World War I ended on 11 November 1918. Prime Minister Lloyd George called a general election for the following month. The December 1918 election would prove to be one of the most significant in Ireland’s history.
In reward for the role played by British men and women during the war, the government increased the numbers entitled to vote, including, for the first time, all women aged 30 and older. In Ireland, Sinn Féin struck a deal with the Labour Party in the lead-up to the election. The Labour Party leader, Thomas Johnson, agreed that his party would not contest the election in return for Sinn Féin adopting some of the Labour Party’s social policies. This deal allowed Sinn Féin to run directly against the Irish Parliamentary Party.
Results of the 1918 General Election:
Before the 1918 General Election
Ulster Unionist Party
Irish Parliamentary Party (Home Rule)
Sinn Féin
18 78 6
1918
Election 26
6 73
Percentage of the Vote
29.2% 21.7% 46.9%
The Irish Parliamentary Party was all but wiped out. Even party leader John Dillon lost his seat. The election was an overwhelming success for Sinn Féin; they were now the largest political party in Ireland. Their election showed that the majority of Irish people supported demands for an Irish republic and were no longer willing to accept Home Rule. Meanwhile, in Ulster the Unionist Party increased their seats, ensuring that they would have a decisive say in Irish political events. One further significance of the 1918 election was that it was the last to be contested on a 32-county basis.
The First Dáil Éireann meets in Dublin, January 1919.
