Losing confidence
The government may soon face a vote of no confidence, the second this year. How often do these votes happen — and succeed?
— Since 1945, UK governments have faced votes of no confidence on 23 occasions. Only one of these has been successful — when Jim Callaghan lost by a single vote on 28 March 1979, precipitating the election which brought Margaret Thatcher to power.
— There have been 24 successful votes of no confidence in history, 13 of which were in the latter half of the 19th century.
— Since 1900 there have been only three — that in 1979, and two in 1924 which brought down Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald respectively.
— William Gladstone holds the ignominious record of having lost three such votes, in 1873, 1885 and 1886.
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