (Unionist) | 28,608 | 25.3% (top seat) | Jeremiah McVeagh (Labour) | 6,785 (6.0 pts) | 72.0% |
| 1929 | Marion Phillips (Labour); Alfred Smith (Labour) | 31,085 | 19.5% (top seat) | Walter Raine (Unionist) | 1,905 (1.2 pts) | 80.2% |
| 1931 | Luke Thompson (Conservative); Samuel Storey (Conservative) | 52,589 | 32.3% (top seat) | Marion Phillips (Labour) | 22,882 (13.8 pts) | 79.8% |
| 1935 | Stephen Noel Furness (National Liberal); Samuel Storey (Conservative) | 48,760 | 30.2% (top seat) | George Edward Gordon Catlin (Labour) | 16,277 (10.0 pts) | 78.1% |
| 1945 | Frederick Thomas Willey (Labour); Richard Ewart (Labour) | 36,711 | 28.1% (top seat) | Stephen Noel Furness (National Liberal) | 7,345 (5.3 pts) | 73.5% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Chaytor | Whig | 697 | 34.5% | Yes |
| George Barrington | Whig | 525 | 26.0% | Yes |
| David Barclay | Whig | 404 | 20.0% | No |
| William Thompson | Conservative | 392 | 19.4% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Thompson | Conservative | 844 | 43.5% | Yes |
| David Barclay | Whig | 709 | 36.5% | Yes |
| William Chaytor | Whig | 389 | 20.0% | No |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Thompson | Conservative | 688 | 36.1% | Yes |
| Andrew White | Whig | 628 | 32.9% | Yes |
| David Barclay | Whig | 591 | 31.0% | No |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Thompson | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| David Barclay | Whig | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Hudson | Conservative | 879 | 42.1% | Yes |
| David Barclay | Whig | 642 | 30.7% | Yes |
| William Arthur Wilkinson | Radical | 568 | 27.2% | No |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Hudson | Conservative | 868 | 37.2% | Yes |
| William Digby Seymour | Radical | 814 | 34.8% | Yes |
| Henry Fenwick | Whig | 654 | 28.0% | No |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Fenwick | Whig | 1,123 | 36.6% | Yes |
| George Hudson | Conservative | 1,081 | 35.2% | Yes |
| Ralph Walters | Radical | 863 | 28.1% | No |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Fenwick | Liberal | 1,527 | 42.3% | Yes |
| William Schaw Lindsay | Liberal | 1,292 | 35.8% | Yes |
| George Hudson | Conservative | 790 | 21.9% | No |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Fenwick | Liberal | 1,826 | 40.7% | Yes |
| James Hartley | Conservative | 1,355 | 30.2% | Yes |
| John Candlish | Liberal | 1,307 | 29.1% | No |
1868 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Candlish | Liberal | 6,237 | 42.3% | Yes |
| Edward Temperley Gourley | Liberal | 4,901 | 33.3% | Yes |
| Thomas Charles Thompson | Liberal | 3,596 | 24.4% | No |
1874 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Temperley Gourley | Liberal | 6,172 | 38.9% | Yes |
| Henry Marshman Havelock | Liberal | 5,920 | 37.3% | Yes |
| Laurence Richardson Baily | Conservative | 3,781 | 23.8% | No |
1880 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Temperley Gourley | Liberal | 7,639 | 40.4% | Yes |
| Henry Marshman Havelock-Allan | Liberal | 6,995 | 37.0% | Yes |
| Edward Brooke | Conservative | 4,262 | 22.6% | No |
1885 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Storey | Liberal | 8,295 | 36.5% | Yes |
| Edward Temperley Gourley | Liberal | 7,759 | 34.1% | Yes |
| Samuel Peter Austin | Conservative | 6,703 | 29.5% | No |
1886 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Storey | Liberal | 6,971 | 35.1% | Yes |
| Edward Temperley Gourley | Liberal | 6,840 | 34.5% | Yes |
| William Stobart | Liberal Unionist | 6,027 | 30.4% | No |
1892 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Storey | Liberal | 9,711 | 27.2% | Yes |
| Edward Temperley Gourley | Liberal | 9,554 | 26.8% | Yes |
| Frederick William Lambton | Liberal Unionist | 8,394 | 23.5% | No |
| John Stapylton Grey Pemberton | Conservative | 8,002 | 22.4% | No |
1895 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Theodore Doxford | Conservative | 9,833 | 37.5% | Yes |
| Edward Temperley Gourley | Liberal | 8,232 | 31.4% | Yes |
| Samuel Storey | Liberal | 8,185 | 31.2% | No |
1900 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Theodore Doxford | Conservative | 9,617 | 25.7% | Yes |
| John Stapylton Grey Pemberton | Conservative | 9,566 | 25.6% | Yes |
| George Burton Hunter | Liberal | 9,370 | 25.1% | No |
