Elections in the United Kingdom
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There are five types of elections in the United Kingdom: elections to the
Elections are administered locally: in each lower-tier local authority, the polling procedure is operated by the acting returning officer or returning officer, and the compiling and maintenance of the electoral roll by the electoral registration officer (except in Northern Ireland, where the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland assumes both responsibilities). The Electoral Commission sets standards for and issues guidelines to returning officers and electoral registration officers, and is responsible for nationwide electoral administration (such as the registration of political parties and directing the administration of national referendums).[1]
Electoral registration
The total number of names in the United Kingdom appearing in Electoral Registers published on 1 December 2010 and based on a qualifying date of 15 October 2010 was 45,844,691.[2]
Entitlement to register
In
In
A person can still register at their ordinary address if they will be away temporarily (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital).[12] A person who has two homes (such as a university student who has a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) may be able to register to vote at both addresses as long as they are not in the same electoral area[13] (though an elector can only vote once in any single election or referendum).
In addition, to qualify to appear on the Electoral Register, applicants who are
In Northern Ireland, from 1949 until 2014, a minimum of three months’ residency in the territory was required for registration. This requirement was removed in the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014.
Remand prisoners, voluntary patients in mental hospitals and people without a fixed place of residence can register to vote by making a declaration of local connection.
Members of
Crown servants[20] and British Council employees[21] (as well as their spouses who live abroad[22]) employed in a post outside the UK can register by making a Crown Servant declaration, allowing them to vote in all UK elections.
An individual can register as an anonymous elector if his/her safety (or that of any other person in the same household) would be at risk were his/her name and address to be disclosed publicly on the Electoral Register, but the application needs to be supported by a relevant court order, injunction or an attestation by a chief police officer or a Director of Social Services.[23]
The right of Commonwealth and Irish citizens to vote is a legacy of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which limited the vote to British subjects. At that time, "British subjects" included the people of Ireland — then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland — and all other parts of the British Empire. Though most of Ireland (see Ireland Act 1949) and the majority of the colonies became independent nations, their citizens have retained the right to vote if they live in the United Kingdom.
In theory, members of the
Registration procedure
In Great Britain, most electors are enrolled during the course of the annual canvass, which electoral registration officers are obliged to conduct every year between August and November.[25] Canvass forms are sent to all households, and must be returned, otherwise a fine of £1000 can be imposed.[26] One person in the household must confirm the details of all residents who are existing electors, which includes adding or deleting residents who have moved in or out and are eligible to register to vote.
Between December and early August, the rolling registration procedure applies instead. Applications must be submitted individually (unlike the annual canvass forms where one person is responsible for registering all eligible people in a household) using registration forms available from local electoral registration officers or the Electoral Commission's website. Although no proof of identity or address is necessary when submitting an application, the electoral registration officer can require the applicant to provide further information regarding the applicant's age, nationality, residence and whether or not they are disqualified[27] and/or evidence to prove the applicant's age and/or nationality.[28] Application forms can be returned to the local electoral registration officer by post, by fax or by e-mail as a scanned attachment.[29]
As of June 2014, as part of the Government's Digital By Default policy, voters in England and Wales can register to the electoral roll online.[30]
Special category electors do not register through the annual canvass procedure.[31] Instead, they submit applications at any time during the year and have to renew their electoral application periodically (every one year for overseas electors and voters with a declaration of local connection and every three years for service voters).
Applications are received by the electoral registration officer. The officer adds them to a list of applications (unless they are applications to register as an anonymous elector[32]). The list is open for inspection for five working days, during which any other elector may raise an objection to an application. The electoral registration officer can initiate an application hearing if there are reasonable integrity concerns about the application.
In Northern Ireland, there is no annual canvass, and instead people register individually at any time during the year. Applicants must supply their National Insurance number or, if they do not have one, make a declaration to that effect. Proof of identity, address, three months' residency in NI and date of birth must also be included with applications,[33] which are submitted by post to the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.
