By Jessica Frank-Keyes
Rishi Sunak took the country by surprise this week as he opted to call a general election in just six weeks time.
The Prime Minister made the announcement standing in the rain in Downing Street as he addressed voters from a podium outside No10.
With the campaign now getting underway, ahead of our first general election in almost five years, we’ve rounded up all you need to know.
When will it be held?
As Sunak announced on Wednesday, the vote will take place on Thursday, July 4.
He said he had been to Buckingham Palace to meet with King Charles, who has to grant the Prime Minister permission to hold an election, and secured his approval.
Polls will open at 7am on July 4, and close at 10pm, with results announced overnight into Friday, July 5.
Why then?
Historically elections in the UK have always been held on a Thursday, which was traditionally a market day, at least since the 1960s.
This was due to concerns over holding it on a Friday or Saturday, for fear voters were too busy in the pub or socialising, and on a Sunday, in case attending church altered their vote.
Sunak may have opted to go for July 4 to coincide with the cautiously welcome economic news that inflation has dropped to 2.3 per cent, or close to “back to normal”, as he claimed.
Who is standing?
Due to the UK’s first-past-the-post voting system, general elections are always a race between the two main parties, with a few smaller parties competing for seats.
This is because the government is formed based on who wins the most constituencies (known as seats) – the small areas the country is divided into to select its members of Parliament (MPs).
In this election, Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party will be going up against Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party in the battle for No10.
Smaller parties include the Liberal Democrats, led by Sir Ed Davey; the Green Party, co-led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay; ReformUK, led by Richard Tice; Plaid Cymru, led by Rhun ap Iorwerth; and the Scottish National Party (SNP), led by John Swinney.
Who will be voting?
Everyone in the UK who is eligible to vote for their MP.
To be eligible for to vote in a UK general election, according to the Electoral Commission, you must be: registered to vote; 18 years of age or over on polling day; a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen; and resident at an address in the UK – or a UK citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years.
You also cannot vote if you are: legally excluded from voting; a member of the House of Lords; an EU citizen (other than the Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Malta) resident in the UK; anyone other than a British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizen; a convicted persons detained in pursuance of their sentences, excluding contempt of court or have been found guilty within the last five years of corrupt or illegal practices connected to an election.
Remand prisoners, unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners can vote if they are on the electoral register.
How can I vote?
You must register to vote, which means you are on the electoral register, or roll.
You can then opt to vote in person at your local polling station, via post or by proxy.
But you must also now bring your photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence, with you to the polling station to cast your ballot.
For more information, visit the Electoral Commission website.
How can I register to vote?
You can register to vote online, or by downloading a paper form from the government website.
The process usually takes about five minutes and you will need your National Insurance number.
You don’t need to register to vote before every election, but if you move house, you should register to vote again. If you change your name for any reason, you can either contact the electoral services team at your council and request a name change form, or re-register.
What happens now?
The general election campaign is now well underway. Party leaders are touring the country – including in battle buses – and making speeches to persuade voters to support them.
Manifestos will be announced shortly, probably with about three or four weeks to go before polling day.
We’re also likely to see TV debates in the run-up to the general election, where Sunak, Starmer and other party leaders could go head-to-head as they defend their policy platforms.
What outcome are we expecting?
Received wisdom is that Labour’s lead is likely to narrow as election day gets closer, meaning Starmer might be likely to secure a majority – if slimmer than currently anticipated.
However, one thing we do know about election campaigns is that things can really change.
For Sunak to turn things around and snatch a victory, would admittedly be a shock – but the first rule of politics (after learning to count) is to remember anything can happen.
