List of MPs elected in the 2015 United Kingdom general election
| Fifty-sixth Parliament of the United Kingdom | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||||
| Election | United Kingdom general election, 2015 | ||||
| Government | May ministry —Second Cameron ministry – until 13 July 2016 | ||||
| House of Commons | |||||
| Members | 650 | ||||
| Speaker | John Bercow | ||||
| Leader | David Lidington — Chris Grayling – until 14 July 2016 | ||||
| Prime Minister | Theresa May — David Cameron – until 13 July 2016 | ||||
| Leader of the Opposition | Jeremy Corbyn — Harriet Harman – acting until 12 September 2015 | ||||
| Third-party leader | Angus Robertson | ||||
| House of Lords | |||||
| Members | 780 | ||||
| Lord Speaker | The Lord Fowler — The Baroness D'Souza – until 31 August 2016 | ||||
| Leader | The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park — The Baroness Stowell of Beeston – until 14 July 2016 | ||||
| Leader of the Opposition | The Baroness Smith of Basildon | ||||
| Third-party leader | The Lord Wallace of Tankerness | ||||
| Crown-in-Parliament | Queen Elizabeth II | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
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The fifty-sixth Parliament of the United Kingdom is the legislature of the United Kingdom following the 2015 general election of Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons. Parliament, which consists of the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons, was convened on 27 May 2015 at the Palace of Westminster by Queen Elizabeth II.
The election saw each of Parliament's 650 constituencies return one MP to the House of Commons. It resulted in a Conservative majority, a massive loss of seats for the Liberal Democrats, and all but three Scottish seats going to the SNP.
UKIP won its first seat at a general election. Alliance and Respect each had their representation from the last Parliament wiped out. The UUP won representation after none in the previous Parliament.
House of Commons composition
Below is a graphical representation of the House of Commons showing a comparison of party strengths as it was directly after the 2015 general election. This is not a seating plan of the House of Commons, which has five rows of benches on each side, with the government party to the right of the Speaker and opposition parties to the left, but with room for only around two-thirds of MPs to sit at any one time.
This table shows the number of MPs in each party:
| Affiliation | Members | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elected in 2019[1] | Current[2] | Change | ||
| Conservative | 365 | 344 |  21
| |
| Labour[a] | 202 | 205 |  3
| |
| SNP | 48 | 43 | 5
| |
| Liberal Democrats | 11 | 15 | 4
| |
| DUP | 8 | 7 | 1
| |
| Sinn Féin | 7 | 7 | 
| |
| Plaid Cymru | 4 | 3 | 1
| |
| SDLP | 2 | 2 |
| |
| Alba | N/A[b] | 2[c] | 2
| |
| Green | 1 | 1 |
| |
| Alliance | 1 | 1 |
| |
| Workers Party | N/A[b] | 1 | 1
| |
| Reform UK | 0 | 1 | 1
| |
| Speaker | 1 | 1 |
| |
| Independent | 0 | 17[d] | 17
| |
| Total | 650 | 650 |
| |
| Voting total[e] | 639 | 638 | 1[f]
| |
| Vacant | 0 | 0 |
| |
| Government majority | 87 | 44[7] | 43
| |
For full details of changes during the current Parliament, see By-elections and Defections, suspensions and resignations.
List of MPs elected in the general election
The following table is a list of MPs elected, ordered by constituency. Names of incumbents are listed where they stood for re-election; for details of defeated new candidates and the incumbent who stood down in those cases see individual constituency articles.
East Midlands
East of England
London
- Notes
- ^ Includes MPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.[3]
- ^ a b At the time of the 2019 election this party did not exist.
- ^ Both of the Alba Party's MPs were elected for the Scottish National Party (SNP) before leaving to join Alba in 2021.[4]
- ^ Eight were elected as Conservative MPs at the 2019 general election, including Andrew Bridgen, who defected to Reclaim in May 2023 but left the party in December 2023 and now sits as an independent. The remaining 9 independent MPs all come from the opposition benches.