Knowingly giving false information to an electoral registration officer anywhere in the UK is an offence with a maximum penalty, upon conviction, of £5,000 and/or six months' imprisonment.[34]
Electoral Register
Each
Because the franchise differs between individual voters, various markers may be placed next to voters' names to identify in which elections they are entitled to vote.[36] European Union citizens who are not Commonwealth or Irish citizens have their entry prefixed either with G (meaning they can only vote in local government elections) or K (meaning they can only vote in European Parliamentary and local government elections). Overseas electors are prefixed with the letter F, meaning they can only vote in European and UK Parliamentary elections. Members of the House of Lords residing in the UK are prefixed with the letter L, meaning they can only vote in European Parliamentary and local government elections, whilst peers who are overseas electors are prefixed with the letter E, indicating that they can only vote in European Parliamentary elections.
The register is published every year on 1 December after the annual canvass period
There are two versions of the Register: the full register and the edited register. The full register can only be inspected under supervision at the office of the local electoral registration officer, and must be supplied free of charge to the district's
Party system
Political parties are the dominant organisations in the modern UK political system.[45] The majority of election candidates stand on behalf of political parties of varying sizes. All parties, however large or small, must be registered with the Electoral Commission to be able to operate and stand candidates. Parties must regularly report donations, loans and spending on national elections. Larger parties must also submit audited accounts on an annual basis.
Most parties will have an individual leader (some parties choose to nominate one or more "spokespersons" rather than having a "leader"). Leaders of the main parties will be those parties' "candidates" for the post of prime minister – though there is no formal position of "prime ministerial candidate" since the prime minister is appointed by the monarch rather than being elected directly. Where a party has members elected to a parliament, devolved assembly or local council, they will typically seek to follow a united position and maintain a disciplined group using the whip system.
Historically (until 2005, with the sole exception of
More recently, in 2010 the share of the vote for the two largest parties fell to 65%, with seats won by several other parties, including nationalist parties. In 2015, televised election debates included leaders of up to seven different parties. In the general election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won over 90% of Scottish constituencies, to become the third party in terms of seats in the House of Commons. At the same time, the UK Independence Party won nearly 13% of the UK vote (more than double the UK-wide share obtained by the SNP) to finish third in terms of popular support, yet they won only one seat. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats remain the third largest political party in the House of Lords, with over 100 seats.
Smaller parties receive a higher proportion of votes, and a much higher proportion of seats, in those elections which use some form of proportional system: i.e. the regional elections for the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd, Northern Ireland Assembly and London Assembly. Parties, such as Plaid Cymru, UKIP and the Green Parties perform better in these elections, which can therefore be considered to produce a multi-party system.[49]
It is relatively easy to stand for election as an independent candidate, although wins are very rare and usually involve special circumstances (for example Martin Bell's 1997 victory against the discredited Conservative MP Neil Hamilton was aided by the major parties standing aside and not contesting the election). Following the 2005 General Election there were three independent MPs, the highest number since 1945, however only one of these was returned in the 2010 election.
Parliamentary candidate selection
Almost any registered elector is entitled to stand for election to parliament, provided they are able to submit nomination forms signed by ten voters from the constituency they wish to contest, along with a £500
In the
In the
The Liberal Democrats operate an assessment process for members wishing to join the party's list of potential candidates. Once on the list, candidates are free to apply for selection in any constituency. The candidate in each seat is selected by local party members following a hustings.[56]
The Green Party's selections are open to all members to apply. Applicants are not shortlisted, so local parties vote directly on the full list of applicants.[56]
Polling procedure
All voters must be listed on the electoral register, even if the person is otherwise qualified to vote.[58] If, because of a clerical error, someone's name has been left off the electoral register (even though a correctly completed application form was submitted by the deadline), the electoral registration officer can amend the register up to 9pm on polling day. Because the franchise between electors varies (for example, EU citizens who are not Commonwealth or Irish citizens cannot vote in UK parliamentary elections) ballot papers are only issued after checking the marker in the electoral register before an elector's name to identify in which elections the individual is eligible to vote.
Votes can be cast either in person at a polling station, by post or by proxy.
