English general election, 1690

English general election, 1690

February–March 1690
All 513 seats of the House of Commons 257 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party Tory Whig Seats won 243 241 Popular vote - - Percentage - -

The English general election, 1690 occurred after the dissolution of the Convention Parliament summoned in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution, and saw the partisan feuds in that parliament continue in the constituencies. The Tories made significant gains against their opponents, particularly in the contested counties and boroughs, as the electorate saw the Whigs increasingly as a source of instability and a threat to the Church of England.

Following the election, William continued his policy of forming a coalition government around non-partisan figures. The nominal leader of the new government was the Marquess of Carnarvon, though the Tories were able to use their greater numbers in the House of Commons to increase their share of government positions. Contests occurred in 103 constituencies, 38% of the total.

Party strengths are an approximation, with many MPs' allegiances being unknown.

Summary of the Constituencies

See British general election, 1796 for details. The constituencies used in England and Wales were the same throughout the period. In 1707 alone the 45 Scottish members were not elected from the constituencies, but were returned by co-option of a part of the membership of the last Parliament of Scotland elected before the Union.

External links

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