| 1868 election |
| 1874 election |
| 1880 election |
The 1874 UK general election ended with the Liberals, led by William Gladstone, winning a majority of the votes cast, but Benjamin Disraeli's Conservatives winning the majority of seats in the House of Commons, largely because they won a number of uncontested seats.
The election also saw Irish Nationalists in the Home Rule Party become the first significant third party in Parliament.
| Party | Votes | Seats | Loss/Gain | Share of Vote (%) |
| Liberal | 1,281,159 | 242 | - 145 | 52.7 |
| Conservative | 1,091,708 | 350 | + 79 | 43.9 |
| Home Rule | 90,234 | 60 | 3.3 |