In person
At 7am when the poll opens, the presiding officer must show the empty ballot box to those who are present inside the polling station, before closing and sealing it.[65]
Having verified and marked off the voter's name and address on the list of electors, the presiding officer or poll clerk issues the
The voter marks the ballot papers in the privacy of a
If a voter requests a ballot paper but someone has already voted in their name, or they are listed as having requested a postal vote, they can only cast a tendered ballot. After marking the tendered ballot in private, the voter must not place it in the ballot box. Instead, it must be returned to the presiding officer who will endorse it with the voter's name, elector number and polling district reference, before placing it in a special envelope. The voter's name and elector number is then written down in the 'List of Tendered Votes'. Although tendered ballots are not included at the count, they serve as a formal record that a voter has tried, but has been unable, to cast a vote and is evidence of a voter's concern about the conduct of an election. If a voter wants to make a complaint, marking a tendered ballot is the first step in pursuing the complaints procedure.[69]
Voters may bring their underage children with them inside the polling station, but they may only observe the voting procedure and are not permitted to participate (for example, by marking the voter's ballot paper).[65]
The presiding officer and the poll clerk(s) are responsible for maintaining order in the polling station (this includes ensuring that candidates/agents/tellers in the vicinity of the polling station do not interfere with the election process and/or impede voters' access to/from the polling station, and removing any campaign literature from inside the polling station) and ensuring the secrecy and security of all ballots cast. They are under a duty to act impartially at all times.[68]
Candidates may appoint polling agents to observe the voting process in polling stations.[70] These are a type of Electoral observer, and must follow a code of practice to avoid influencing the election, or obtaining information that could predict the result.[71]
Tellers are often present outside the polling station and record the elector number (as it appears on the Electoral Register and poll card) of those who have voted. Tellers volunteer on behalf of political parties (identifiable by their rosette), but have no legal or official status, and voters are not obliged to give them their elector number.[72][73] By recording who has voted, tellers help their parties identify supporters who have not yet voted, so that they can be contacted and encouraged to vote, and offered assistance — such as transport to the polling station — if necessary.
At the close of poll, the slot at the top of the ballot box is sealed by the presiding officer or poll clerk (the election and polling agents appointed by candidates can also apply their own seals to the boxes) before being transported 'directly and without delay' by the presiding officer to the central counting location.[68]
By post
Voters can apply to receive a postal ballot either for specific elections or on a permanent basis until further notice without having to give a reason (except in Northern Ireland, where voters have to give a specific reason explaining why they cannot physically attend their allocated polling station[74]). Applications for postal ballots close at 5pm 11 working days before polling day. Postal ballots can be sent anywhere within and outside the United Kingdom, although if they are not sent to a voter's registered address, a reason must be provided to the electoral registration officer as to why the postal ballot is to be sent to an alternative address.
The returning officer must issue and send out postal ballot packs 'as soon as is practicable' (i.e. as soon as possible after the close of nominations at 4pm 19 working days before polling day).[59]
Where an elector has applied for a postal ballot to be sent to an overseas address, the returning officer should prioritise the dispatch of their postal ballot packs (over those sent to UK addresses), send them by
Voters return their postal ballots together with postal voting statements filled in with their date of birth and signature either by post or by hand directly to the returning officer, or by hand to the presiding officer on polling day at a polling station situated within the constituency/ward printed on the postal ballot return envelope. However, for the postal ballot to be counted, the returning officer (or the presiding officer if returned at a polling station) must receive the ballot paper by the close of poll (usually 10pm on polling day).[76]
By proxy
