The 1852 UK general election was very close, Lord John Russell's Whigs again winning the popular vote, but once again Conservative candidates won a very slight majority. Again the split between Protectionist Tories, led by the Earl of Derby and the Peelites made the formation of a majority government very difficult. Lord Derby's minority Protectionist government soon collapsed, bringing about a Peelite-Whig coalition government under Lord Aberdeen, one of the leading Peelites, which collapsed during the Crimean War.
| Party
| Votes
| Seats
| Loss/Gain
| Share of Vote (%)
|
| Whigs
| 430,882
| 324
| + 32
| 57.9
|
| Conservative
| 311,481
| 330
| + 5
| 41.9
|
| Chartist
| 1,551
| 0
| – 1
| 0.2
|