In all 72 Liberals were elected representing in theory an improvement from the 1929 election. However the party was divided into three groups – 33 Liberals lead by Sir Herbert Samuel and 35 Liberal Nationals, lead by Sir John Simon (both groups supporting the National Government) and four Independent Liberals, in effect a Lloyd George family party consisting of Lloyd George, his son Gwilym, daughter Megan and son-in-law Goronwy Owen. The latter group sat on the opposition benches. In all three cornered contests the Liberal vote fell by 7.5% and many Liberal MPs owed their election to the absence of a Conservative candidate and the unpopularity of the Labour Party.