Any person who is eligible to vote[77] (he/she does not necessarily have to be on the Electoral Register already) can be appointed by another voter as his/her proxy, but for the proxy to be able to vote in an election the proxy application must be received by the electoral registration officer at the voter's local authority by 5pm 6 working days before polling day. The proxy can either vote in person, or can apply for a postal proxy vote (though a postal proxy vote application has an even earlier deadline - any such request must be received by the electoral registration officer by 5pm 11 working days before polling day at the latest). A voter who has become ill or disabled after 5pm six working days before polling day can make an emergency application to vote by proxy as long as the application is received by the electoral registration officer by 5pm on polling day.[78] Unless a close relative, a person can only vote as a proxy on behalf of a maximum of two other voters in any single election in each constituency/ward.[79] When applying to vote by proxy for more than one particular election, the application must be accompanied by a relevant attestation and must be justified based on one of the following reasons: blindness; other disability; employment; on an education course; registered as a service, overseas or anonymous elector.[80] If only applying to vote by proxy for one particular election, the elector only needs to explain why he/she cannot vote in person, but does not need an attestation.[81] If it is possible to get to the polling station from the registered address by only air or by sea, the elector can apply for a permanent proxy vote without an attestation.[82]
In Northern Ireland, voters can only appoint another person to be their proxy if they can provide a specific reason explaining why they cannot physically attend their allocated polling station.[74]
Accessibility
All polling stations are legally required to be wheelchair-accessible[83] and be equipped with a tactile voting device and at least one large print display version of the ballot paper to assist visually impaired voters.[84] Though the large print version cannot be marked, it can be used for reference. Disabled voters can also request the Presiding Officer in the polling station or bring along a family member to mark their ballot papers for them if they wish. If a voter is unable to enter the polling station because of a disability, the Presiding Officer can take the ballot paper to him/her.[85]
Although the Electoral Commission provides electoral registration forms in a number of foreign languages,[86] by law all voting materials (e.g. ballot papers) are only printed in English (and also in Welsh in Wales).[83]
General elections
United Kingdom general elections are held following a
Candidates for each
A party with an overall parliamentary majority (more seats than all the other parties combined) following an election forms the government. If no party has an outright majority, parties can seek to form coalitions. At the 2010 election, even though the Conservatives won the greatest number of seats, it would have been possible for the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition with Labour (and maybe also other, smaller parties) instead of with the Conservatives.[89] Situations such as these can give smaller parties considerable power: the eventual outcome of the 2010 election was effectively decided by the Liberal Democrats, while in 2017 the Conservatives lost their overall majority and had to rely on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) who held 10 seats to 'prop up' the minority conservative government in order to achieve the 326 seats needed for a majority government.
The largest party not in government forms
Timing
A general election must take place before each parliamentary term begins. Since the maximum term of a parliament is five years, the interval between successive general elections can exceed that period by no more than the combined length of the election campaign and the time for the new parliament to assemble (a total of typically around four weeks). The five years runs from the first meeting of Parliament following the election.
After the 2010 general election, the
It is also possible for a general election to be triggered by a separate
The
Since 1935 every general election has been held on a Thursday. Of the 19 general elections since 1945, six were held in May, five in June, four in October, two in February, and one each in March, April, July, and December.[95] The 2019 general election was the first to be held in December since 1923.[96]
The Cabinet Office imposes purdah before elections. This is a period of roughly six weeks in which Government Departments are not allowed to communicate with members of the public about any new or controversial Government initiatives (such as modernisation initiatives, and administrative and legislative changes).[96]
Counts and declarations
Voting ends at 10 pm (or once all voters present in a queue at or outside the polling station at 10 pm have cast their vote).
The Representation of the People Act 1983 prohibits the publication of exit polls until voting has ended.[100] In recent general elections, broadly accurate exit poll results have been announced by the major broadcasters at the stroke of 10 pm.[101][102]
Results are declared in each individual
Formation of a government
When all the results are known, or when one party achieves an absolute majority of the seats in the House of Commons, the first response comes from the current (and possibly outgoing) prime minister. If a majority in the new Parliament has been achieved by their party, they remain in office without the need for reconfirmation or reappointment—no new "term" of office is started. If a majority has not been achieved, and another party has the numbers to form a government, the prime minister submits his/her resignation to the Monarch. The Monarch then commissions the leader of the new majority party to form a new government. The prime minister can try to remain in power even without a majority. The subsequent King's Speech (giving an outline of the government's proposed legislative programme) offers a chance for the House of Commons to cast a vote of confidence or no confidence in the government by accepting or rejecting the King's Speech.
