UK General Election 2024: A Comprehensive Overview

On July 4, 2024, British citizens will cast their votes to determine the next party to lead their nation, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of snap elections on May 22. Predictions suggest that Labour may secure a majority, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.

Key Election Details

Polling Time: July 4, from 7 AM to 10 PM local time (GMT).

Results Announcement: Exit polls at 10 PM (GMT) on Thursday, with constituency results expected in the early hours of Friday.

Voting System: First-past-the-post, where candidates with the most votes in each constituency earn seats in the House of Commons.

Majority Threshold: Parties require at least 326 seats for a House of Commons majority.

Government Structure

Constitutional Monarchy: King Charles III is the head of state, with largely ceremonial duties.

Parliament: A two-house system consisting of:

• House of Commons: 650 elected members.
• House of Lords: Appointed members.

Executive Branch: Prime Minister, who appoints Cabinet members and implements laws.

Devolved Governments: Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own governments with varying degrees of legislative power.

Current Parliament

Before Parliament dissolved on May 30, the House of Commons had the following party distribution:

• Conservatives: 344 seats
• Labour: 205 seats
• Scottish National Party: 43 seats
• Liberal Democrats: 15 seats

Previous Election Results

In 2019, the Conservatives won with 43% of the popular vote and 365 seats under Boris Johnson. Labour received 32% of the vote and 202 seats under Jeremy Corbyn.

Major Parties and Leaders

Conservatives

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister

Centre-right-to-right party.

Labour

Keir Starmer, Leader

Centre-left party.

Liberal Democrats

Ed Davey, Leader

Centre to centre-left party.

Greens

Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, Co-Leaders

Left-wing eco-politics party.

Reform UK

Nigel Farage, Leader

Right-wing party.

Scottish National Party (SNP)

John Swinney, Leader

Centre-left Scottish independence party.

Plaid Cymru

Rhun ap Iorwerth, Leader

Centre-left-to-left-wing Welsh nationalist party.

DUP (Democratic Unionist Party)

Gavin Robinson, Leader

Centre-right Northern Irish unionist party.

Key Election Issues

According to a YouGov survey, the most pressing issues for Britons heading into the election are:

• Economy
• Healthcare
• Immigration
• Housing crisis
• Environment