PARLIAMENT, ELECTIONS AND

POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE U.K.

PARLIAMENT=WESTMINSTER
 PARLIAMENT IS BICAMERAL

House of Commons: Lower House – elected by

people

House of Lords: Upper House - appointed by

Monarch

House of Commons is more powerful. When people

refer to Parliament they usually mean the Commons.
How are elections for Parliament called
2011 Fixed Terms Parliament Act: regularly scheduled every 5 years. 7 May 20.

PMs can no longer manipulate general elections based upon polling.

PMs used threats of election calls as effective means to govern.

Early Elections

⅔ of Parliament vote to dissolve.

PM asks Monarchy to dissolve Parliament.

Government loses No Confidence vote in House.

HOUSE OF COMMONS--ELECTIONS
650 Members of Parliament (MPs) elected by defined districts

Leader of Party winning majority of seats becomes Prime Minister and forms
government at the King’s invitation. Cabinet Ministers come from Party.

Leader of Party finishing second becomes “Shadow Government” with its own
“Shadow Cabinet.”
U.K. Electoral Districts – Constituencies
650 Election Districts

1 MP from each District

Districts=Constituency
First-Past-The-Post Plurality System
U.K. has 2 major Parties: Conservatives (Tory), and Labour, but numerous other
significant smaller parties.

Candidate in each district wins; because of 3rd parties, often means winner has
less than 50% of vote. More than 50% of all MPs won less than 50% in District.

Most seats are safely (c) or (l); few marginal seats possible for 3rd parties.

Guaranties virtual 2 party system, with 3rd party representation well below
percentage they win nationally.

Usually gives 1 Party a clear majority in Parliament with a mandate to govern.

Leader of Conservative Party: Boris Johnson

Liz Truss: September-October 2022

Rishi Sunak: October 2022 - Present

Leader of Labour Party: Jeremy Corbin

Keir Starmer, current head

Rishi Sunak: Prime Minister of the U.K.
Conservative Party
Keir Starmer: Shadow Prime Minister of the U.K.
Labour Party
How Did U.K. Get 2 New PMs without Elections
Johnson (and then Truss) resigned as Prime Minister.

MPs from Conservative Party Announce Candidacy

Candidates with 100 or more MP votes move to Leadership Committee vote.

Official members of Conservative Party vote for who will lead party, and that
person is invited by Monarch to serve as PM.

British people as a whole do not get a voice in who is new PM.

What happens if no Party gets 326 seats ?
Neither Party captures majority of House of Commons.

Coalition Government: 2 major parties try to gain enough support from smaller parties to get to
326 seat in Parliament.

2010 General Election Results

Conservative Party: 306 MPs (David Cameron)

Labor Party: 258 MPs (Gordon Brown)

Liberal Democrats: 57 MPs (Nick Clegg)

Collective Responsibility is much more difficult in a coalition government.

Who Supports Each Major Party
Conservative Party: Older, white, rural voters without university degrees.

Labor Party: Younger, people of color, population of large cities, higher educated.

Small Parties: Regional Issues

Sein Fein: Northern Ireland (Unification with Republic or Ireland)

SNP: Scotland (Independence)

BREXIT (Leaving the E.U.)