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Watford — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Watford was won by Labour at the 2024 general election, with a majority of 4,723 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Watford from 1885 to 2024.

Full Election History, 1885–2024

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1885 Thomas Frederick Halsey (Conservative) 4,032 52.1% George Faudel Phillips (Liberal) 320 (4.1 pts) 77.2%
1886 Thomas Frederick Halsey (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1892 Thomas Frederick Halsey (Conservative) 4,802 57.0% John Marnham (Liberal) 1,175 (13.9 pts) 76.4%
1895 Thomas Frederick Halsey (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1900 Thomas Frederick Halsey (Conservative) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1906 Nathaniel Micklem (Liberal) 7,612 55.4% Thomas Frederick Halsey (Conservative) 1,476 (10.7 pts) 82.1%
Jan 1910 Arnold Sandwith Ward (Conservative) 8,782 54.8% Nathaniel Micklem (Liberal) 1,551 (9.7 pts) 90.4%
Dec 1910 Arnold Sandwith Ward (Conservative) 8,043 52.9% Nathaniel Micklem (Liberal) 883 (5.8 pts) 85.8%
1918 Dennis Henry Herbert (Unionist) 11,155 57.2% George Lathan (Labour) 6,203 (31.8 pts) 59.5%
1922 Dennis Henry Herbert (Unionist) 12,040 49.1% James Joseph Mallon (Labour) 3,479 (14.2 pts) 69.4%
1923 Dennis Henry Herbert (Unionist) 10,533 43.0% James Joseph Mallon (Labour) 3,001 (12.2 pts) 68.5%
1924 Dennis Henry Herbert (Unionist) 15,271 54.7% Herbert Henry Elvin (Labour) 7,854 (28.2 pts) 73.1%
1929 Dennis Henry Herbert (Unionist) 18,583 45.8% Edward Terrell (Liberal) 6,295 (15.5 pts) 72.4%
1931 Dennis Henry Herbert (Conservative) 34,076 78.3% Frank Mortimer Jacques (Labour) 24,653 (56.7 pts) 71.0%
1935 Dennis Henry Herbert (Conservative) 28,196 65.4% Stanley Walter Morgan (Labour) 13,290 (30.8 pts) 63.5%
1945 John Horace Freeman (Labour) 32,138 46.0% William Helmore (Conservative) 2,194 (3.1 pts) 73.3%
1950 John Horace Freeman (Labour) 21,759 47.4% John Maxwell Bemrose (Conservative) 1,457 (3.2 pts) 87.3%
1951 John Horace Freeman (Labour) 22,370 47.9% Sydney William Leonard Ripley (Conservative) 508 (1.1 pts) 87.2%
1955 Frederick William Farey-Jones (Conservative) 22,546 52.0% Ernest Ashley Bramall (Labour) 1,717 (4.0 pts) 82.4%
1959 Frederick William Farey-Jones (Conservative) 21,216 46.9% Renee Short (Labour) 2,901 (6.4 pts) 84.8%
1964 Raphael Herman Tuck (Labour) 20,224 45.2% Frederick William Farey-Jones (Conservative) 1,480 (3.3 pts) 83.6%
1966 Raphael Tuck (Labour) 23,832 54.4% David Clarke (Conservative) 3,836 (8.8 pts) 82.9%
1970 Raphael Tuck (Labour) 19,698 45.7% David Clarke (Conservative) 76 (0.2 pts) 76.2%
Oct 1974 Raphael Tuck (Labour) 19,177 44.3% Tristan Garel-Jones (Conservative) 3,957 (9.1 pts) 77.3%
Feb 1974 Raphael Tuck (Labour) 18,884 40.5% David Clarke (Conservative) 2,795 (6.0 pts) 84.0%
1979 Tristan Garel-Jones (Conservative) 21,320 47.6% Tony Banks (Labour) 3,290 (7.3 pts) 81.3%
1983 Tristan Garel-Jones (Conservative) 26,273 48.0% Peter Lennon Burton (Social Democratic Party) 12,006 (21.9 pts) 76.1%
1987 Tristan Garel-Jones (Conservative) 27,912 48.7% Michael Jackson (Labour) 11,736 (20.5 pts) 77.9%
1992 Tristan Garel-Jones (Conservative) 29,072 48.8% Michael Jackson (Labour) 9,590 (16.1 pts) 82.3%
1997 Claire Ward (Labour) 25,109 45.4% Robert Gordon (Conservative) 5,882 (10.6 pts) 74.7%
2001 Claire Ward (Labour) 20,992 45.3% Michael McManus (Conservative) 5,555 (12.0 pts) 61.2%
2005 Claire Ward (Labour) 16,575 33.6% Sal Brinton (Liberal Democrat) 1,148 (2.3 pts) 64.8%
2010 Richard Harrington (Conservative) 19,291 34.9% Sal Brinton (Liberal Democrat) 1,425 (2.6 pts) 68.6%
2015 Richard Harrington (Conservative) 24,400 43.5% Matt Turmaine (Labour) 9,794 (17.4 pts) 67.5%
2017 Richard Harrington (Conservative) 26,731 45.6% Chris Ostrowski (Labour) 2,092 (3.6 pts) 67.9%
2019 Dean Russell (Conservative) 26,421 45.5% Chris Ostrowski (Labour) 4,433 (7.6 pts) 70.0%
2024 Matt Turmaine (Labour) 15,708 35.3% Dean Russell (Conservative) 4,723 (10.6 pts) 61.1%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Frederick Halsey Conservative 4,03252.1% Yes
George Faudel Phillips Liberal 3,71247.9% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Frederick Halsey Conservative Unopposed Yes

