TO THE POLLS
When is the next UK general election?
Plus how to vote in the next General Election
AFTER months of speculation, Rishi Sunak has dramatically announced a date for the General Election.
The PM revealed the date following a year and a half of scrutiny over his leadership.
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When is the General Election?
Rishi Sunak has called a General Election for Thursday, July 4, 2024.
Speaking from Downing St, Mr Sunak said: "The last five years have been the most challenging times since the Second World War.
"Now is the moment to choose to decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made, or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty."
The PM added: "I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of Parliament.
"The King has granted this request, and we will have a general election on July 4.
“This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War."
The surprise move comes as the Tories fall behind Labour by 20 points in the polls and face being ousted by the Opposition after 14 years in government.
As things stand, Sir Keir Starmer is on track for victory.
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For months Mr Sunak had been saying an election would happen in the "second half of the year" but had refused to set a date.
In October 2023, he hinted the next election would be in October 2024.
In a video to mark one year in office on his social media accounts, the PM said he wants another year in office as there is “still work to be done”.
The 46-second video, published on the Downing Street YouTube channel asked viewers: "So what can a country achieve in 52 weeks? Watch this space."
The last election was won by the Conservatives with a 365-seat majority, which has dropped to 350 seats since by-election losses.
Can a General Election be called before the next set date?
Sitting prime ministers have the power to call a General Election early if they choose to.
The contests are traditionally held on the first Thursday of May to coincide with local council votes.
There must be 25 days notice for an election, so candidates can go into campaign mode.
In order for this to happen, Parliament is dissolved and major government business suspended.
SNP's Stephen Flynn challenges Rishi Sunak over summer general election claims
If no earlier election is called, the current parliament will be the first since 2015 to complete a full term.
However, there are multiple reasons why a General Election is called early.
In 2017, Theresa May called an early election, a decision which cost the Tories their majority.
The last General Election, called by Johnson in 2019, was also early.
Boris was ousted as the leader of the Conservative Party after an onslaught of resignations from his ministers.
This led to him resigning as PM as well as party leader.
A leadership election took place which saw Sunak and Liz Truss going head-to-head in the polls, with Truss coming out on top to become the third female UK prime minister.
However, her reign was short-lived as she resigned after just 44 days, with Rishi Sunak succeeding her as leader.
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What could cause a snap election?
The prime minister can choose to call a General Election whenever they wish before their five-year term is up.
An election called earlier than originally scheduled is known as a snap election.
These are generally called to capitalise on a strong position in the polls or an unusual electoral opportunity, often resulting in an increased majority for the party in power.
Former PM David Cameron brought in new rules in 2011 that limited the powers of premiers to trigger snap contests.
He introduced the Fixed-Term Parliament Act to provide stability for his coalition with Nick Clegg's Lib Dems.
Under it, an election could only be called if a two-thirds supermajority of MPs vote in favour or the Government lost a confidence motion.
But the act had unintended consequences and led to parliamentary gridlock during the Brexit talks.
It meant ex-premier May, who didn't have a majority, was unable to force an election.
However, Johnson scrapped the legislation in March 2022 and returned to the system where the PM is in control of triggering a national vote.
Can the public force a General Election?
The power to call a General Election whenever theoretically means that if there was enough strength of public opinion, one could be called.
However, it is highly unlikely that a sitting PM would call a snap election due to public pressure.
The public is far more likely to want a General Election when they are unhappy with the current leadership, so the sitting PM would probably lose in that scenario.
Public pressure and appeals would have to be overwhelming, but only the PM — or the King, theoretically — could force a general election.
To vote in the General Election you must:
- be registered to vote
- be 18 or over on the day of the election ("polling day")
- be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen
- be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
- not be legally excluded from voting
How often are General Elections in the UK?
A full parliamentary term in the UK can last up to five years, with General Elections held on the first Thursday of May.
Now that the Fixed-Term Parliament Act 2011 is gone, prime ministers can call an election whenever they wish.
