1964 United Kingdom general election

The 1964 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 15 October 1964. It resulted in the Conservatives, led by incumbent Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home, narrowly losing to the Labour Party, led by Harold Wilson; Labour secured a parliamentary majority of four seats and ended its thirteen years in opposition since the 1951 election. Wilson became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Rosebery in 1894. To date, this is also the most narrow majority obtained in the House of Commons, with just one seat clearing Labour for a majority government.

1964 United Kingdom general election
15 October 1964
All 630 seats in the House of Commons
316 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout77.1%, 1.7%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Harold Wilson Alec Douglas-Home Jo Grimond
Party Labour Conservative Liberal
Leader since 14 February 1963 18 October 1963 5 November 1956
Leader's seat Huyton Kinross and
Western Perthshire		 Orkney
and Shetland
Last election 258 seats, 43.8% 365 seats, 49.4% 6 seats, 5.9%
Seats won 317 304 9
Seat change 59 61 3
Popular vote 12,205,808 12,002,642 3,099,283
Percentage 44.1% 43.4% 11.2%
Swing 0.3% 6.0% 5.3%
Colours denote the winning party—as shown in § Results
Composition of the House of Commons after the election
Prime Minister before election

Alec Douglas-Home
Conservative

 Prime Minister after election

Harold Wilson
Labour

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