The dust has long settled on the 2019 election, and we’re now experiencing what is expected to be a full five-year Conservative government under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. With a majority of 80 seats, the government will have essentially a free-hand to enact its will over not just Brexit, but domestic policy too.
But how different could it have been?
Turnout across the country was 67.3% – pretty good by historic standards – but that was still a long way from 100%. Imagine if everyone who could have voted had turned out to vote. Imagine if instead, they had voted for the “Didn’t Vote” party. What would that have done to the election map? According to our number-crunching, it would have changed the outcome in 219 constituencies – and cost Boris Johnson his majority.
In this fun hypothetical – the Conservatives would have had 309 seats – 3 more than David Cameron won in 2010. The “Didn’t Vote” Party would be the official opposition – with 219 seats. And Labour would have been reduced to just 88 seats. Here’s a map showing which constituencies would have flipped – they grey hexes are the ones to look for.
And here’s a full table showing all of the seats that would have flipped – and the difference in votes between the winning party, and the “didn’t vote” party.
| Constituency | 2019 Winner | Winning Party Vote | Didn’t Vote | Difference |
| Aberavon | LAB | 17008 | 19149 | 2141 |
| Aberdeen, North | SNP | 20205 | 25076 | 4871 |
| Airdrie & Shotts | SNP | 17929 | 24236 | 6307 |
| Alyn & Deeside | LAB | 18271 | 19775 | 1504 |
| Antrim, East | DUP | 16871 | 27569 | 10698 |
| Antrim, North | DUP | 20860 | 33083 | 12223 |
| Antrim, South | DUP | 15149 | 28737 | 13588 |
| Arfon | PLC | 13134 | 13141 | 7 |
| Ashfield | CON | 19231 | 29224 | 9993 |
| Ashton-under-Lyne | LAB | 18544 | 29938 | 11394 |
| Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock | SNP | 20272 | 25378 | 5106 |
| Ayrshire, Central | SNP | 21486 | 23208 | 1722 |
| Ayrshire, North & Arran | SNP | 23376 | 25380 | 2004 |
| Banff & Buchan | CON | 21182 | 24395 | 3213 |
| Barking | LAB | 27219 | 33447 | 6228 |
| Barnsley, Central | LAB | 14804 | 28374 | 13570 |
| Barnsley, East | LAB | 14329 | 31434 | 17105 |
| Barrow & Furness | CON | 23876 | 24112 | 236 |
| Bassetlaw | CON | 28078 | 29194 | 1116 |
| Batley & Spen | LAB | 22594 | 26631 | 4037 |
| Bedford | LAB | 20491 | 24278 | 3787 |
| Belfast, East | DUP | 20874 | 23800 | 2926 |
| Belfast, North | SNF | 23078 | 23188 | 110 |
| Belfast, West | SNF | 20866 | 26862 | 5996 |
| Bermondsey & Old Southwark | LAB | 31723 | 34698 | 2975 |
| Birmingham Edgbaston | LAB | 21217 | 26500 | 5283 |
| Birmingham Erdington | LAB | 17720 | 30919 | 13199 |
| Birmingham Northfield | CON | 19957 | 30596 | 10639 |
| Birmingham Perry Barr | LAB | 26594 | 29859 | 3265 |
| Birmingham Selly Oak | LAB | 27714 | 33198 | 5484 |
| Birmingham Yardley | LAB | 23379 | 32026 | 8647 |
| Blackley & Broughton | LAB | 23887 | 34754 | 10867 |
| Blackpool, North & Cleveleys | CON | 22364 | 24887 | 2523 |
| Blackpool, South | CON | 16247 | 24936 | 8689 |
