United Kingdom general election, 1900

The British general election, 1900, also known under the name Khaki Election, were held to 24 October 1900 by September 23. They ended with a victory for the Conservatives. Your nickname Khaki Election explained by the temporal context of the tumultuous Second Boer War and the associated mood. Khaki was the relatively new color of the uniforms of British soldiers.

Background

A large proportion of the UK population was through the Boer War in a patriotic and partially pro- colonialist sentiment. This heated especially the Conservatives in the election campaign. Among them were suffering especially the representatives of the newly formed Labour Representation Committee, which had for the most part pro- Boers, but also many liberal candidates who refused to be this time quite aggressive British imperialism. Attacks on their campaign events were not uncommon (see jingoism ).

Results

Although the Tories were only 5.6% ahead of the Liberals, they could win more than twice as many seats by majority vote. So the Conservatives and the Liberals came to 402 to 183 seats. The first time is incurred ' Labour Representation Committee ', the direct precursor of the later Labour Party, presented on 15 candidates, reaching two seats. The Irish Parliamentary Party gained 77 seats, with 83 nominated candidates. Independent candidates won six House seats.

After the elections, the government was under Robert Gascoyne - Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, maintain and continue its conservative- aristocratic politics with the orientation of a strong Empire. Winston Churchill, who had previously brought an adventurous escape from a prison in South Africa behind and gained great notoriety, was first elected to the House. The Khaki Election was also the first and only choice to which the Labour Representation Committee took and brought two prominent personalities to the House with the socialist Keir Hardie and the trade unionist Richard Bell. At the next election the Alliance already stood as the Labour Party.