By precedent, and in the absence of any formal written constitutional objection, the monarch could in theory dismiss the incumbent prime minister and seek to appoint a replacement. However, this has not occurred since the dismissal of
Once the result of a general election is known, the incumbent prime minister will make a statement regarding whether they will stay on as prime minister or not. When the outcome is decisive, in particular a majority either for their party or the opposition, they will make this announcement immediately, resigning if they lost. In the case of a
- In Queen Elizabeth II to commission Labour leader Harold Wilsonto form an administration.
- In 2010, the Conservative Party won a plurality of seats, but no majority. Incumbent Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown remained in office until Conservative leader David Cameron agreed to form a governing coalition with the Liberal Democrats under Nick Clegg.
- In 2017, the Conservatives lost their majority, but still held a plurality of seats, yet no party was willing to form a coalition with them and Labour was unable to form a majority coalition of their own. Prime Minister Theresa May decided to carry on in a minority government after making a confidence and supply agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party.
The largest party not in government becomes the Official Opposition, known as His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Any smaller parties not in government (or formally supporting it, such as in a confidence and supply agreement) are collectively known as "the opposition".
After each election, having remained in power, a prime minister may engage in a major or minor
The media influence debate
The influence of media on elections in the UK – and elsewhere – is often a topic of debate, and overall, there seems to be little academic consensus. The often cited 'chicken and egg' or 'self-selection' problem makes it difficult to tell whether media outlets have an impact on their users' political affiliations, and ultimately, on what party they vote for: one can argue that users choose media outlets that fit their politics, or that their politics are molded to fit the source of news they consume.
Many studies have attempted to sway the balance one way or the other; for instance, Newton and Brynin analysed voting patterns in the general elections of 1992 and 1997, and concluded that newspapers had a statistically significant effect on voting, larger for Labour than Conservative sympathizers, and larger for the 1992 than the 1997 election.[103] Alternatively, Cowley reviewed The Observer's claims that it had encouraged tactical voting during the 1997 election by publishing poll results for 16 constituencies with a guide on how to vote tactically against the Conservatives; Cowley concluded that the newspaper had had little to no tangible impact on the result of the election in these constituencies.[104]
When it comes to social media, the debate seems to be more about its effect on legality and fairness: the Conservative Party spent £1.2 million on Facebook during the UK 2015 general election campaign, which "enabled the party to target specific voters in marginal constituencies with tailored messages".[105] Moore believes the sheer amount parties are spending on Facebook is itself proof of how 'central' digital media has become when it comes to political campaigning, but whether one believes online campaigning can encourage citizens to vote one way or another[105] ("Brits believe traditional media mattered more in the 2017 general election"[106]), the use of social media might be "compromising the principles of fair and open elections in the UK"; Moore uses the example of how Facebook algorithms helped the Conservative Party bypass spending limits by assigning constituency-specific expenses to the national budget in 2015.[105] The "potential for fraud, lies and disproportionate influence", says a Guardian editorial advocating for new digital campaigning legislation, is "only too obvious".[107]
Previous results
Devolved parliament and assembly elections
Scottish Parliament elections
- 1999 Scottish Parliament election
- 2003 Scottish Parliament election
- 2007 Scottish Parliament election
- 2011 Scottish Parliament election
- 2016 Scottish Parliament election
- 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Senedd elections
Elections to the National Assembly for Wales were held every four years from 1999; this was increased to five years following the
Elections use the
- 1999 National Assembly for Wales election
- 2003 National Assembly for Wales election
- 2007 National Assembly for Wales election
- 2011 National Assembly for Wales election
- 2016 National Assembly for Wales election
- 2021 Senedd election
Northern Ireland Assembly elections
- 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election
Regional and local elections
In local elections, councillors are elected forming the local administrations of the United Kingdom. A number of tiers of local council exist, at
The only Region of England which has a directly elected administration is London.
Local elections are held in different parts of the country each year. In general, local elections are held on the first Thursday in May.
