General Parliamentary Election

The UK Parliament represents the people of the United Kingdom and has the power to make decisions and pass laws.

A General Election must take place every five years but may be called earlier than that. The Prime Minister decides the exact date of an election but it traditionally takes place on a Thursday.

Election day is also called Polling Day because this is when you cast your vote. Traditionally this is at a Polling Station.

At a General Election, you choose a candidate to represent your home area in the House of Commons by casting your vote for them.

That candidate becomes an MP if they have the majority of votes.

After a General Election, the leader of the party who wins the General Election, will be formally invited by the King to become the next Prime Minister, and form the next Government which will run the country.

The UK Parliament is made up of two chambers or ‘Houses’ – the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The House of Commons is made up of representatives called Members of Parliament (MPs). Each MP represents a part of the UK called a ‘constituency’ or ‘seat’. The political party with the most MPs in the House of Commons forms the Government.  This is currently the Conservative Party.

The Government proposes new laws and raises issues for Parliament to debate. It also puts into action the decisions made by Parliament.

Members of the House of Lords scrutinise the work of the House of Commons.

The King also has an important role to play in the UK Parliament, although it is mostly ceremonial.

He approves laws made by Parliament and delivers the King's Speech which sets out what the Government plans to do each year.

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