GENERAL ELECTIONS
The Basic Building Blocks Of Democracy
So... What's all the fuss about?
A General Election is an opportunity for every U.K resident above the age of 18 to Vote for who they want their Local MP to be from a list of Candidates. Each Political Party offers a candidate in each Constituency (Your Local Borough) and the Constituents (The Residents in that Borough) choose the individual they believe fits their own opinions best. Simple right?
Wellll, not exactly.
A General Election usually takes place once every 5 years in the U.K thanks to the Fixed Term Parliament Act. However, the Prime Minister has a prerogative power to call what is known as a 'Snap' Election if they believe it will benefit the public. On June 8th 2017, there will be a Snap Election!
Conservative Party
Labour Party
Liberal Democrats Party
What is the Government for though?
Our Government is the Political Party that has the Majority of MP's in The House of Commons. There are 650 Members of Parliament meaning a majority is reached by the party that gains 326 seats. Currently the Conservatives have 330 MP's which is a very small margin of majority and leaves the party vulnerable to losing when trying to pass new laws in Parliament.
Which leads us on to the actual purpose of our Government!
The Government looks at all parts of society and makes new rules on how things are run as well as making laws which protect the public but can also be viewed as making things harder for certain groups of people in our communities. Each Political Party have different ideas on how the country should be improved and which laws should be created.
Ballot Paper
Your Ballot Paper when you come to Vote will look like this, with each of your Constituencies Candidates listed. You must place an X next to the party or independent you want to vote for.
Political Party Logos
Lib Dems - Conservatives
Labour - Green Party
UKIP - SNP
No Thanks!
Ofcourse though, if you simply don't feel like any of the Political Parties represent your beliefs then you don't have to choose any of them!
18-24 Year Olds are the most under-represented age group in the U.K General Elections! In the 2015 Election only 43% of 18-24 years olds voted! Whereas 78% of 65+ year olds voted. Our future is in our hands, so why aren't our age group Voting to ensure the Government takes an interest in the youth and our needs?
Register To Vote Deadline!
Register Online here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Sunday, May 21, 2017, 11:45 PM
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SUMMARY!
We can't tell you who to Vote for, but we hope you now see how valuable your Vote is! All of the Political Parties have made poor decisions in the past and will make poor choices in the future. It is quite difficult to please 70 million people who all have different beliefs and ideas on how money should be spent by our Government and which laws should be made. But, that's where you opinion matters. Use the resources and links above to discover which Political Party you agree with the most and then on Thursday June 8th, head to your local Polling Station and Vote for them!