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Frederick Halsey Conservative 4,80257.0% Yes
John Marnham Liberal 3,62743.0% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Frederick Halsey Conservative Unopposed Yes

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Frederick Halsey Conservative Unopposed Yes

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Nathaniel Micklem Liberal 7,61255.4% Yes
Thomas Frederick Halsey Conservative 6,13644.6% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arnold Sandwith Ward Conservative 8,78254.8% Yes
Nathaniel Micklem Liberal 7,23145.2% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arnold Sandwith Ward Conservative 8,04352.9% Yes
Nathaniel Micklem Liberal 7,16047.1% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dennis Henry Herbert Unionist 11,15557.2% Yes
George Lathan Labour 4,95225.4% No
Francis James Gray Liberal 3,39517.4% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dennis Henry Herbert Unionist 12,04049.1% Yes
James Joseph Mallon Labour 8,56134.9% No
Robert Allen Bateman Liberal 3,89615.9% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dennis Henry Herbert Unionist 10,53343.0% Yes
James Joseph Mallon Labour 7,53230.8% No
Robert Allen Bateman Liberal 6,42326.2% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dennis Henry Herbert Unionist 15,27154.7% Yes
Herbert Henry Elvin Labour 7,41726.6% No
Margery Irene Corbett Ashby Liberal 5,20518.7% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dennis Henry Herbert Unionist 18,58345.8% Yes
Edward Terrell Liberal 12,28830.3% No
Hermand Macdonald Labour 9,66523.8% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dennis Henry Herbert Conservative 34,07678.3% Yes
Frank Mortimer Jacques Labour 9,42321.7% No