| Alexander Wilkie | Labour | 8,842 | 23.6% | No |
1906 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Stuart | Liberal | 13,620 | 32.3% | Yes |
| Thomas Summerbell | Labour | 13,430 | 31.8% | Yes |
| David Henry Haggle | Conservative | 7,879 | 18.7% | No |
| John Stapylton Grey Pemberton | Conservative | 7,244 | 17.2% | No |
Dec 1910 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamar Greenwood | Liberal | 11,997 | 27.4% | Yes |
| Frank Walter Goldstone | Labour | 11,291 | 25.8% | Yes |
| William Joynson-Hicks | Conservative | 10,300 | 23.6% | No |
| Samuel Samuel | Conservative | 10,132 | 23.2% | No |
Jan 1910 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Storey | Independent Tariff Reform | 12,334 | 26.1% | Yes |
| James Knott | Conservative | 12,270 | 26.0% | Yes |
| James Stuart | Liberal | 11,529 | 24.4% | No |
| Thomas Summerbell | Labour | 11,058 | 23.4% | No |
1918 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamar Greenwood | Liberal | 27,646 | 43.9% | Yes |
| Ralph Milbanke Hudson | Unionist | 25,698 | 40.8% | Yes |
| Frank Walter Goldstone | Labour | 9,603 | 15.3% | No |
1922 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Raine | Unionist | 28,001 | 25.0% | Yes |
| Luke Thompson | Unionist | 24,591 | 22.0% | Yes |
| Hamar Greenwood | National Liberal | 19,058 | 17.0% | No |
| David Baxter Lawley | Labour | 13,683 | 12.2% | No |
| Vickerman Henzell Rutherford | Labour | 13,490 | 12.1% | No |
| Lawrence Andrew Common | Liberal | 13,036 | 11.7% | No |
1923 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Raine | Unionist | 23,497 | 19.9% | Yes |
| Luke Thompson | Unionist | 23,379 | 19.8% | Yes |
| Lawrence Andrew Common | Liberal | 22,438 | 19.0% | No |
| Hamar Greenwood | Liberal | 22,034 | 18.6% | No |
| David Baxter Lawley | Labour | 13,707 | 11.6% | No |
| Thomas William Gillinder | Labour | 13,184 | 11.2% | No |
1924 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Thompson | Unionist | 28,612 | 25.3% | Yes |
| Walter Raine | Unionist | 28,608 | 25.3% | Yes |
| Jeremiah McVeagh | Labour | 21,823 | 19.3% | No |
| Lawrence Andrew Common | Liberal | 20,139 | 17.8% | No |
| Ian Campbell Hannah | Liberal | 13,731 | 12.2% | No |
1929 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion Phillips | Labour | 31,794 | 19.5% | Yes |
| Alfred Smith | Labour | 31,085 | 19.0% | Yes |
| Walter Raine | Unionist | 29,180 | 17.9% | No |
| Luke Thompson | Unionist | 28,937 | 17.7% | No |
| Elizabeth Trebelle Morgan | Liberal | 21,300 | 13.0% | No |
| John William Pratt | Liberal | 21,142 | 12.9% | No |
1931 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Thompson | Conservative | 53,386 | 32.3% | Yes |
| Samuel Storey | Conservative | 52,589 | 31.8% | Yes |
| Marion Phillips | Labour | 29,707 | 18.0% | No |
| Denis Nowell Pritt | Labour | 29,680 | 17.9% | No |
1935 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Noel Furness | National Liberal | 49,001 | 30.2% | Yes |
| Samuel Storey | Conservative | 48,760 | 30.0% | Yes |
| George Edward Gordon Catlin | Labour | 32,483 | 20.0% | No |
| Elizabeth Leah Manning | Labour | 32,059 | 19.8% | No |
1945 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick Thomas Willey | Labour | 38,769 | 28.1% | Yes |
| Richard Ewart | Labour | 36,711 | 26.6% | Yes |
| Stephen Noel Furness | National Liberal | 29,366 | 21.3% | No |
| Samuel Storey | Conservative | 28,579 | 20.7% | No |
| Thomas Alfred Richardson | Communist | 4,501 | 3.3% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Sunderland has been contested at 28 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Radical, Liberal, Labour, Independent Tariff Reform, Unionist, National Liberal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Sunderland in the 1945 general election?
Frederick Thomas Willey (Labour), Richard Ewart (Labour) won Sunderland in 1945.
Which parties have won Sunderland since 1832?
Since 1832, Sunderland has been won by: Conservative, Independent Tariff Reform, Labour, Liberal, National Liberal, Radical, Unionist, Whig.
What was the closest result in Sunderland?
The closest result on record for Sunderland was 1895, when Conservative beat Liberal by just 47 votes (0.2 percentage points).
Did Sunderland ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Sunderland 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.