On Wednesday 14 December 1918, the 1918 United Kingdom general election was held in England, to elect all 707 members of the House of Commons, with 492 constituencies being in England. 485 seats represented territorial constituencies contested under the first past the post electoral system, and seven additional seats represented the university constituencies. Three university constituencies returned two members through the single transferable vote electoral system and one returned one member by the first past the post system.

This was the last election in which no leaders of the major parties (Conservative, Labour or Liberal) held seats in England. Bonar Law, representing a Scottish constituency was himself born in the Colony of New Brunswick (now Canada), along with William Adamson representing a Scottish constituency and having been born in Scotland. H. H. Asquith and David Lloyd George represented Scottish and Welsh constituencies respectively, although were themselves both born in England.

The election was called immediately after the Armistice with Germany which ended the First World War, and was held on Wednesday, 14 December 1918. The governing coalition, under Prime Minister David Lloyd George, sent letters of endorsement to candidates who supported the coalition government, these being primarily Conservatives and Unionists and Coalition Liberals. These were nicknamed "Coalition Coupons", and led to the election being known as the "coupon election".

Electoral system

It was the first general election to be held after enactment of the Representation of the People Act 1918. It was the first election in which all men over the age of 21 could vote with no restrictions on property ownership. By extension, it was the first election in which women over the age of 30 could vote in elections, though with some qualifications of property ownership.

Under the same Act, the number of constituencies (much like in Scotland, Ireland and Wales) was increased. Overall, England grew by 31 constituencies, going from 461 to 492. The county and borough territorial constituencies increased from the 456, used between the 1885 and December 1910 general elections, to 485. Similarly, among the university constituencies, the new Combined English Universities constituency which returned two members was added. The other University constituencies remained. London University retained its one seat under first past the post, and Cambridge University and Oxford University retained two members each, though returned members under the reformed single transferable vote system. The university constituencies therefore grew by two seats. The university constituencies would remain so until their abolition for the 1950 election.

Candidates

Below is a table summarising the candidates of the 1918 general election in England, excluding those in the universities constituency.

Affiliation CandidatesConservative Party 352Labour Party 291Liberal Party 232Coalition Liberal 95National Party 26Independent NFDDSS 24Independent Labour 18Independent 17Coalition National Democratic 15Independent Unionist 10Co-operative Party 7Independent Liberal 7National Democratic and Labour Party 7NFDDSS 5National Farmers' Union 5Coalition Labour 4National Socialist Party 3Socialist Labour Party 3British Socialist Party 2Independent Conservative 2Agriculturalist 2Nationalist Party 2Women's Party 1Independent Progressive (Coalition) 1Coalition Independent 1Independent Progressive 1Other 18Total 1,151

Analysis

Coalition Liberals and Liberal Party

The newly formed Coalition Liberal Party under Prime Minister David Lloyd George won a total of 83 seats, with 82 being won in the county and borough territorial constituencies, and one seat in Cambridge University. The wins were primarily from the Liberal Party from which it had emerged. Amongst these wins, Austin Hopkinson won the seat of Mossley which replaced the seat of Prestwich. Hopkinson entered Parliament at the October 1918 Prestwich by-election, and his retention was a win from the Liberal Party. He was regarded as a Coalition Liberals due to being a supporter of Lloyd George's Government and being a recipient of a Coalition Coupon, despite him not being a member.

The Liberal Party under H. H. Asquith conversely lost several seats to the Coalition Liberals as well as the Conservative Party. The Liberals were left with 25 seats in England, the majority of the 36 seats it held at this election across the United Kingdom. The Liberals, however, win Lambeth North, Weston-super-Mare (which had replaced the abolished Somerset Northern). The party's win in Lambeth North was from the Conservative Party. It also gained the newly created seats of Portsmouth Central and Stourbridge.

Coalition and non-Coalition Conservatives

The Conservative Party won 321 seats, an increase of 83 seat when compared to the last election. The Conservative Party, which had formed in 1912 from the unification of the Conservative and Liberal Unionists won seats at the election after fielding only eight candidates in total.

Combined with the results across the United Kingdom, the party won the largest number of seats in the House of Commons despite the Coalition Government being led by Lloyd George and his Coalition Liberal Party. Amongst the candidates in the Conservative, however, 34 did not receive Coalition Coupons. 20 non-Coalition Conservatives won seats in England, with 301 being recipients of Coupons. This was an overall gain of one seat in Wales for the Conservatives combined compared with the last election. The non-Coalition Conservatives elected, along with the rest elected across the United Kingdom, did not form an opposition or bloc against the National Coalition, but were principally concerned with the issue of Irish independence.

Prominent Conservatives that entered Parliament at this election included Future Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in Birmingham Ladywood. The first female MP to enter Parliament and take her seat at the House of Commons Nancy Astor was a member of the Conservative Party. She entered in the seat of Plymouth Sutton, and would hold it until 1945.