Unlike general elections, for local elections there is no legal requirement as to when the count should begin after the close of poll.[112] For this reason, some returning officers have decided to store the sealed ballot boxes overnight at the central counting location and begin the count the next working day. However, once the count has started, the returning officer must, so far as practicable, proceed continuously with the count between the hours of 9am and 7pm (subject to refreshments).[113] Ballot papers are verified manually and counted by hand (with the exception of London Mayoral and Assembly elections, where optical scanners are used).[114]
Police and crime commissioners
From 2012,
London, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire do not elect police and crime commissioners, as such functions are the responsibility of their directly-elected mayors.
History
Before the creation of the United Kingdom
In the
Similarly, the history of local government in England stretches over the same period with the election of town mayors and the development of town councils taking place since the Middle Ages. Local government in Scotland and in Wales evolved separately.
Expansion of the franchise
Although the institutions implemented after the
Between 1838 and 1848 a popular movement, Chartism, organised around six demands including universal male franchise and the secret ballot. The Reform Act 1867 redistributed more MPs from boroughs which had disproportional representation (42) to London and industrial towns. It decreased the property qualification in boroughs, so that all men with an address in boroughs could vote. For the first time some of the working class could vote and MPs had to take these new constituents into account. Some political parties decided to become national parties. Overall, the Act increased the size of the electorate to 32% of the adult male population.
The
From the birth of the United Kingdom, the franchise had been restricted to males by custom rather than statute;
20th century
The
The Representation of the People Act 1969 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, the first major country to do so.[127][128] The Representation of the People Act 1985 gave British citizens abroad the right to vote for a five-year period after they had left the United Kingdom. The Representation of the People Act 1989 extended the period to 20 years; and citizens who were too young to vote when they left the country also became eligible.
Summary
The following table summarises historic developments in extending the franchise in England and later the UK (after 1707). At each stage, it shows the percentage of the adult population entitled to vote and the voting age, separately for males and females.
Year | Adult male entitlement per cent | Male voting age | Adult female entitlement per cent | Female voting age | Act of Parliament | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1265 to 1689 | <10 | Negligible | Periodic elected parliaments;[115] after 1432 only forty-shilling freeholders were enfranchised.
| |||
1689 to 1832 | <10 | Negligible | Bill of Rights 1689 | Established the principles of regular parliaments and free elections.[129][130] | ||
1832 | 14 | 21 | 0 | - | Reform Act 1832 | Great Reform Act standardised the franchise for all boroughs for the first time. |
1867 | 32 | 21 | 0 | - | Reform Act 1867 | Second Reform Act enfranchised householders - working classes gained the vote. |
1885 | 56 | 21 | 0 | - | Reform Act 1884 and Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 |
Third Reform Act extended the 1867 concessions from boroughs to county constituencies. |
1918 | 100 | 21 | 67[131] | 30 | Representation of the People Act 1918 | Fourth Reform Act abolished most property qualifications for men; enfranchised most women. |
1928 | 100 | 21 | 100 | 21 | Representation of the People Act 1928 |
Equal Suffrage Act abolished age disparity and property qualifications for women; resulted in universal suffrage.[132] |
1948 | 100 | 21 | 100 | 21 | Representation of the People Act 1948 | Removed double vote entitlements regarding business premises and university constituencies. |
1969 | 100 | 18 | 100 | 18 | Representation of the People Act 1969 | Extended suffrage to include 18- to 20-year-olds. |
Labour (1997–2010) reforms
Prior to 1997, and the
The hybrid (part PR, part FPTP)
Labour passed the
In 2006 the age of candidacy for public elections in the UK was reduced from 21 to 18 with the passing of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.
In 2008 the Ministry of Justice delivered a report that failed to conclusively recommend any particular voting system as "best" and instead simply compared working practices used in the different elections. The Minister of State for Justice, Ministry of Justice (
Labour also made many changes to the election administration underpinning the way that elections are run. Changes included postal voting on demand, rolling registration and some innovative pilots such as internet voting.[133][134]
European Parliament elections (1979–2019)
As a former member state of the
Elections to the European Parliament took place from 1979, the first year in which the parliament was directly elected. From 1973 to 1979, members were elected by national parliaments.
