1900 United Kingdom general election in Scotland

1900 United Kingdom general election in Scotland

26 September – 24 October 1900 (1900-09-26 – 1900-10-24)

All 72 Scottish seats to the House of Commons
  First party Second party
 
Leader Marquess of Salisbury Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Party Conservative and Liberal Unionist Liberal
Last election 33 39
Seats won 38 34
Seat change 5 5
Popular vote 237,217 245,092
Percentage 49.0% 50.2%
Swing 1.6% 1.5%

Results of the 1900 election in Scotland for the county and burgh seats
  Liberal
  Conservative
  Liberal Unionist

The 1900 United Kingdom general election was held between 26 September and 24 October 1900, and members were returned for all Scottish seats. Scotland was allocated 72 seats in total, with 70 territorial seats, comprising 32 burgh constituencies and 37 county constituencies. There were also two university constituencies, Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities and Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities. As voters in university constituencies voted in addition to their territorial vote, the results are compiled separately. Also referred to as the "Khaki Election" (the first of several elections to bear this sobriquet), it was held at a time when it was widely believed that the Second Boer War had effectively been won (though in fact it was to continue for another two years).

The election in Scotland saw the two main party grouping winning almost all votes between them, with the Liberals taking over half the votes cast, whilst the Conservative/Liberal Unionist alliance secured only slightly fewer, winning 49.0% of the vote. Despite winning more votes in Scotland than the Conservative/Liberal Unionist alliance the Liberals finished 4 seats behind their rivals. When combined with results from across the United Kingdom, the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury with their Liberal Unionist allies, secured a large majority of 134 seats, despite having received only 5.6% more votes than Henry Campbell-Bannerman's Liberals. This was largely owing to the Conservatives winning 163 seats that were uncontested by others. The Scottish Workers' Representation Committee contested their first election - this organisation would later evolve in the Scottish branch of the Labour Party.