1708 British general election

1708 British general election

← 1702 (Scotland) 1705 (England and Wales) 30 April – 7 July 1708 (1708-04-30 – 1708-07-07) 1710 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 558 seats in the House of Commons 280 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Lord Somers Earl of Godolphin Party Whig Tory Leader since c. 1695 c. 1707 Seats won 268 225 Seat change 45 45
The House of Commons following the 1708 General Election

The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland.

The election saw the Whigs gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by November the Whig-dominated parliament had succeeded in pressuring the Queen into accepting the Junto into government for the first time since the late 1690s. The Whigs were unable to take full control of the government, however, owing to the continued presence of the moderate Tory Godolphin in the cabinet and the opposition of the Queen. Contests were held in 95 of the 269 English and Welsh constituencies and 28 of the 45 Scottish constituencies.