1708 British general election

← 1702 (Scotland) ←1705 (E&W) 30 April – 7 July 1708 (1708-04-30 –1708-07-07) 1710 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All558 seats in theHouse of Commons 280 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Lord Somers Earl of Godolphin Party Whig Tory Leader since c. 1695 c. 1707 Seats won 268 225 Seat change 45 45
The House of Commons following the 1708 General Election

The1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after theActs of Union had united the Parliaments ofEngland andScotland.

The election saw theWhigs gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by November the Whig-dominated parliament had succeeded in pressuring theQueen into accepting theWhig Junto intogovernment for the first time since the late 1690s. The Whigs only able to take partial control of the government, however, owing to the continued presence of the moderate ToryGodolphin in the cabinet (asLord High Treasurer) and the opposition of the Queen. Contests were held in 95 of the 269 English and Welsh constituencies and 28 of the 45 Scottish constituencies.

Following the election, Whig MP Lord Somers was appointed asLord President of the Council. However, moderate Tory Lord Godolphin remained as Lord High Treasurer and theGodolphin–Marlborough ministry remained in place.

In England, there was 513 MPs elected from 245 constituencies (203 boroughs, 40 counties, and 2 universities). In Wales, there was 24 MPs from 24 constituencies. In Scotland, there was 45 MPs from 45 constituencies (30 counties and 15burghs)^[1]

The first general election held since the Union took place between 30 April 1708 and 7 July 1708. At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or borough fixed the precise date (seehustings for details of the conduct of the elections).

In England and Wales, the Whigs Took 268 seats and the Tories took 225, with 20 unclassified. the 45 in Scotland could be classified as ministerial supporters.^[2]

• List of parliaments of Great Britain
• 2nd Parliament of Great Britain
• List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1708

• British Electoral Facts 1832–1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher (Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2000). (For dates of elections before 1832, see the footnote to Table 5.02).

• History of Parliament: Members 1690–1715
• History of Parliament: Constituencies 1690–1715

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