The General Election of February 1974 Professor Vernon Bogdanor

Vernon Bogdanor continues his examination of important post war lectures: This was the who governs election, fought in the midst of a miners strike. Edward Heath appealed for a mandate to adopt a strong policy towards the trade unions, but was denied it. The outcome was the first hung parliament since 1929, and a Labour minority government which went to the country after just seven months. The Liberals gained their best result 19 of the vote since the 1920s, but only 14 seats in the Commons. The Scottish nationalists also made striking advances. The February 1974 election inaugurated the era of multiparty politics in Britain. The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: