Elections

Abstract

It is impossible to present election statistics in any finally authoritative way. Until 1998 British statutes made no acknowledgement of the existence of political parties, and in most general elections the precise allegiance of at least a few of the candidates has been in doubt. This, far more than arithmetic error, explains the minor discrepancies between the figures provided in various works of reference. Election figures suffer much more from being inherently confusing than from being inaccurately reported. The complications that arise from variations in the number of candidates put up by each party is the most serious hazards in psephological interpretation. However, since 1979 the three main parties have nominated almost full slates — except in Northern Ireland.