- ^ The seven members of Sinn Féin abstain, i.e. they do not take their seats in the House of Commons;[5] the Speaker and deputy speakers (currently three Conservative and one Labour) have only a tie-breaking vote constrained by conventions.[6]
- ^ Deputy speaker Eleanor Laing (Con, Chair of Ways and Means) was on an extended leave of absence, and Roger Gale (Con) has served as an additional acting Deputy Speaker since.
- ^ The incumbents for these seats were originally members of political parties before either being suspended or resigning from their respective parties and subsequently sitting as independents for the remainder of the Parliament.
North East England
Northern Ireland
North West England
- Notes
- ^ The incumbents for these seats were originally members of political parties before either being suspended or resigning from their respective parties and subsequently sitting as independents for the remainder of the Parliament.
Scotland
- Notes
- ^ The incumbents for these seats were originally members of political parties before either being suspended or resigning from their respective parties and subsequently sitting as independents for the remainder of the Parliament.
South East England
- Notes
- ^ The incumbents for these seats were originally members of political parties before either being suspended or resigning from their respective parties and subsequently sitting as independents for the remainder of the Parliament.
South West England
Wales
West Midlands
Yorkshire and the Humber
Changes and by-elections
After the general election, changes can occur in the composition of the House of Commons. This happens as a result of the election of Deputy Speakers, by-elections, defections, suspensions or removal of whip.
After the swearing in of MPs and the elections of the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers, the initial actual government majority was calculated to be sixteen. This is subject to changes from the composition of the House of Commons.
Technically, MPs cannot resign. However, they can effectively do so by requesting to be appointed as the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead or the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham, which vacates their seat.
The net outcome of all changes over the course of the Parliament has resulted in one fewer Labour MP, two fewer SNP MPs and three more independent MPs.
Deputy Speakers
Following a decision taken by the House of Commons on the final day of its sitting in the previous Parliament, the Speaker appointed two members to serve as Temporary Deputy Speakers until the Deputy Speakers had been elected. Directly after the 2015 State Opening of Parliament, the Speaker nominated Sir Roger Gale (Con, North Thanet) and George Howarth (Lab, Knowsley) for these positions.[32]
The election of Deputy Speakers took place on 3 June 2015.[33]
Although Deputy Speakers do not resign from their parties, they cease to vote (except to break ties) and they do not participate in party-political activity until the next election.
- Lindsay Hoyle (Lab, Chorley) was elected Chairman of Ways and Means.
- Eleanor Laing (Con, Epping Forest) was elected First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means.
- Natascha Engel (Lab, North East Derbyshire) was elected Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means.
By-elections
By-elections are held for seats that become vacant.
There have been four by-elections so far. The fifth and sixth by-elections will take place on 20 October 2016, in Batley and Spen due to the killing of Jo Cox and in Witney following the resignation of David Cameron.
| By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldham West and Royton | 3 December 2015 | Michael Meacher
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Jim McMahon
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Death[34] | ||
| Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough | 5 May 2016[35] | Harry Harpham
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Gill Furniss[36]
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Death[37] | ||
| Ogmore | 5 May 2016[35] | Huw Irranca-Davies
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Chris Elmore[38]
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Resignation[39] | ||
| Tooting | 16 June 2016[40] | Sadiq Khan
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Rosena Allin-Khan[41]
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Resignation[42] | ||
| Batley and Spen | 20 October 2016[43] | Jo Cox
style="width: 2px; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | to be elected | Death | |||
| Witney | 20 October 2016[44] | David Cameron
style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | to be elected | Resignation[45] | |||
Defections, suspensions and removal of whip
In some situations, the label under which MPs sit in the House of Commons can change. When this happens, MPs often become independents.
