United Kingdom general election, 2009/10

The next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June, 2010.

The Prime Minister may call for the dissolution of Parliament at any time within five years of the date of the previous general election, although typically at least four years elapse before a new election is considered.

The previous election in the UK was the general election of 2005 held on 5 May, 2005. In order to improve turnout it is probable that it will be held on June 11, 2009 in order to coincide with elections to the European Parliament. This would be keeping in line both with the recent practice for four-year terms, and the convention of holding parliamentary elections on a Thursday.

The general election will take place in 646 constituencies in the United Kingdom, for seats in the House of Commons, although a number of constituency boundaries will change (in England and Wales especially, due to the ten year periodical review rule) from those used at the previous general election.

Overview

The governing Labour Party will be looking to secure a fourth consecutive term in office and to maintain its majority. The Conservative Party will seek to regain its dominant position in politics against losses in the 1990s, and to replace Labour as the governing party. The Liberal Democrats will hope to make gains from both sides and to become the Official Opposition, replacing the Conservatives.

Many seats will also be contested by other parties. Parties with representation at the previous general election at Westminster include the Democratic Unionist Party, Health Concern, Plaid Cymru, RESPECT The Unity Coalition, the Scottish National Party, Sinn Féin (who do not take their seats as they will not swear the oath of allegiance), the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and the Ulster Unionist Party. There was one independent member of parliament, Peter Law, elected in the 2005 General election. Given vocal groups of opposition within both of the main parties, it is possible that the number of independent MP's will increase as members are expelled or resign.

Parties expeceted to contest the election that won no representatives at Westminster in 2005, but had seats in the devolved assemblies and European Parliament, include the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom Independence Party, the various national Green parties, and the Scottish Socialist Party.

With both Tony Blair and Michael Howard having declared their intention to stand down before the next general election, it will be the first general election since 1979 in which both of the two main parties have leaders who are contesting their first general election as leader.

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