British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that a snap general election will be held in the United Kingdom on July 4, even though he had until January next year to schedule one. Sunak, who leads the Conservative Party, along with other political party leaders, started their election campaigns on Thursday.
The 44-year-old prime minister made this unexpected announcement in the pouring rain outside his Downing Street office in London on Wednesday.
Here’s what happens next:
A UK general election is required within five years of the last one, held in January 2019 when Boris Johnson led the Conservative Party to an 80-seat majority. The Conservatives have been in power since 2010, initially in coalition with the Liberal Democrats. In 2015, they became the sole party in power after the Liberal Democrats lost 49 of their 57 seats.
While many expected the next election in the autumn, Sunak surprised observers by calling it for early July.
Sunak has been prime minister for less than two years, following Liz Truss’s 45-day premiership. Truss resigned in October 2022 after her Chancellor’s minibudget caused financial instability. She had beaten Sunak in a leadership vote after Boris Johnson’s resignation. Johnson had survived a no-confidence vote in June 2022 but resigned in July following mass resignations from his government.
In his announcement, Sunak claimed responsibility for the UK’s improving economy as inflation dropped to 2.3 percent in April, the lowest since July 2021. “I came to office, above all, to restore economic stability,” said Sunak, referring to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
What will happen before the election?
After the announcement of elections and before it takes place, the parliament will be dissolved.
PM Sunak was granted permission by King Charles to dissolve Parliament, with the dissolution set for May 30, on Wednesday.
Any proposed legislation must be passed before then or it will be scrapped, as it cannot be carried over to the new House of Commons after the election.
Current MPs will step down and return to their constituencies to campaign as candidates for the next six weeks leading up to the election.
The government in the run-up to the election
From the moment a general election is announced until a new government is formed, government activity is restricted under the UK law of “purdah.” This term, originating from Hindustani and meaning “curtain” or “veil,” ensures political impartiality among civil servants.
During purdah, central and local governments cannot announce any new initiatives or plans that might favor a particular political party. However, this restriction does not apply to political candidates, who are free to canvass for votes.
How will the election work?
Eligible voters, who are UK citizens or resident Irish citizens aged 18 or over on election day, will vote for a member of parliament (MP) to represent their constituency in the House of Commons for a term of up to five years. There are 650 constituencies and nearly 50 million eligible voters.
Each registered voter gets one vote, which they can cast in advance by post or at their local polling station on election day by showing a photo ID. Alternatively, voters can request a proxy vote if they are unable to vote in person due to travel, medical issues, or other reasons.
Polls will be open from 7 am (06:00 GMT) to 10 pm. Votes are counted immediately after polls close, with results usually available by the next morning.
The party winning the most seats in the House of Commons typically forms the new government, with its leader becoming the prime minister. However, the prime minister must be officially appointed by the monarch, who invites them to form a government. The prime minister then appoints ministers for other departments.
General elections in the UK are traditionally held on a Thursday, as will be the case on July 4. This tradition has been followed since 1935.