This tends to be every four or five years, when it is most beneficial to them and their party.
Leaders in a strong position typically go to the people earlier, with those fearing a loss while waiting out the full duration of their term.
Parties in a weaker position are more likely to wait until the term is up or resolve issues without a General Election.
Votes of confidence can be taken to vote out a leader who is not providing what the party needs — this can be done to a sitting PM as well as the leader of the opposition.
If a sitting PM is ousted from their party, a leadership contest takes place rather than a General Election.
Why are elections always held on a Thursday?
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Every General Election since 1935 has been held on a Thursday.
Before this, the day varied across the mid-week days, with the occasional Saturday.
It is suggested that because Thursday was traditionally market day, meaning more people would already be in town, it could potentially result in a higher turnout.
Others suggest that a Friday election could lead to more drunken votes due to a Friday payday, while a Sunday election could be influenced by Sunday sermons.
Another reason is that a Thursday election would allow the nation to find out the result on Friday and give the new leader the weekend to appoint their Cabinet before entering their first full week as PM.
But this system caused issues for the UK when we were a member of the EU as most European nations hold theirs on Sundays.
That meant votes cast for MEPs had to be locked away for three days to be counted at the same time, like the rest of the continent.
Can the King dissolve parliament?
Yes, the King can dissolve parliament.
The re-introduction of the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 now gives power to the monarch to dissolve the Parliament if they feel the need to.
This means that the monarchy can now request a new Parliament and hence trigger an earlier General Election.
Who won the last UK General Election?
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The last General Election was called in December 2019 by Boris Johnson, with the Conservatives winning a 365-seat majority in Parliament — gaining 47 seats after a disastrous showing in 2017.
The exit poll, which predicted the Tories would win 368 seats, was nearly spot-on.
Labour held on to more seats than anticipated, with 203 compared to the poll's 191.
The SNP bagged themselves 13 more seats — including Jo Swinson's seat in East Dunbartonshire.
But instead of gaining one seat as the poll predicted, the Lib Dems lost one.
In which year was the first UK General Election held?
The very first elections are intertwined with the origins of Parliament and the emergence of the House of Commons in the mediaeval period.
What came to be known as Parliament was preceded by the central assemblies, or witan — which translates literally as "wise men" — who were summoned from the time of King Athelston of the Anglo-Saxons in at least the year 924.
The first election of what was then known as Great Britain — following the Acts of Union, which united the Parliaments of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland — was held in 1708.
The General Election in 1802 was the first to be held after the Acts of Union 1800, which united the Kingdoms Great Britain and Ireland.
But prior to 1832 only one in 20 people were entitled to vote, with incremental improvements occurring over the following decades.
In terms of the general public being able to vote, male suffrage didn't occur until 1918, when men over the age of 21 — and women over 30 — were given the right to vote.
Women between 21 and 30 years old had to wait till 1928 for suffrage, with the vote not being extended to everyone eligible aged 18 or over until 1969.
When did UK elections change to 5 years?
After the 2010 General Election, the Lib Dem-Conservative coalition enacted the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011, which set a term as five years.
Now that the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 is gone, prime ministers can call an election whenever they wish.
But the maximum term of Parliament is set at five years from the day it first meets.
When was Labour last in power?
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The last Labour prime minister was Gordon Brown back in 2010.
Brown took over from Tony Blair following his resignation in 2007, becoming the sixth post-war prime minister to take office without having won a General Election at the time.
Blair was voted into Number 10 over the Conservative's John Major in 1997 and served as PM for ten years.
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The "soft left" politician led the party under the phrase "New Labour," distancing himself from previous politics and adopting a newer style of Labour of government.
Blair resigned following mounting pressure from inside the Labour party and other factors, like the Iraq war in 2007.
What are the odds?
The latest Betfair Exchange odds on which party will win the general election are:
- Labour majority 1/8
- No overall majority 9/1
- Conservative majority 49/1