Dissolution of Parliament
The dissolution of Parliament took place on Thursday 30 May 2024. All business in the House of Commons and House of Lords has come to an end. There are currently no MPs and every seat in the Commons is vacant until after the general election on 4 July 2024.
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General elections
A general election is an opportunity for people in every part of the UK to choose their MP. This person will represent a local area (constituency) in the House of Commons for up to five years.
There is a choice of several candidates in each constituency. Some will be the local candidates for national political parties. The candidate that receives most votes becomes their MP.
When is the next general election?
The Prime Minister has announced that the next general election will take place on 4 July 2024.
Who decides when to call a general election?
The government of the day can decide when to call a general election.
The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 revived the power of the monarch to dissolve Parliament, at the request of the Prime Minister of the day.
When was the latest that the next general election could be held?
The maximum term of a Parliament is five years from the day on which it first met. The current Parliament first met on Tuesday 17 December 2019 and would have automatically dissolved on Tuesday 17 December 2024, had it not been been dissolved sooner.
When was the last general election?
The date of the last general election was 12 December 2019.
Do general elections have to be held on Thursdays?
There is no statutory requirement for parliamentary elections to be held on Thursdays; by law, they can be held on any weekday. However, using Thursdays has become an election convention. Since 1935 every general election has been held on a Thursday.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 specified that elections should ordinarily take place on 'the first Thursday in May', but this Act has now been repealed.
What was the Fixed-term Parliaments Act?
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act was passed in 2011 and was repealed on 24 March 2022. The Act created fixed, five year periods between general elections. Earlier elections could be held only in specified circumstances.
An election was held according to this five-year timetable in 2015. However, the House of Commons chose to hold earlier general elections in 2017 and in 2019, as follows:
- On Wednesday 19 April 2017, MPs voted by 522 to 13 to allow an early general election. The election took place on Thursday 8 June 2017.
- On Thursday 31 October 2019, Parliament passed legislation to make provision for a parliamentary general election to be held on 12 December 2019.
Who are the candidates in my constituency?
After the deadline for nominations has passed, a list of the candidates who are standing - or 'Statement of Persons Nominated' - is usually posted on your local authority website and on local noticeboards where you live. At the 2024 general election, the deadline for nominations is Friday 7 June 2024.
You can find official election information for your area on the Electoral Commission website at:
In addition, information about candidates in each constituency is collected online by the independent website, 'Who Can I Vote For?':
Can I vote for a new Prime Minister?
You can only vote to elect your local MP in a general election. You cannot vote for a new Prime Minister. If you live in the constituency represented by the current Prime Minister you are still only voting for them as your local MP in the next Parliament. This is the same if you live in the constituency of the leader of another political party. You will only be voting for them as your local MP.
Who chooses the Prime Minister?
The Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch. The monarch's appointment of the Prime Minister is guided by constitutional conventions.
The political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons at a general election usually forms the new government. Its leader becomes Prime Minister.
These conventions, laws and rules are set out in the Cabinet Manual. These affect the conduct and operation of government. It includes the role of the Sovereign.
Who forms the government?
The Prime Minister appoints ministers who work in government departments. The most senior of these attend Cabinet meetings.
What is a hung Parliament?
A 'hung Parliament' is a Parliament in which no political party wins a majority of seats. The largest party can either form a minority government or enter into a coalition government of two or more parties.
Where can I find the results of the general election?
Local and national media report on election results. Many providing live coverage of the results as they happen.
Local authorities publish results for constituencies in their area.
The Electoral Commission publishes the national election results. It also publishes results for individual constituencies.
Following each general election, the House of Commons Library produces a briefing paper providing full results and analysis.
- Commons Library briefing: General Election 2019: full results and analysis
- General Election results since 2010 (interactive map)
- GOV.UK: Find your local council (external site)
Further information about general elections
The Library has published a number of briefing papers on general elections:
- UK General Election Results from 1918 to 2019: House of Commons Library research
- Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 - Commons Library briefing paper
- Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011: Commons Library briefing paper
- The History of the Parliamentary Franchise: Commons Library briefing paper
- Party Political Broadcasts: Commons Library briefing paper
- Pre-election contacts between civil servants and opposition parties: Commons Library briefing paper
- Responsibilities of Returning Officers: Commons Library briefing paper