| Blaenau Gwent | LAB | 14862 | 20517 | 5655 |
| Blaydon | LAB | 19794 | 22172 | 2378 |
| Blyth Valley | CON | 17440 | 23570 | 6130 |
| Bolsover | CON | 21791 | 29219 | 7428 |
| Bolton, North East | CON | 19759 | 24008 | 4249 |
| Bolton, South East | LAB | 21516 | 28559 | 7043 |
| Bournemouth, West | CON | 24550 | 28234 | 3684 |
| Bradford, East | LAB | 27825 | 29022 | 1197 |
| Bradford, South | LAB | 18390 | 29305 | 10915 |
| Brent, Central | LAB | 31779 | 35072 | 3293 |
| Brent, North | LAB | 26911 | 31893 | 4982 |
| Bridgend | CON | 18193 | 21067 | 2874 |
| Bristol, South | LAB | 27895 | 28883 | 988 |
| Burnley | CON | 15720 | 25359 | 9639 |
| Bury, North | CON | 21660 | 21961 | 301 |
| Bury, South | CON | 22034 | 24878 | 2844 |
| Caerphilly | LAB | 18018 | 23049 | 5031 |
| Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross | LIB | 11705 | 15473 | 3768 |
| Cambridge | LAB | 25776 | 26222 | 446 |
| Cardiff, South & Penarth | LAB | 27382 | 28258 | 876 |
| Carmarthen, East & Dinefwr | PLC | 15939 | 16405 | 466 |
| Carshalton & Wallington | CON | 20822 | 23828 | 3006 |
| Ceredigion | PLC | 15208 | 16145 | 937 |
| Chesterfield | LAB | 18171 | 25844 | 7673 |
| Chorley | SPK | 26831 | 38307 | 11476 |
| Cities of London & Westminster | CON | 17049 | 20977 | 3928 |
| Clwyd, South | CON | 16222 | 17613 | 1391 |
| Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill | SNP | 22680 | 24722 | 2042 |
| Colchester | CON | 26917 | 29252 | 2335 |
| Coventry, North East | LAB | 23412 | 31558 | 8146 |
| Coventry, North West | LAB | 20918 | 27496 | 6578 |
| Coventry, South | LAB | 19544 | 25926 | 6382 |
| Croydon, Central | LAB | 27124 | 27365 | 241 |
| Cynon Valley | LAB | 15533 | 20898 | 5365 |
| Dagenham & Rainham | LAB | 19468 | 27308 | 7840 |
| Darlington | CON | 20901 | 22897 | 1996 |
| Denton & Reddish | LAB | 19317 | 27991 | 8674 |
| Derby, North | CON | 21259 | 26195 | 4936 |
| Derby, South | LAB | 21690 | 30617 | 8927 |
| Don Valley | CON | 19609 | 29919 | 10310 |
| Doncaster, Central | LAB | 16638 | 29808 | 13170 |
| Doncaster, North | LAB | 15740 | 31664 | 15924 |
| Down, North | ALL | 18358 | 26456 | 8098 |
| Down, South | SNF | 16137 | 29413 | 13276 |
| Dudley, North | CON | 23134 | 25252 | 2118 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | CON | 22678 | 23151 | 473 |
| Dundee, West | SNP | 22355 | 22852 | 497 |
| Durham, City of | LAB | 20531 | 22412 | 1881 |
| Durham, North | LAB | 18639 | 24601 | 5962 |
| Durham, North West | CON | 19990 | 24503 | 4513 |
| Easington | LAB | 15723 | 26599 | 10876 |
| East Ham | LAB | 41703 | 43314 | 1611 |
| Erith & Thamesmead | LAB | 19882 | 24015 | 4133 |
| Feltham & Heston | LAB | 24876 | 33121 | 8245 |
| Fermanagh & South Tyrone | SNF | 21986 | 22086 | 100 |
| Foyle | SDL | 26881 | 27202 | 321 |
| Gateshead | LAB | 20450 | 26304 | 5854 |
| Glasgow, Central | SNP | 19750 | 29125 | 9375 |
| Glasgow, East | SNP | 18357 | 28898 | 10541 |
| Glasgow, North | SNP | 16982 | 20939 | 3957 |
| Glasgow, North East | SNP | 15911 | 27150 | 11239 |
| Glasgow, North West | SNP | 19678 | 23667 | 3989 |
