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Since 1911, Parliament - the UK's national legislature - has had its maximum term set at five years (prior to 1911 Parliament could sit for a maximum of seven years). After five years, Parliament must be dissolved by the Monarch - as a consequence, this means that theoretically elections to the House of Commons must occur at least every five years, though in practice there is sometimes a delay of one or two months. The 1997 general election, for example, was held 5 years and 1 month after the preceding 1992 general election.
Unlike many nations such as the United States of America however, the United Kingdom does not have a fixed term for its Parliament, only a maximum term. The British Prime Minister has the power to seek an early dissolution from the Monarch (which cannot be refused) - once the Monarch grants this dissolution, an early election is held. As such, the time between elections can vary greatly; many British governments have generally preferred to hold office for four yearsbefore holding an early election, rather than sitting for a full five year term. It is not unheard of, however, for a government to fight two elections in the same year. If a party wins only a very small majority (or no majority, but still wins the most seats) in an election, it is customary for them to hold an early election to increase their majority. Furthermore, the House of Lords - Parliament's less powerful upper house - has the power to extend the maximum term of Parliament in the event of a national emergency. This power has been exercised twice since 1911, during the two World Wars - the planned 1915 and 1940 general elections were postponed until 1918 and 1945, respectively. Finally, a government can be forced to hold an early election if it loses a vote of confidence or fails to pass its annual budget; in either case, a Prime Minister must resign or contest an election (usually the latter). This has happened three times since 1911, and twice has lead to an early election, after the defeats of Ramsey MacDonald and James Callaghan (both Labour Party PMs) in 1924 and 1979, respectively.
To illustrate the unpredictability of elections in the UK, since 1911, a minimum of twenty elections has been required by British law - there have, in actuality, been twenty-five elections, eighteen of which were called at least one year early. The most recent full-term Parliament sat from 2005 to 2010; prior to that, a full-term Parliament had not sat since the Parliament of 1992 - 1997, and before then, there had not been a full-term Parliament since that of 1959 - 1964.
All-in-all, early elections were held in the UK (since 1911) in 1922, 1923, 1924, 1929, 1931, 1935, 1951, 1955, 1959, 1966, 1970, twice in 1974, 1979, 1983, 1987, 2001 and 2005. Scheduled elections have only taken place in 1918 (delayed due to war), 1945 (delayed due to war), 1950, 1964, 1992, 1997 and 2010.
Additionally, elections are held to local administrative authorities every year in different parts of the United Kingdom. Since 1999 elections have been held every four years for regional legislatures in Scotland and Wales, and for Northern Ireland's local legislature since 1998 (the 2002 election was postponed for a year, however, to 2003). Starting in 2000, elections have also taken place at four year intervals for London's regional legislative body. Finally, every five years since 1979 British voters have elected their representatives to the European Parliament at five year intervals. The most regional elections for local councils were held in 2010, for the European Parliament in 2009, for the London Assembly in 2008 and for Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland's legislatures in 2007. The next elections to these bodies will be held in 2011, 2014, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
The current British Government has committed itself to serving a full five-year term, and as such it is likely that another election to the House of Commons will not occur until 2015. The fragile nature of British coalition governments does, however, present a substantial risk that an election may occur before this year. Some analysts anticipate the next general election may be held as early as 2011.
Well, a Parliament may last for 5 years at a time, it doesn't happen a lot, most of the time elections are called before the Parliament runs out, also in times of Crisis (as was the case in WWII) the Parliament can be prolonged for as long as is needed, this hasn't been done since WWII.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 saw an end to the Prime Minister being able to choose when a General Election is called; instead, a vote of no confidence must pass for an election to be called early.
Every 4/5 years, usually. The Prime Minister can call an election at any time, but must call an election if it has been 5 years since the previous one. If the current government is doing well, he may call an election after 4 years, but if his party is in difficulty he may choose to wait another year to try and improve his popularity.
Whenever the party in power chooses or whenever the party in power loses a vote on something that was part of their program in the Queen's Speech. However, elections must be held at least once every five years.
every 5 years maximum but the prime minister can choose to hold an election earlier if he wishes
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How often must a general election be held in the UK?
It is held every 5 years
What is the definition for General Election?
United KingdomA 'General Election' can refer to a Westminster Parliamentary Election, held in the UK, where electors can vote for the Government they would like to govern the country.
How often are election held?
That depends on the location of the election and what type of election it is. In some countries, assembly elections are held on general schedule (i.e.) the US, ever 4 years) and in others, parliamentary elections can be held at any time (i.e.) the UK).Australia has an election approx every 2 to 4 years.
When are election held in the UK?
Elections in the UK are usually held every five or so years for Parliament. The previous election was held in 2010, and the next one will presumably be in 2015.
When is the primery ellection in UK?
The UK does not have 'primaries' like the United States does- it simply has a single General Election to decide upon it's new Government. This is held every four or five years (five years being the legal maximum time limit), although the governing party often calls an election in four year's time if support for it across the nation is high, and it stands a good chance of being re-elected. As of 2012, the next General Election has to be held no later than 2015.
When is the election held in the Bahamas?
As with most Commonwealth countries that have not changed their electoral laws from the basic principles of the UK, a general election must be held once every five years in Jamaica. However, they can be held early at the discretion of the Government, or if the Government loses parliamentary confidence and is forced into an early election. The 2011 general election was called a year early.
What day is the general election held on?
In the US, general elections are held on Tuesdays -- specifically, on Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The actual date may be as early as November 2 or as late as November 8.
Can UK Police vote in the general election?
Yes.
When are the General Elections in the UK in 2010?
The UK general election of 2010 will be held on 6 May in 649 out of 650 UK constituencies to elect Members of Parliament (MPs). GA total of 650 seats will be contested, up from 646 in the previous election in 2005. The election was called on 6 April, and Parliament was dissolved on 12 April for the ensuing campaign. Voting will take place between 7.00 am and 10.00 pm.
When was the last General Election in the UK before 2010?
UK general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 . The general election took place in 646 constituencies across the United Kingdom, under the first-past-the-post system, for seats in the House of Commons. All but one constituency polled on 5 May; the South Staffordshire vote was postponed and took place on 23 June due to the death of a candidate.
Number of registered voters that voted in UK general election?
A total of 29,687,604 men and women cast valid votes in the 2010 UK general election. This represents a turnout of 65.1% of the total electorate.
What is the difference between general election and by-elections?
A general election is when all of the seats in the House of Commons come up for grabs. A by-election takes place in one constituency if its MP dies or resigns in between the general elections.
