1713 British general election

1713 British general election

← 1710 22 August – 12 November 1713 (1713-08-22 – 1713-11-12) 1715 →

All 558 seats in the House of Commons
280 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Robert Harley Whig Junto
Party Tory Whig
Leader since 1710 c. 1695
Seats won 369 161
Seat change Increase23 Decrease35
English Parliament of General Election  1713

The 1713 British general election produced further gains for the governing Tory party. Since 1710 Robert Harley had led a government appointed after the downfall of the Whig Junto, attempting to pursue a moderate and non-controversial policy, but had increasingly struggled to deal with the extreme Tory backbenchers who were frustrated by the lack of support for anti-dissenter legislation. The government remained popular with the electorate, however, having entered into peace negotiations ending the War of the Spanish Succession and later agreeing on the Treaty of Utrecht. The Tories consequently made further gains against the Whigs, making Harley's job even more difficult. Contests were held in 94 constituencies in England and Wales, some 35 per cent of the total, reflecting a decline in partisan tension and the Whigs' belief that they were unlikely to win anyway.