Parliamentary election

In a Parliamentary election, also known as a general election, every area of the country votes for one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons.

Big Ben's tower and Houses of Parliament viewed from across River Thames

A general election is held at least once every five years and the last one was held in May 2005 meaning the next one must be held by 2010.

What does it do?

The UK Parliament represents the people of the United Kingdom and has the power to make decisions and pass laws on a wide range of issues that affect you.

Parliament debates major issues, considers European Union proposals and hears legal cases in the House of Lords amongst other duties.

Members of Parliament

In a general election you can vote for one candidate in your constituency, or seat, and the person with the most votes will become the Member of Parliament (MP) for that area.

The political party with the highest number of MPs in the House of Commons forms the Government.

Information on other websites

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