The Swing of the Pendulum: A History of UK General Elections

Introduction

Originally due to launch in-person around the time of the first COVID lockdown in the UK, this online exhibition showcases some of the items and stories that were selected.

The exhibition begins with the People’s Charter, a series of demands for parliamentary reform published in 1838. Significant general elections are explored, from 1918 where some women could vote for the first time, to 1950 where plural voting was abolished.

Finally, it explores the founding of both the Labour and Conservative parties with guest curator Emma Pizarro (LSE Library archivist) exploring the landmark election of 1997.

Exhibition sections

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  History of General Elections: the 1800s

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  History of General Elections: the 1900s

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  The Labour Party and 1997 General Election

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  The Conservative Party and 2019 General Election

Contribute to this exhibition

Tell us what you think about this exhibition and answer some of the questions we pose.

By tortured millions, by the divine redeemer, enfranchise humanity, bid the outraged world, BE FREE

Anne Knight, 1850s

Resources

• Interested in accessing these archives? Download this resource guide containing instructions on how to search our archives catalogue.
• Read Francesca Humi's blog post Shifting notions of identity, race and empire in British General Elections based on research of our general election leaflets.
• Learn more through our collection highlight pages.

Contribute to the archive!

• Share your memories and thoughts about general elections.
• We need your campaigning leaflets!
  Donate any campaigning leaflets to us and help preserve them for future teachers, researchers and historians. Drop them at LSE Library or get in touch so we can send you an envelope to return them to us.

Your contributions

May 1st 1997 was a sunny evening in Maidstone, and there was a long queue outside our local polling station. My then boyfriend took one look at it and declared that he couldn’t be bothered to wait to cast his vote and returned home, I was both incredulous and seriously unimpressed. (That relationship was outlasted by the subsequent parliament.) The next day, I was working at Waterstone’s in the town centre, feeling genuinely excited about the election of a Labour government. Around lunchtime, the dulcet tones of Anne Widdecombe, our Conservative MP became increasingly audible. Looking out of the window, I was greeted by the sight of her sitting in the back of a small truck, megaphone in hand repeatedly thanking Maidstone for electing her. It’s fair to say from the number of choice comments shouted out in reply that far from everyone in the town had voted for her; though with high support from constituents living in The Weald of Kent, her re-election was never really in doubt.

Wendy Lynwood, LSE Library

Contact us

For further information, contact us by email.