2 December 1868
General election

Previous event | Timeline | Next event

Disraeli, who takes over as Conservative leader shortly before the election, hopes his party will be rewarded for extending the vote to nearly a million working men, but Gladstone, who became Liberal leader in 1866, campaigns vigorously around the country. The Liberals win, with 382 seats to the Conservatives' 276. Gladstone's Cabinet shows a careful mix of the factions within the party: it is dominated by Whigs, but also includes Peelites, Liberals and Radicals. There is much energy in the new government, but with so many different opinions, conflicts are inevitable.

Top