From the
The use of proportional representation has significantly increased the representation of minor parties. Until the 1999 election, the First Past the Post system was used, which had prevented parties with moderately large, but geographically spread out vote shares from receiving any seats. For example, in the 1989 election the Green Party received 2,292,718 votes, constituting a 15% vote share, but no seats. The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 changed the system in time for the 1999 election.
From 1979 to 1989, the United Kingdom had 81 MEPs (78 in England, Wales and Scotland, 3 in Northern Ireland). The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1993 increased the number to 87, adding five more seats in England and one more in Wales. The number was reduced to 78 for the 2004 election, and to 72 for the 2009 election, but increased to 73 during the term of the 2009–2014 parliament. The UK's representation in Europe remained at this level for both the 2014 and 2019 elections.
On 31 January 2020 the United Kingdom left the European Union after 47 years of membership and under the provisions of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 all legislation for the provision of the holding of European elections and the position of Member of the European Parliament was repealed.
Year | Date | Members | Constituencies |
---|---|---|---|
1979 European Parliament election | 7 June 1979 | 81 | 79 |
1984 European Parliament election | 14 June 1984 | 81 | 79 |
1989 European Parliament election | 15 June 1989 | 81 | 79 |
1994 European Parliament election | 9 June 1994 | 87 | 85 |
1999 European Parliament election | 10 June 1999 | 87 | 12 |
2004 European Parliament election | 10 June 2004 | 78 | 12 |
2009 European Parliament election | 4 June 2009 | 72 | 12 |
2014 European Parliament election | 22 May 2014 | 73 | 12 |
2019 European Parliament election | 23 May 2019 | 73 | 12 |
Former distribution of UK seats to European Parliament
The United Kingdom was divided into twelve electoral regions, which were the three smaller nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), and the nine regions of England with the 73 UK seats being divided up between these regions. The number of seats that each region is allocated was determined by the Electoral Commission based on population. The last revision of the seat allocation for the regions took place in 2011 when the West Midlands gained an extra seat.
The following contains the regional distribution of the seats as it was for the 2019 election.
Electoral region | Number of seats |
---|---|
East Midlands | 5 |
East of England | 7 |
London | 8 |
North East England | 3 |
North West England | 8 |
South East England | 10 |
South West England1 | 6 |
West Midlands | 7 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 6 |
Wales | 4 |
Scotland | 6 |
Northern Ireland | 3 |
1 Includes
Reforms post-devolution in Scotland
Using powers granted by devolution, the Scottish Parliament has on two occasions broadened the franchise for elections under its control, namely Scottish Parliament elections and Scottish local authority elections.
Using powers granted by the
Using powers granted by the
Reforms post-devolution in Wales
The voting age in Wales for elections to the Senedd (Wales' devolved Parliament, also called the Welsh Parliament in English) was lowered from 18-years-old to 16-years-old with the passing of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 in November 2019, before receiving Royal Assent on 15 January 2020, making it official law.[136][137] The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill passed its final stage in the Senedd in November 2020 and was given Royal Assent on 20 January 2021, lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 years old for local elections in Wales.[137][138] Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections are a reserved matter, meaning it is not within the Senedd/Welsh Parliament's power to lower the voting age for these elections but held by Parliament of the United Kingdom, of which the voting age remains 18.[137] In summary, only PCC and UK Parliament elections in Wales retain a voting age of 18, while local elections in Wales and Senadd elections both have a voting age of 16.
