Everything You Need to Know About Upcoming UK Election

AFP

London: British voters will head to the polls on July 4 for a general election to select members of the House of Commons. 

The lower chamber of parliament comprises 650 Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing a different constituency. The allocation of seats is as follows: 543 in England, 57 in Scotland, 32 in Wales, and 18 in Northern Ireland. 

This year sees a record 4,515 candidates running, partly due to the hard-right Reform UK ending its 2019 pledge not to compete against the Conservatives, as well as an increase in Green Party candidates.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party is contesting 635 seats, while Keir Starmer’s Labour and Ed Davey’s Liberal Democrats are each fielding candidates in 631 seats. Reform UK, under Nigel Farage’s leadership, has candidates in 609 constituencies, and the Green Party, led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, is contesting 629 seats.

The remaining candidates are from smaller parties or are running as independents.

Parties and Candidates:

• Conservatives (led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak): 635 candidates
• Labour (led by Keir Starmer): 631 candidates
• Liberal Democrats (led by Ed Davey): 631 candidates
• Reform UK (led by Nigel Farage): 609 candidates
• Greens (led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay): 629 candidates

Voting System

First-Past-The-Post: Voters cast a single vote for a candidate in their constituency. The candidate with the most votes wins.

Eligibility: Voters must be registered, over 18, and either a British, Irish, or qualifying Commonwealth citizen residing in the UK or registered as an overseas voter. Prisoners and members of the House of Lords cannot vote.

Polling and Counting

Polling Hours: Polls open at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) and close at 10:00 pm.

Counting: Ballots are counted immediately after polls close, with results announced from late evening into July 5.

Majority and Government Formation

Overall Majority: A party needs at least 326 seats for an overall majority. However, the effective number is slightly lower due to the non-voting Speaker and their deputies, and the abstentionist Sinn Fein MPs.

Prime Minister: The monarch nominates the leader of the largest party as prime minister.

Opposition: The next largest party forms His Majesty’s Official Opposition with a Shadow Cabinet.

Hung Parliament: If no party wins a majority, the largest party can form a minority government or negotiate a coalition.

Parliamentary Function

Roles: MPs scrutinize and vote on government proposals and can serve on committees to examine executive actions.

Devolved Matters: Areas such as health, transport, environment, and housing are managed by devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

2019 Election Results

• Conservatives: 365 seats
• Labour: 202 seats
• Scottish National Party: 48 seats
• Liberal Democrats: 11 seats
• Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland): 8 seats
• Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland): 7 seats
• Plaid Cymru (Wales): 4 seats

The story was released by AFP and it is reproduced by The PenPK.com