Britain to Hold National Election on July 4: Conservative Era Set to End After 14 Years

(CTN News ) – On July 4, Britain will hold a national election expected to end 14 years of Conservative Party-led rule, a stormy period in the country’s modern political history.

The country is divided into 650 constituencies. Each constituency elects a local candidate who will later take a seat in Parliament. Voters choose one candidate from their ballot paper, and the candidate with the most votes wins.

How Britain’s Voting System Works: A Breakdown of the 2024 Election

Candidates usually represent a larger political party.

The winning margin for any political party is 326 seats. The party leader that crosses that line would then be eligible to form a government and become Prime Minister.

Approximately 50 million Britons will be eligible to vote. Polling stations are open from 0700 to 2200 local time, and voters can vote in person, by mail, or via proxy.

Constituencies begin counting ballots as soon as the polls close, with the first results arriving within hours. The majority are proclaimed overnight, while in some remote places, it takes longer, especially if the result is close and recounts are required.

What Happens in the Event of a Hung Parliament in the UK?

Broadcasters announce exit surveys when polling stations close.

A hung parliament happens when no single party wins more than 325 seats. In this scenario, the current prime minister remains in office and is given the first opportunity to create a government by negotiating with other parties to form a coalition or attempting to govern with a minority.

If he or she cannot reach an agreement that would give them a majority in parliament, the incumbent would recommend that the leader of the main opposition party be invited to form the new government.

Coalition governments are uncommon in Britain. The first coalition administration since 1945 was formed in 2010 by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Following a hung parliament in the 2017 election, the Conservatives agreed with a smaller party to establish a minority administration.

If a government loses, the existing prime minister visits the king to formally accept his or her resignation once arrangements for a new administration have been finalized.

Opinion Polls Indicate Labour’s Lead Over Conservatives Ahead of 2024 National Election

The incoming prime minister then arrives to meet the sovereign, who requests that they form a government, a meeting known as “kissing hands” in the past, though prime ministers are no longer obligated to do so.

YouGov predicted Labour would gain 403 seats in April, while Conservatives would likely win 155.

Opinion polls, which calculate each party’s predicted vote percentage, consistently show Labour leading the Conservatives by more than 20 points.

In the 2019 election, the Conservatives won 365 seats, while Labour won 202. Since then, resignations, expulsions, and other events have eroded the Conservative majority. The Conservatives had 344 seats, while Labour had 205 heading into the 2024 election.