| Glasgow, South | SNP | 22829 | 23448 | 619 |
| Glasgow, South West | SNP | 17643 | 27728 | 10085 |
| Glenrothes | SNP | 21234 | 24216 | 2982 |
| Great Grimsby | CON | 18150 | 28322 | 10172 |
| Halesowen & Rowley Regis | CON | 25607 | 25955 | 348 |
| Halifax | LAB | 21496 | 25446 | 3950 |
| Hartlepool | LAB | 15464 | 29818 | 14354 |
| Hayes & Harlington | LAB | 24545 | 28362 | 3817 |
| Hemsworth | LAB | 16460 | 29819 | 13359 |
| Hendon | CON | 26878 | 27586 | 708 |
| Heywood & Middleton | CON | 20453 | 32674 | 12221 |
| Houghton & Sunderland South | LAB | 16210 | 29024 | 12814 |
| Huddersfield | LAB | 20509 | 23643 | 3134 |
| Hull, East | LAB | 12713 | 33303 | 20590 |
| Hull, North | LAB | 17033 | 31312 | 14279 |
| Hull, West & Hessle | LAB | 13384 | 29053 | 15669 |
| Hyndburn | CON | 20565 | 28504 | 7939 |
| Inverclyde | SNP | 19295 | 20719 | 1424 |
| Ipswich | CON | 24952 | 25946 | 994 |
| Islwyn | LAB | 15356 | 21073 | 5717 |
| Jarrow | LAB | 18363 | 24367 | 6004 |
| Kensington | CON | 16768 | 20847 | 4079 |
| Kilmarnock & Loudoun | SNP | 24216 | 26886 | 2670 |
| Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath | SNP | 16568 | 25848 | 9280 |
| Lagan Valley | DUP | 19586 | 30330 | 10744 |
| Lanark & Hamilton East | SNP | 22243 | 24587 | 2344 |
| Lancaster & Fleetwood | LAB | 21184 | 24840 | 3656 |
| Leeds, Central | LAB | 30413 | 41687 | 11274 |
| Leeds, East | LAB | 19464 | 28234 | 8770 |
| Leeds, West | LAB | 22186 | 27446 | 5260 |
| Leicester, East | LAB | 25090 | 29011 | 3921 |
| Leicester, West | LAB | 17291 | 30143 | 12852 |
| Leigh | CON | 21266 | 30438 | 9172 |
| Linlithgow & East Falkirk | SNP | 25551 | 29269 | 3718 |
| Livingston | SNP | 25617 | 27693 | 2076 |
| Llanelli | LAB | 16125 | 22280 | 6155 |
| Londonderry, East | DUP | 15765 | 29944 | 14179 |
| Lothian, East | SNP | 21156 | 23087 | 1931 |
| Luton, North | LAB | 23496 | 25596 | 2100 |
| Luton, South | LAB | 21787 | 27274 | 5487 |
| Makerfield | LAB | 19954 | 29931 | 9977 |
| Manchester, Central | LAB | 36823 | 41958 | 5135 |
| Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney | LAB | 16913 | 24076 | 7163 |
| Middlesbrough | LAB | 17202 | 28619 | 11417 |
| Midlothian | SNP | 20033 | 22323 | 2290 |
| Milton Keynes, South | CON | 32011 | 32336 | 325 |
| Moray | CON | 22112 | 22210 | 98 |
| Motherwell & Wishaw | SNP | 20622 | 24436 | 3814 |
| Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) | SNP | 6531 | 6629 | 98 |
| Neath | LAB | 15920 | 19660 | 3740 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne, North | LAB | 21354 | 21487 | 133 |
| Newport, East | LAB | 16125 | 22272 | 6147 |
| Newport, West | LAB | 18977 | 23224 | 4247 |
| Newry & Armagh | SNF | 20287 | 30447 | 10160 |
| Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford | LAB | 18297 | 36268 | 17971 |
| Northampton, South | CON | 20914 | 21877 | 963 |
| Nottingham, East | LAB | 25735 | 26258 | 523 |
| Nottingham, North | LAB | 17337 | 31175 | 13838 |
| Nottingham, South | LAB | 26586 | 31351 | 4765 |
| Ogmore | LAB | 17602 | 22191 | 4589 |
| Oldham, East & Saddleworth | LAB | 20088 | 26009 | 5921 |