- Michelle Thomson (SNP, Edinburgh West)
SNP → Independent: 29 September 2015
- Thomson withdrew from the SNP whip after her business became the subject of a police investigation into alleged irregularities regarding property deals.[46] As a result, she now sits as an independent. In line with party rules, upon withdrawing from the whip, her SNP membership was suspended.
- Natalie McGarry (SNP, Glasgow East)
SNP → Independent: 24 November 2015
- McGarry withdrew from the SNP whip after being named as under investigation by the police regarding financial discrepancies relating to Women for Independence, a campaign organisation for which she is a founder.[47] As a result, she now sits as an independent. In line with party rules, upon withdrawing from the whip, her SNP membership was suspended.
- Simon Danczuk (Labour, Rochdale)
Labour → Independent: 31 December 2015
- Danczuk was suspended from the Labour Party, pending an investigation by the National Executive Committee, after allegations were made that he exchanged explicit messages with a 17-year-old girl. As a result of the suspension, he has been withdrawn from the Labour whip, and now sits as an independent.[48]
- Naz Shah (Labour, Bradford West)
Labour → Independent: 27 April 2016 → Labour: 5 July 2016
- Shah was suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation into comments she made on social media prior to her election as an MP which included proposing the relocation of Israel to North America. As a result of the suspension, she was withdrawn from the Labour whip, and sat as an independent[49] before being reinstated in July 2016 after delivering a full apology. [50]
See also
- Members of the House of Lords
- List of MPs for constituencies in England 2015–20
- List of MPs for constituencies in Scotland 2015–20
- List of MPs for constituencies in Northern Ireland 2015–20
- List of MPs for constituencies in Wales 2015–20
- List of United Kingdom MPs by seniority, 2015–20
- Category:UK MPs 2015–20
References
- ^ "Election 2019: Results". BBC News. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "State of the parties". parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "About: Members of Parliament". Co-operative Party. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ Webster, Laura (27 March 2021). "MP Kenny MacAskill quits SNP to join Alex Salmond's Alba Party". The National. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Conor (19 August 2019). "Understanding Sinn Féin's Abstention from the UK Parliament". E-International Relations. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- ^ Boothroyd, David. "House of Commons: Tied Divisions". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 25 July 2018.[dead link]
- ^ Zodgekar, Ketaki; Baker, Finn (8 May 2024). "What is the government's current working majority?". Institute for Government. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
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- ^ John Bercow, Speaker (27 May 2015). "Deputy speakers". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 596. House of Commons. col. 30.
- ^ John Bercow, Speaker (3 June 2015). "Devolution and Growth across Britain". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 596. House of Commons. col. 633.
- ^ "Tributes paid to veteran Labour MP Michael Meacher". BBC News. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ a b Peter Edwards (24 March 2016). "Labour confirms Sheffield and Ogmore by-elections for May 5". LabourList. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ "Gill Furniss wins Sheffield by-election for Labour". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ^ Chris Johnston (5 February 2016). "Labour MP Harry Harpham dies of cancer aged 61". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
- ^ "Labour holds in Ogmore by-election with 52% of the vote". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ^ "Huw Irranca-Davies resigns as MP for Ogmore". Commons Digital Outreach Team. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ "Tooting by-election will be held on June 16". Wandsworth Council. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ "Labour's Rosena Allin-Khan wins Tooting by-election". BBC News. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ Tom Marshall (9 May 2016). "Tooting by-election triggered after Sadiq Khan stands down as MP". Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ "Batley by-election to be on 20 October".
- ^ "Batley by-election to be on 20 October".
- ^ "David Cameron to quit as Conservative MP for Witney". BBC News. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
- ^ "BBC News Scotland - 30 September 2015". BBC News. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Natalie McGarry withdraws from SNP whip over campaign fund probe". BBC News. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ "Labour's Simon Danczuk suspended over 'inappropriate behaviour'". BBC News. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ "MP Naz Shah suspended from Labour". BBC News. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ "Labour Party reinstates Bradford West MP Naz Shah". BBC News. Retrieved 11 July 2016.