Current issues
Electoral reform
Proportional representation
There are British political parties, campaign groups and campaigners who have long argued that the current
After the
In 2015, the non-profit venture Make Votes Matter was formed to campaign for proportional representation.[145] It made the point that some 68 per cent of votes were ineffective, and hence 'wasted' in the UK general election of 2015.[146]
A 2015 poll found that 57% of the public agree with the principle that "the number of seats a party gets should broadly reflect its proportion of the total votes cast" – compared to only 9% who disagree. The poll, which was scientifically weighted, also found that 51% of the population said they were "unhappy with the current electoral system and want it to change" compared to only 28% who want to keep first-past-the-post (FPTP).[147]
A Redfield and Wilton poll[148] conducted in July 2020 showed 54% of respondents supported switching to a Proportional Representation system, with 16% opposed. Results from a YouGov poll of 1,799 adults in Great Britain, conducted on 29 August 2022, placed those supporting proportional representation at 46%, don't know at 28%, and those supporting first-past-the-post at 26%.[149][150]
Parliamentary and party positions
After its inaugural meeting on 29 November 2016 and until September 2017, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Electoral Reform was a cross-party group consisting of 150 MPs who support electoral reform, chaired by Richard Burden and latterly Chuka Umunna.[151]
Labour pledged in its manifesto for the
The government had expected a recommendation which could have been implemented within the Parliament, and decided that it would be impractical to have a general election using First Past the Post (FPTP) after a referendum decision to adopt a different system, and therefore delayed the referendum until after the next general election. Those elements within the Labour Party opposed to any change persuaded the party not to repeat the pledge for a referendum in the 2001 manifesto, and therefore none was held once the party was re-elected.
After the 2005 election, Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said there was "no groundswell" for change, although a Cabinet committee was given the task of investigating reform.
As mentioned above, in January 2008 the government produced a "desk-bound" review of the experience to date of new voting systems in the United Kingdom since Labour came to power in 1997. This review was non-committal as to the need for further reform, especially as regards reform of the voting system used in parliamentary elections.
In the 2005–2010 parliament, the
The Liberal Democrats, Green Party of England and Wales, Scottish National Party, and the
Reversal to first-past-the-post system in some English and Welsh elections
In 2021, the Conservative government proposed that the voting system for English mayoral and English and Welsh
Low turnout
As in many Western democracies,
In other elections, turnout trends have been more varied. At the
See also
- British Polling Council
- Electoral register
- Electoral calendar
- Election Day (United Kingdom)
- Electoral system
- Election agent
- List of United Kingdom general elections (for election results)
- United Kingdom national and local elections
- List of UK by-elections(for by-election results)
- List of UK parliamentary election petitions
- Referendums in the United Kingdom
- Political campaigning on election practicalities.
- Historical anomalies of the British electoral system
- University constituency
- Rotten borough
- Marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom
- Electoral Administration Act 2006
- Electoral Reform Society
- Electoral Commission
- UK Parliament Week
- United Kingdom Election Results
- Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom
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The earliest, and perhaps greatest, victory for liberalism was achieved in England. The rising commercial class that had supported the Tudor monarchy in the 16th century led the revolutionary battle in the 17th and succeeded in establishing the supremacy of Parliament and, eventually, of the House of Commons. What emerged as the distinctive feature of modern constitutionalism was not the insistence on the idea that the king is subject to law (although this concept is an essential attribute of all constitutionalism). This notion was already well established in the Middle Ages. What was distinctive was the establishment of effective means of political control whereby the rule of law might be enforced. Modern constitutionalism was born with the political requirement that representative government depended upon the consent of citizen subjects... However, as can be seen through provisions in the 1689 Bill of Rights, the English Revolution was fought not just to protect the rights of property (in the narrow sense) but to establish those liberties which liberals believed essential to human dignity and moral worth. The "rights of man" enumerated in the English Bill of Rights gradually were proclaimed beyond the boundaries of England, notably in the American Declaration of Independence of 1776 and in the French Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789.
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PA451 Central Government currently revolves around the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, with the role of Parliament greatly diminished. The most important reform needed to redress this imbalance is the move to proportional representation. This will help to bring an end to the traditional dominance of two political parties in Britain.
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External links
- British Election Campaign Material from the University of Salford site[permanent dead link]
- June 2006: Boundary changes make it more difficult for Labour to win an overall majority Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- NSD: European Election Database - UK Archived 9 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Adam Carr's Election Archive
- The Electoral Commission Statutory organisation that regulates electoral practices
- Elections around the World: United Kingdom Archived 23 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Jan 2008: Review of Voting Systems
- Guardian Special Report - Electoral Reform
- Buxton, Sydney Charles (1882).. London: The London and Counties Liberal Union.
- Elections and voting UK Parliament website
- Electoral franchise UK Parliament website
- Voting systems in the UK House of Commons Library Note