Recent General Elections

in the UK
A general election is an opportunity for people in
every part of the UK to choose their MP. This
person will represent a local area (constituency)
in the House of Commons for up to five years.

There is a choice of several candidates in each

constituency. Some will be the local candidates for
national political parties. The candidate that
receives most votes becomes their MP.
Who decides when to call a general election?
The government of the day can decide when to call a general election.

When is the latest that the next general election could be held?
The maximum term of a Parliament is five years from the day on which it
first met. The current Parliament first met on Tuesday 17 December 2019 and
will automatically dissolve on Tuesday 17 December 2024, unless it has been
dissolved sooner by the King.
When was the last general election?
The date of the last general election was 12 December
2019.

Do general elections have to be held on Thursdays?

There is no statutory requirement for parliamentary
elections to be held on Thursdays; by law, they can be
held on any weekday. However, using Thursdays has
become an election convention. Since 1935 every
general election has been held on a Thursday.
After the deadline for nominations has passed, a list of the candidates
who are standing - or 'Statement of Persons Nominated' - is usually posted
on your local authority website and on local noticeboards where you live.
At the 2019 general election, the deadline for nominations was 14
November 2019.
Electoral Commission
In addition, at the 2019 election, information about candidates in each
constituency was collected online by the independent website, 'Who Can I
Vote For?'
Can I vote for a new Prime Minister?

You can only vote to elect your local MP in a general election.

You cannot vote for a new Prime Minister.

Who chooses the Prime Minister?

The Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch. The
monarch's appointment of the Prime Minister is guided by
constitutional conventions.
The political party that wins the most seats in the House of
Commons at a general election usually forms the new
government. Its leader becomes Prime Minister.
The 2019 General Election resulted in a Conservative victory. The party won 365 seats, 48 more
than in 2017, and 43.6% of the vote, up from 42.3% in 2017.
The Labour Party won 202 seats and 32.1% of the vote, down from 262 seats and 40.0% of the vote
in 2017.
The Liberal Democrats won 11 seats, one fewer than in 2017, and 11.5% of the vote, up from 7.4%.
The Scottish National Party won 48 seats, up 13 seats compared with 2017. Plaid Cymru retained its
4 seats in Wales.
In Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) won 8 seats, two fewer than in 2017,
while Sinn Féin won 7, the same number.
The Conservatives and Labour won 76% of the UK vote. This was down from 82.3% in 2017, but
higher than the combined vote share of 67.2% they won in 2015.
Thanks for your attention!