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dennis Henry Herbert Conservative 28,19665.4% Yes
Stanley Walter Morgan Labour 14,90634.6% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Horace Freeman Labour 32,13846.0% Yes
William Helmore Conservative 29,94442.9% No
Henry Eric Southey Harben Liberal 7,74311.1% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Horace Freeman Labour 21,75947.4% Yes
John Maxwell Bemrose Conservative 20,30244.2% No
Hamilton Brinsley Bush Liberal 3,8798.4% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Horace Freeman Labour 22,37047.9% Yes
Sydney William Leonard Ripley Conservative 21,86246.8% No
Hamilton Brinsley Bush Liberal 2,4695.3% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick William Farey-Jones Conservative 22,54652.0% Yes
Ernest Ashley Bramall Labour 20,82948.0% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick William Farey-Jones Conservative 21,21646.9% Yes
Renee Short Labour 18,31540.4% No
Ian S Steers Liberal 5,75312.7% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Raphael Herman Tuck Labour 20,22445.2% Yes
Frederick William Farey-Jones Conservative 18,74441.9% No
Margaret Neilson Liberal 5,79712.9% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Raphael Tuck Labour 23,83254.4% Yes
David Clarke Conservative 19,99645.6% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Raphael Tuck Labour 19,69845.7% Yes
David Clarke Conservative 19,62245.5% No
Colin Watkins Liberal 3,7788.8% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Raphael Tuck Labour 19,17744.3% Yes
Tristan Garel-Jones Conservative 15,22035.1% No
David Jacobs Liberal 8,24319.0% No
Jeremy Wotherspoon National Front 6711.5% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Raphael Tuck Labour 18,88440.5% Yes
David Clarke Conservative 16,08934.5% No
David Jacobs Liberal 11,03523.7% No
Jeremy Wotherspoon National Front 6511.4% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Tristan Garel-Jones Conservative 21,32047.6% Yes
Tony Banks Labour 18,03040.3% No
Bruce Jeffrey Michael Bodle Liberal 5,01911.2% No
Brent Cheetham National Front 3880.9% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Tristan Garel-Jones Conservative 26,27348.0% Yes
Peter Lennon Burton Social Democratic Party 14,26726.0% No
Ian Stuart Wilson Labour 14,24726.0% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Tristan Garel-Jones Conservative 27,91248.7% Yes
Michael Jackson Labour 16,17628.2% No
Fiona Beckett Social Democratic Party 13,20223.0% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Tristan Garel-Jones Conservative 29,07248.8% Yes
Michael Jackson Labour 19,48232.7% No
Mark Oaten Liberal Democrat 10,23117.2% No
Jeremy Hywel-Davies Green 5661.0% No
Leslie Davis Natural Law 1760.3% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Claire Ward Labour 25,10945.4% Yes
Robert Gordon Conservative 19,22734.8% No
Andrew Canning Liberal Democrat 9,27216.8% No
Philip Roe Referendum Party 1,4842.7% No
Leslie Davis Natural Law 2340.4% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Claire Ward Labour 20,99245.3% Yes
Michael McManus Conservative 15,43733.3% No
Duncan Hames Liberal Democrat 8,08817.4% No
Denise Kingsley Green 9001.9% No
Edmund Stewart-Mole UKIP 5351.2% No
Jon Berry Socialist Alliance 4200.9% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Claire Ward Labour 16,57533.6% Yes
Sal Brinton Liberal Democrat 15,42731.2% No
Ali Miraj Conservative 14,63429.6% No
Steve Rackett Green 1,4663.0% No
Kenneth Wight UKIP 1,2922.6% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Harrington Conservative 19,29134.9% Yes
Sal Brinton Liberal Democrat 17,86632.4% No
Claire Ward Labour 14,75026.7% No
Andrew Emerson BNP 1,2172.2% No
Graham Eardley UKIP 1,1992.2% No
Ian Brandon Green 8851.6% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Harrington Conservative 24,40043.5% Yes
Matt Turmaine Labour 14,60626.0% No
Dorothy Thornhill Liberal Democrat 10,15218.1% No
Nick Lincoln UKIP 5,4819.8% No
Aidan Cottrell-Boyce Green 1,3322.4% No
Mark O'Connor Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 1780.3% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Richard Harrington Conservative 26,73145.6% Yes
Chris Ostrowski Labour 24,63942.0% No
Ian Stotesbury Liberal Democrat 5,3359.1% No
Ian Green UKIP 1,1842.0% No
Alex Murray Green 7211.2% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Dean Russell Conservative 26,42145.5% Yes
Chris Ostrowski Labour 21,98837.9% No
Ian Stotesbury Liberal Democrat 9,32316.1% No
Michael McGetrick Social Democratic Party 3330.6% No

2024

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Matt Turmaine Labour 15,70835.3% Yes
Dean Russell Conservative 10,98524.7% No
Ian Stotesbury Liberal Democrat 7,57717.0% No
Gary Ling Reform UK 4,93011.1% No
Khalid Chohan Workers Party of Britain 2,6596.0% No
Arran Bowen-la Grange Green 2,4285.5% No
Sarah Knott Heritage Party 1680.4% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1885: Conservative margin 4.1 pts 1892: Conservative margin 13.9 pts 1906: Liberal margin 10.7 pts Jan 1910: Conservative margin 9.7 pts Dec 1910: Conservative margin 5.8 pts 1918: Unionist margin 31.8 pts 1922: Unionist margin 14.2 pts 1923: Unionist margin 12.2 pts 1924: Unionist margin 28.2 pts 1929: Unionist margin 15.5 pts 1931: Conservative margin 56.7 pts 1935: Conservative margin 30.8 pts 1945: Labour margin 3.1 pts 1950: Labour margin 3.2 pts 1951: Labour margin 1.1 pts 1955: Conservative margin 4.0 pts 1959: Conservative margin 6.4 pts 1964: Labour margin 3.3 pts 1966: Labour margin 8.8 pts 1970: Labour margin 0.2 pts Oct 1974: Labour margin 9.1 pts Feb 1974: Labour margin 6.0 pts 1979: Conservative margin 7.3 pts 1983: Conservative margin 21.9 pts 1987: Conservative margin 20.5 pts 1992: Conservative margin 16.1 pts 1997: Labour margin 10.6 pts 2001: Labour margin 12.0 pts 2005: Labour margin 2.3 pts 2010: Conservative margin 2.6 pts 2015: Conservative margin 17.4 pts 2017: Conservative margin 3.6 pts 2019: Conservative margin 7.6 pts 2024: Labour margin 10.6 pts 1885 1892 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Oct 1974 Feb 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024

Trend

Watford has been contested at 37 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative, Liberal, Unionist, Labour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Watford in the 2024 general election?

Labour won Watford in 2024 with 15,708 votes (35.3%), a majority of 4,723 votes over Conservative in second place.

Which parties have won Watford since 1885?

Since 1885, Watford has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Unionist.

What was the closest result in Watford?

The closest result on record for Watford was 1970, when Labour beat Conservative by just 76 votes (0.2 percentage points).

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