The 1710 British general election produced a landslide victory for the
Tories. The election came in the wake of the prosecution of
Henry Sacheverell, which had led to the collapse of the
previous government led by
Godolphin and the
Whig Junto.
In November 1709 the clergyman
Henry Sacheverell had delivered a sermon fiercely criticising the government's policy of toleration for
Protestant dissenters and attacking the personal conduct of the ministers. The government had Sacheverell impeached, and he was narrowly found guilty but received only a light sentence, making the government appear weak and vindictive. The trial enraged a large section of the population, and
riots in London
A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...
led to attacks on dissenting places of worship and cries of "
Church in Danger
'Church in Danger' was a political slogan used by the Tory party, and particularly by High Tories in elections during Queen Anne's reign.
'Church in Danger' was a rallying call for many Anglicans in England who feared that the established Churc ...
".
The government's unpopularity was further increased by its enthusiasm for the
war with France, as peace talks with the French king
Louis XIV
Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...
had broken down over the government's insistence that the
Bourbons
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spani ...
hand over the Spanish throne to the
Habsburgs. The Tories' policy of pursuing peace appealed to a country worn out by constant war.
Queen Anne, disliking the Junto and sensing that the government could not survive long, gradually replaced it with a Tory ministry throughout the summer of 1710.
The election was bitterly contested in almost all the
counties and "open" boroughs, even when a poll was not held. Contests occurred in 131 constituencies in
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is En ...
; approximately half of all English and Welsh constituencies.
The overwhelming Tory victory surprised few, and following the election most remaining Whigs resigned from office. The new government was led by the moderate Tory
Robert Harley who was unpopular among the more partisan Tories. Harley's ministry faced increasing pressure from the extremists whose position in Parliament had been enormously strengthened by the result.
Summary of the constituencies
See
1796 British general election for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.
Dates of election
The general election was held between 2 October 1710 and 16 November 1710. At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or
parliamentary borough fixed the precise date (see
hustings for details of the conduct of the elections).
Results
Seats summary
See also
*
3rd Parliament of Great Britain
*
List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1710
*
List of parliaments of Great Britain
References
* ''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).
External links
History of Parliament: Members 1690–1715History of Parliament: Constituencies 1690–1715
{{British elections (1707-1800)
1710 in politics
1710 in Great Britain
1710
In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin by ...