The English general election of 1981 was held on May 1, 1981, and resulted in a resounding victory for the opposition Labour Party over the ruling Conservatives, who had won three straight elections and been in power for nine years. The victory brought Labour to power for the first time since 1972 and made Andrew Brantle the second Labour leader to win an election. Eustace Minor, the nine-year incumbent, was defeated in trying to seek what would have been a record four-year term.