Lords and the Commons: This is how the UK elections work

In less than a month, Britons will go to the polls to elect their parliamentary representatives and a new government, which is expected to steer the country in the face of global headwinds.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's decision to call an earlier-than-expected general election for July 4 has heightened rivalry between his Conservative Party and its biggest competitor, the Labour Party.

Sunak’s Conservatives are widely expected to lose the polls, with Labour's Keir Starmer leading in most surveys to become the new PM.

Parliament was officially dissolved on May 30 by the King, marking the start of the election campaign for political parties.

Here’s how parliamentary elections function in this constitutional monarchy.

'First Past the Post'

As elections approach, the British Prime Minister formally asks the King to dissolve the parliament, signalling its closure prior to the election.

The dissolution of parliament leads to MPs losing their status. With over 130 MPs announcing they won't contest the upcoming election, those aiming to retain their seats are now actively campaigning to be reelected.

During this period of parliamentary inactivity, the government enters a pre-election phase and imposes restrictions on ministerial and departmental activities throughout the campaign.

The UK Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The House of Commons consists of 650 Members of Parliament, each representing a constituency or seat within the UK. Among these, 533 seats are situated in England, the largest and most populous region of the kingdom, while Scotland has 59 seats, Wales 40, and Northern Ireland 18.

MPs actively participate in debates on political matters and review proposals for new legislation.

The House of Lords consists of over 700 members who oversee the activities of the House of Commons, despite being unelected.

Since 1999, rather than inheriting their titles through family lineage, most Lords are appointed for their experience in specific fields and are unable to pass on their titles.

The 650 constituencies each elect one MP to represent local residents at Westminster through the "First Past the Post" system.

Voters choose one candidate in their constituency by marking an ‘X’ next to their name on the ballot, and the candidate with the highest number of votes secures the seat.

Candidates have the option to run for the seat either with a party or independently. Over 4,500 individuals will vie for seats in the 2024 election, which will see a record number of candidates competing.

This increase is driven by a significant number of independent candidates standing against Labour politicians, particularly British Muslims protesting against Labour’s position on the Gaza war.

Additionally, the emergence of new factions within political parties and the participation of newcomers in the general elections, such as the Workers Party, have also contributed to this record number.

Forming a government

Voters will cast their ballots solely for their MPs rather than directly for a head of state. The new prime minister will be the candidate of the party that holds a majority of MPs in Parliament, and they will then be sworn into office by the King.

The leader of the party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the leader of the opposition.

The prime minister has the authority to appoint individuals to other senior government positions, such as home secretary and foreign secretary.

When no political party wins a majority of seats, a “hung parliament” is formed. In such cases, the largest party can either form a minority government or enter into a coalition with one or more other parties.

If a winning party chooses to form a minority government instead of a coalition in a hung parliament, it fills all ministerial roles with its own MPs but relies on votes from outside the party to pass any bills.

Another option for a minority government is making a "confidence and supply" arrangement with smaller parties. In such an arrangement, the smaller party pledges to support the government in any vote of no-confidence while also assisting the government in passing its budget.

In practice, this means a minority government doesn't have to constantly worry about being voted out of office. However, it must cooperate with other parties in drafting every bill it wants to present to parliament.

There are typically 12 days between polling day and the first meeting of parliament, which is set by Royal proclamation.

However, in 2010, it took 13 days to finalise the full coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

New boundaries

While parliamentary elections can legally be held on any weekday, it has become customary to hold them on Thursdays in the UK. This tradition has been followed since 1935, with every general election taking place on a Thursday.

On Thursday, June 4, anyone who is 18 or older on polling day will be able to vote, as long as they are a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a Republic of Ireland citizen with a UK address.

A “qualifying Commonwealth citizen” is someone from British Crown dependencies or British overseas territories who either has permission to enter or remain in the UK or does not require such permission.

The upcoming election will be held under new constituency boundaries, which are said to be redrawn to reflect population changes and to equalise voter numbers across areas.

As a result, millions of voters will find that their constituencies have changed from the last general election in 2019.

The new parliament will convene on July 9 to elect a speaker and swear in its members.

This will be followed by the State Opening of Parliament and the King's Speech on July 17, during which the government will outline its priorities for the coming months.

The maximum term of a parliament is five years from the day it first convened. Each parliament is dissolved for a general election on its fifth anniversary.