Social Democratic Federation election results
# Social Democratic Federation election results

This article lists the Social Democratic Federation's election results in UK parliamentary elections. It also includes the results of its successor, the British Socialist Party.

## Summary of general election performance

| Year | Number of Candidates | Total votes | Average voters per candidate | Percentage of vote | Saved deposits | Change (%) | Number of MPs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1885 | 3 | 657 | 219 | 0.0 | 0 | N/A | 0 |
| 1886 | 0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0 |
| 1892 | 2 | 659 | 330 | 0.0 | 0 | N/A | 0 |
| 1895 | 4 | 3,730 | 933 | 0.1 | 0 | +0.1 | 0 |
| 1900 | 2 | 6,997 | 3,499 | 0.2 | 2 | +0.1 | 0 |
| 1906 | 8 | 18,446 | 2,310 | 0.4 | 4 | +0.2 | 0 |
| Jan 1910 | 9 | 13,479 | 1,498 | 0.2 | 3 | -0.2 | 0 |
| Dec 1910 | 2 | 5,733 | 2,867 | 0.1 | 2 | -0.1 | 0 |
| 1918 | 16 | 71,762 | 4,485 | 0.7 | 13 | +0.6 | 0 |

## Elections results

### 1885 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Hampstead | Jack Williams | 27 | 0.6 | 3 |
| Kennington | John Fielding | 32 | 0.5 | 3 |
| Nottingham West | John Burns | 598 | 5.4 | 3 |

### 1892 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Bethnal Green North East | Hugh Robert Taylor | 106 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Salford South | William Knight Hall | 553 | 7.5 | 3 |

### By-elections, 1892–1895

| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1895 Walworth by-election | George Lansbury | 347 | 6.8 | 3 |

### 1895 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman | 1,498 | 12.4 | 3 |
| Northampton | Frederick George Jones | 1,216 | 6.7 | 5 |
| Salford South | Henry William Hobart | 813 | 10.8 | 3 |
| Walworth | George Lansbury | 203 | 3.8 | 3 |

### By-elections, 1895–1900

| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1896 Southampton by-election | C. A. Gibson | 274 | 2.4 | |
| 1898 Reading by-election | Harry Quelch | 270 | 3.1 | |

### 1900 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Bow and Bromley | George Lansbury | 2,558 | 36.7 | 2 |
| West Ham South | Will Thorne | 4,439 | 44.2 | 2 |

For the 1900 general election, the Social Democratic Federation stood candidates as part of the Labour Representation Committee.

### By-elections, 1900–1906

| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1902 Dewsbury by-election | Harry Quelch | 1,597 | 13.6 | 3 |

### 1906 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Aberdeen North | Tom Kennedy | 1,935 | 25.1 | 2 |
| Accrington | Dan Irving | 4,852 | 38.3 | 2 |
| Bradford East | Edward Hartley | 3,090 | 22.8 | 3 |
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman | 4,932 | 32.5 | 3 |
| Camborne | Jack Jones | 109 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Northampton | James Gribble | 2,366 | 10.9 | 6 |
| Northampton | Jack Williams | 2,544 | 11.7 | 5 |
| Southampton | Harry Quelch | 2,146 | 8.0 | 5 |

### By-elections, 1906–1910

| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1908 Manchester North West by-election | Dan Irving | 276 | 2.6 | 3 |
| 1908 Haggerston by-election | Herbert Burrows | 986 | 17.7 | 3 |
| 1908 Newcastle-upon-Tyne by-election | Edward Hartley | 2,971 | 10.4 | 3 |

### January 1910 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Aberdeen North | Tom Kennedy | 1,344 | 16.9 | 3 |
| Bradford East | Edward Hartley | 1,740 | 12.0 | 3 |
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman | 4,948 | 30.2 | 3 |
| Carlisle | Arthur Charles Bannington | 777 | 11.3 | 3 |
| Haggerston | Herbert Burrows | 701 | 11.1 | 3 |
| Northampton | James Gribble | 1,792 | 7.7 | 5 |
| Northampton | Harry Quelch | 1,617 | 7.0 | 6 |
| Rochdale | Dan Irving | 1,755 | 12.6 | 3 |
| Sheffield Brightside | Charles Lapworth | 510 | 4.7 | 3 |

### December 1910 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Burnley | H. M. Hyndman | 3,810 | 23.8 | 3 |
| Rochdale | Dan Irving | 1,901 | 14.5 | 3 |

### By-elections, 1910–1918

| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Leicester by-election | Edward Hartley | 2,580 | 11.4 | 3 |
| 1913 Reading by-election | Joseph George Butler | 1,063 | 10.4 | 3 |
| 1914 Poplar by-election | Jack Jones | 893 | 11.6 | 3 |

The Social Democratic Party merged into the British Socialist Party in 1911. Hartley was endorsed by the Labour Party.

### 1918 general election

| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Bradford South | William Hirst | 8,291 | 30.9 | 2 |
| Edmonton | Frank Broad | 3,575 | 25.7 | 2 |
| Glasgow Gorbals | John Maclean | 7,436 | 34.3 | 2 |
| Glasgow Tradeston | James D. MacDougall | 3,751 | 19.4 | 2 |
| Great Yarmouth | William McConnell | 1,845 | 12.8 | 3 |
| Greenock | Fred Shaw | 2,542 | 11.2 | 3 |
| Grimsby | Charles E. Franklin | 9,015 | 33.7 | 2 |
| Hastings | Joseph George Butler | 3,556 | 24.1 | 2 |
| Islington North | John Arnall | 4,000 | 19.3 | 2 |
| Motherwell | Walton Newbold | 4,135 | 23.2 | 3 |
| Portsmouth Central | Hugh Hinshelwood | 4,004 | 19.1 | 3 |
| Salford South | James Gorman | 3,807 | 19.0 | 2 |
| Sheffield Central | Robert George Murray | 643 | 4.0 | 3 |
| Sheffield Park | Alf Barton | 3,167 | 20.4 | 2 |
| Southampton | Tommy Lewis | 7,828 | 10.6 | 4 |
| Walthamstow West | Valentine McEntee | 4,167 | 29.3 | 2 |

All candidates other than Arnall, Hirst and Murray stood for the Labour Party. Hirst stood for the Co-operative Party.