Other Coalition parties

Two newly formed parties were created, with many members supporting of the Coalition Government and receiving Coalition Coupons. These were National Democratic and Labour Party and Coalition Labour grouping.

Within the National Democratic and Labour Party (NDP), 15 candidates were recipients of Coupons with seven candidates standing without in England. None of the non-Coalition NDP candidates won seats. However, the Coalition NDP candidates won seven seats in England. These were the new seats of Birmingham Duddeston, Don Valley, East Ham South, Leicester West and Wallsend. It gained Bradford East from the Liberal Party, as well as Walthamstow West which had replaced the Liberal-held Walthamstow. It also won Hanley from the Labour Party, although it had been won by the Liberal Party at the 1912 Hanley by-election. Nevertheless, the gain was from the Labour Party in comparison to the last election. Combined with the party's one seat in Scotland and one seat in Wales, the party won nine seats nationally. Clement Edwards, who had won East Ham South, was elected chairman of the Party following the election.

Amongst the grouping of the Coalition Labour, three won seats in England. James Parker won the new seat of Cannock. George Roberts retained his seat in the two-member seat of Norwich, which was a gain from his former party Labour. George Wardle in Stockport won unopposed in the two-member seat, which was also a gain from his former party Labour. The grouping's fourth candidate John R. Bell who stood in Kingston upon Hull South West, and who was sponsored by the National Union of Seamen, did not win the seat against the Liberal Party. Combined with the one seat won in Scotland, the National Labour group won four seats nationally.

In addition, Douglas King, who had received a Coalition Coupon, won in North Norfolk as an independent. His win was a gain from the Liberal Party.

Labour Party and Co-operative Party

The Labour Party also gained seats at this election, with the party winning 42 seats, an increase of eight compared with the last election. Amongst its gains were Forest of Dean, Leek and Wellingborough (which replaced Northamptonshire Mid). These were gains from the Liberal Party. The Party also won Kingswinford, Wednesbury and West Bromwich from the Conservative Party.

It also won the new seat of Smethwick against Women's Party founder and candidate and Coalition Coupon recipient Christabel Pankhurst. Although a member of the Labour Party, Pankhurst had supported the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Lloyd George at the election.

The newly formed Co-operative Party candidate Alfred Waterson won the seat of Kettering. The seat had replaced North Northamptonshire which was held by the Conservatives, thereby being a gain from the Conservative Party. The party fielded a further seven candidates in England without success. Chairman of the party William Henry Watkins, although a councillor, did not stand in the election. This was the only election in which the party would stand alone, before it and its members took the Labour Whip before the next election.

Minor Parties and independents

In comparison to the previous elections in 1910, several new parties, candidates and independents, many receiving military organisation sponsorship, stood across the United Kingdom. This occurrence was primarily in England; however, such candidates saw limited success and therefore representation at Parliament.

The newly formed National Party, which had split from the Conservative Party in 1917, stood 26 candidates across England. At the election, party leader Henry Page Croft won his seat of Bournemouth, with Sir Richard Cooper winning his seat of Walsall. Both were gains from the Conservative Party. The National Party and its two MPs, however, would rejoin the Conservative Party, with the National Party being disbanded in 1921 before the new election.

The newly formed National Socialist Party candidate Jack Jones won the seat of Silvertown. Sowerby was a new seat, succeeding the abolished Labour-held seat of West Ham South.

Amongst the independents that won seats, Horatio Bottomley won Hackney South and Noel Pemberton Billing gained Hertford. Bottomley had previous held the seat of Hackney South as a member of the Liberal Party, however had resigned the seat due to bankruptcy. The Liberal Party had won 1912 Hackney South by-election. Bottomley's win was a gain from the Liberals. Additionally, Noel Pemberton Billing had won Hertford at the 1916 Hertford by-election. His retention at this election was a gain from the Conservative Party in comparison to December 1910. Billing would resign the seat, following which the 1921 Hertford by-election would occur wherein another independent would win the seat.

Other independents that won seat included Independent Unionist Robert Hewitt Barker in Sowerby with support of the National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers. The gain was from the Liberal Party. Independent Liberal candidate Josiah Wedgwood in Newcastle-under-Lyme. He had received but did not accept it. He was supported by the local liberal group, however regarded himself as an independent. His switch from the Liberal Party was a gain from his former party, with Wedgwood going on to join the Labour Party following the election. However, Independent ConservativeFrancis Bennett-Goldney in Canterbury had died since the last election. The 1918 Canterbury by-election saw the Conservatives regain the seat unopposed, its retention in this election was a win from the Independent Unionist seat since last election.

Irish Nationalist, and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, T. P. O'Connor retained Liverpool Scotland. Another candidate in Liverpool Exchange was unsuccessful.