1790 British general election

{{short description|Election in Great Britain}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox election | country = Kingdom of Great Britain | type = parliamentary | previous_election = 1784 British general election | previous_year = 1784 | previous_mps = List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1784 | next_election = 1796 British general election | next_year = 1796 | seats_for_election = All [[Unreformed House of Commons|558 seats]] in the [[House of Commons of Great Britain|House of Commons]] | majority_seats = 280 | elected_mps = List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1790 | election_date = {{start and end dates|1790|6|16|1790|7|28|df=yes}} | image_size = 160x160px | image1 = George-Romney-xx-William-Pitt-the-Younger-xx-Tate-Britain.jpg | leader1 = [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]] | leaders_seat1 = [[Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)|Cambridge University]] | party1 = Pittite | color1 = | seats1 = '''340''' | seat_change1 = {{increase}}60 | popular_vote1 = | percentage1 =  | image2 = Reynolds Charles James Fox.jpg | leader2 = [[Charles James Fox]] | leaders_seat2 = [[Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)|Westminster]] | party2 = [[Foxite]] | colour2 = F8B878 | seats2 = 183 | seat_change2 = {{increase}}28 | popular_vote2 = | percentage2 = | title = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] | posttitle = Prime Minister after<br/>election | before_election = [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]] | before_party = [[Pittite]] | after_election = [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]] | after_party = [[Pittite]] | map_image = File:1790 British GE composition diagram.svg | map_caption = Composition of the [[House of Commons of Great Britain|House of Commons]] following the election. }} The '''1790 British general election''' returned members to serve in the [[House of Commons of Great Britain|House of Commons]] of the 17th [[Parliament of Great Britain]] to be summoned after the merger of the [[Parliament of England]] and the [[Parliament of Scotland]] in 1707.

==Political situation== The Prime Minister since 1783, [[William Pitt the Younger]], led a coalition of [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] and [[Tories (British political party)|Tory]] politicians.

The principal opposition to Pitt was a faction of Whigs led by [[Charles James Fox]] and the [[William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland|Duke of Portland]].

==Dates of election== The general election was held between 16 June 1790 and 28 July 1790. At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or [[parliamentary borough]] fixed the precise date (see [[hustings]] for details of the conduct of the elections).

This was the first general election after the law had been changed in 1785 to limit the maximum duration of polling in county elections to fifteen days. Under the old law, the poll could remain open longer. For example, the election for [[Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)|Sussex]] in 1774 had polls open for 24 days (ignoring Sundays when polling did not take place). It was hoped that the change would reduce the enormous expense of most contested county elections.

==Summary of the constituencies== See [[1796 British general election]], for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.

==Results== [[File:1790 British general election results.svg|300px]]

===Seats summary=== {{bar box |title=Parliamentary seats |titlebar=#ddd |width=375px |barwidth=480px |bars= {{bar percent|'''Tory/Pittite'''|#3333CC|65.0}} {{bar percent|Whig/Foxite|{{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}|35.0}} }}

==See also== * [[List of parliaments of Great Britain]] * [[List of MPs elected in the 1790 British general election]]

==References== * ''British Electoral Facts 1832–1999'', compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher (Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2000). (For dates of elections before 1832, see the footnote to Table 5.02).

[[Category:1790 elections]] [[Category:1790 in Great Britain]] [[Category:Elections to the Parliament of Great Britain|1790]] [[Category:William Pitt the Younger]]