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Local elections held on 2 May could be the last big test of political parties’ popularity before the next general election.
In January, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he expected to go to the polls “in the second half” of 2024, but there has been speculation that an election could take place earlier.
When is the next general election due?
The latest a Parliament can be dissolved for a general election is on the fifth anniversary of the day it first met.
For the current Parliament, that means 17 December 2024.
However, 25 working days are then allowed to prepare for the election.
So, the next election must be held by 28 January 2025.
Who decides when an election takes place?
The prime minister decides, but this has not always been the case.
In 2011, legislation gave control to the House of Commons.
Under those rules, an election before the end of the five-year term could only be held under certain circumstances – such as if two-thirds of MPs agreed.
However, after winning the 2019 election, the Conservatives restored the PM’s power to call an election at a time of their choosing, within the five-year period.
Mr Sunak said in January that his “working assumption” was that there would be a general election in the second half of the year.
In March, the prime minister confirmed it would not be held alongside the 2 May local elections.
The following week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggested that the poll was pencilled in for October.
However, according to BBC Political Editor Chris Mason, there has been a lot of speculation about whether the election could be in the summer.
How does the PM call a general election?
The PM formally asks the King to “dissolve” Parliament – the official term for closing Parliament ahead of an election.
At the point of dissolution, MPs lose their status, and have to campaign for re-election if they wish to carry on.
Government also enters a pre-election period – previously known as “purdah” – which restricts ministerial and departmental activity during the campaign.
How is the general election decided?
The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies. Each of these elects an MP to represent local residents in the House of Commons.
On election day, registered voters in each constituency vote for their preferred candidate in their local polling station. Some people vote by post in advance.
Most candidates represent a political party, but some stand as independents.
In a general election, each person has one vote. Under the “first past the post” system, the candidate who gets the most votes becomes the MP for that area.
New boundaries: What is happening to my constituency?
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After the votes have been counted, the King asks the leader of the party with the most MPs to become prime minister and to form a government.
The leader of the party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the leader of the opposition.
If no party ends up with a majority of MPs – meaning it cannot pass legislation with just its own MPs – the result is a hung Parliament.
At this point, the largest party might decide to form a coalition government with another party or operate as a minority government, relying on votes from other parties to pass any laws.
Who can vote in a general election?
Anyone on the electoral register aged 18 or above on polling day can vote as long as they are:
a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a Republic of Ireland citizen with a UK address
all UK citizens who live abroad can now register to vote in the constituency where they were previously on the electoral roll
not legally excluded from voting
You can register to vote at any time if you are 16 or over – or 14 or over in Scotland.
Can the opposition force an election?
The prime minister must have the “confidence” of the House of Commons to govern, which means they must be supported by a majority of MPs.
A motion of no confidence sees MPs from all parties decide whether they want the government to continue.
If the leader of the opposition introduces such a motion, the government is expected to provide parliamentary time for a debate and a vote.
In order to pass, the motion needs just one more MP voting in favour than against.
If the government loses the vote, a general election is normally called.