| Oldham, West & Royton | LAB | 24579 | 28629 | 4050 |
| Orkney & Shetland | LIB | 10381 | 11051 | 670 |
| Oxford, East | LAB | 28135 | 28588 | 453 |
| Peterborough | CON | 22334 | 24759 | 2425 |
| Pontypridd | LAB | 17381 | 21267 | 3886 |
| Portsmouth, South | LAB | 23068 | 26761 | 3693 |
| Preston | LAB | 20870 | 25882 | 5012 |
| Redcar | CON | 18811 | 25013 | 6202 |
| Rhondda | LAB | 16115 | 20620 | 4505 |
| Rochdale | LAB | 24475 | 31462 | 6987 |
| Rochford & Southend East | CON | 27063 | 29488 | 2425 |
| Rother Valley | CON | 21970 | 26104 | 4134 |
| Rotherham | LAB | 14736 | 26037 | 11301 |
| Rutherglen & Hamilton West | SNP | 23775 | 27124 | 3349 |
| Salford & Eccles | LAB | 28755 | 31570 | 2815 |
| Scunthorpe | CON | 20306 | 24205 | 3899 |
| Sedgefield | CON | 19609 | 22759 | 3150 |
| Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough | LAB | 22369 | 29733 | 7364 |
| Sheffield Heeley | LAB | 21475 | 24245 | 2770 |
| Sheffield, Central | LAB | 33968 | 38936 | 4968 |
| Sheffield, South East | LAB | 19359 | 25834 | 6475 |
| Slough | LAB | 29421 | 36594 | 7173 |
| South Shields | LAB | 17273 | 24911 | 7638 |
| Southampton Itchen | CON | 23952 | 24872 | 920 |
| Southampton Test | LAB | 22256 | 25119 | 2863 |
| St. Helens, North | LAB | 24870 | 28032 | 3162 |
| Stalybridge & Hyde | LAB | 19025 | 31505 | 12480 |
| Stockport | LAB | 21695 | 23742 | 2047 |
| Stockton, North | LAB | 17728 | 25520 | 7792 |
| Stoke-on-Trent, Central | CON | 14557 | 23354 | 8797 |
| Stoke-on-Trent, North | CON | 20974 | 44223 | 23249 |
| Stoke-on-Trent, South | CON | 24632 | 24895 | 263 |
| Strangford | DUP | 17705 | 29443 | 11738 |
| Sunderland, Central | LAB | 18336 | 29201 | 10865 |
| Swansea, East | LAB | 17405 | 24871 | 7466 |
| Swansea, West | LAB | 18493 | 21248 | 2755 |
| Telford | CON | 25546 | 26096 | 550 |
| Thurrock | CON | 27795 | 32188 | 4393 |
| Torfaen | LAB | 15546 | 24567 | 9021 |
| Tyneside, North | LAB | 25051 | 28473 | 3422 |
| Tyrone, West | SNF | 16544 | 25073 | 8529 |
| Ulster, Mid | SNF | 20473 | 25829 | 5356 |
| Upper Bann | DUP | 20501 | 32842 | 12341 |
| Vale of Clwyd | CON | 17270 | 19436 | 2166 |
| Vauxhall | LAB | 31615 | 32314 | 699 |
| Wakefield | CON | 21283 | 25165 | 3882 |
| Walsall, North | CON | 23334 | 30621 | 7287 |
| Walsall, South | LAB | 20872 | 25552 | 4680 |
| Wansbeck | LAB | 17124 | 22830 | 5706 |
| Warley | LAB | 21901 | 25182 | 3281 |
| Warrington, North | LAB | 20611 | 25568 | 4957 |
| Washington & Sunderland West | LAB | 15941 | 28765 | 12824 |
| Wentworth & Dearne | LAB | 16742 | 32979 | 16237 |
| West Bromwich East | CON | 16804 | 26136 | 9332 |
| West Bromwich West | CON | 17419 | 30117 | 12698 |
| Wigan | LAB | 21042 | 30638 | 9596 |
| Wolverhampton, North East | CON | 17722 | 27548 | 9826 |
| Wolverhampton, South East | LAB | 15522 | 29563 | 14041 |
| Worsley & Eccles South | LAB | 20446 | 30394 | 9948 |
| Wrexham | CON | 15199 | 16202 | 1003 |
| Wythenshawe & Sale East | LAB | 23855 | 31554 | 7699 |
| Ynys Mon | CON | 12959 | 15373 | 2414 |
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