The Official UK Election Thread! 6th May it is!

[Agatha]

Fiona will be able to explain the situation in Scotland which is too complex for me at this time of night.

In England, votes are cast for a person (standing for a political party which may or may not be one of the three main ones). In general, the first past the post system means that one of the three main parties tend to get in, but not always. The leaders of the three main parties stand as candidates in their respective constituencies, and are voted for just as every other MP.

In the last general election in 2005 in my constituency, the three main parties put up a candidate, as did UKIP and the English Democrats. This was the result:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/141.stm

It will almost certainly be a two horse race again - Paul Holmes is a popular MP who spends a lot of time in the constituency and talking to voters.

 

[Agatha]

There is also the tradition that the three main parties do not put up candidates against the Speaker (currently Conservative John Bercow, so Labour and Lib Dem won't put up candidates). There is a chance that UKIP will stand against the Speaker, and I heard on the radio today that they might win.

 

[Fiona]

I heard that a couple of weeks ago, Agatha. It will interesting if they do that

 

[Agatha]

I don't know how I am going to sustain this level of excitement for another four weeks; I'm like this for every election since I used to fold up Labour campaign leaflets for my mother at the age of about six! Though I have never actually voted Labour in my 30 years of voting.

 

[Debaser]

So cwalner, there you have it.

Amongst other things, the timing of a General Election is in the gift of the Prime Minister such that he can choose the most favourable time, and once elected as Speaker of the House you may remain in Parliament, unchallenged, until you get bored of the whole farce (or like Speaker Michael Martin grossly embarrass the House).

That's why we Brits are told to glory in the majesty that is our unwritten constitution.

 

[Rolfe]

Fiona will be able to explain the situation in Scotland which is too complex for me at this time of night.

In Scotland, for a Westminster election, it's exactly the same as anywhere else. One vote per person, cast in the constituency where you live. The candidate in the constituency who has the largest number of votes becomes the MP.

All the parties have their candidates sorted out and in place (PPC - prospective parliamentary candidate) long before the election is called, in most constituencies anyway. I've been listening to our SNP PPC working the constituency for two years. Anybody else who wants to stand as an independent is perfectly free to do so, subject to the requirements detailed by another poster above. Again, most people who are thinking about standing will have their ducks in a row in advance, although simply getting on the ballot paper is hardly rocket science. Very few independents ever get elected, but occasionally local issues force a surprise.

The only real difference in Scotland (and Wales) is the existence of the SNP (or PC) which leads to some constituencies being potential four-way marginals.

Voting is the same for a Westminster election in every constituency though, no matter which country.

Rolfe.

 

[Rolfe]

I don't know how I am going to sustain this level of excitement for another four weeks; I'm like this for every election since I used to fold up Labour campaign leaflets for my mother at the age of about six! Though I have never actually voted Labour in my 30 years of voting.

I guess I better get my head out of my backside and volunteer pronto.

Rolfe.

 

[Agatha]

Ah, thanks for that, Rolfe (for the explanation, not for the leaflet-folding ) I was confused.

 

[funk de fino]

You missed out "cash for being married", I wonder will that include "cash for being in a civil partnership"?

This one will really grip my ****

 

[Fiona]

That was my fault: we have a different system for the so-called Scottish Parliament, as LM0'G's link showed.

 

[Lensman]

The PM is indeed an MP, he/she is the leader of the largest party in Parliament, the leader of the second largest party becomes the Leader of the Opposition.

Each party elects it's own leader, there is a mix of MPs & the various constituency parties if I remember correctly.

 

[Rolfe]

Ah, thanks for that, Rolfe (for the explanation, not for the leaflet-folding ) I was confused.

As Fiona said, the system is different in the elections for the Scottish (and Welsh) devolved parliaments. That system is quite complex, and while somewhat proportional, is not true PR. (It's been said it was worked out to be the method which would most disadvantage the SNP. I couldn't possibly comment.)

It's different yet again in the elections for the local councils in Scotland.

This isn't one of these elections though - another year for that. This is a Westminster one, and FPTP all the way down.

Rolfe.

 

[ddt]

The PM is indeed an MP, he/she is the leader of the largest party in Parliament, the leader of the second largest party becomes the Leader of the Opposition.

For becoming PM or even minister, you have to be an MP, haven't you?

But about the PM being the leader of the largest party - what happens when you have a hung Parliament? And, ahem, parties actually have to try to form a coalition?
Then he doesn't necessarily have to be the leader of the largest party, does he? And there's a decent chance this time there is going to be a hung parliament, and the UK has to take that next step in political civilization.

 

[Fiona]

He doesn't have to be an MP, ddt: there have been PM's who were in the house of lords. I do not think anything has changed in legal terms to prevent that: but it would not be done now for the climate has altered

I do not think we have ever had a hung parliament but I do not know for sure. In 1964 the largest party had a majority of something like 3 and one or two died or something: so they had another election. At least I think that is what happened.

There have been times when the largest party had to rely on small party votes as well: I seem to remember that falling out with the ulster unionists led to an election at one time for that reason: but the PM was still the leader of the largest party and they would not give that away because the PM has a lot of power he exercises on the basis of royal prerogative

 

[Lord Muck oGentry]

For becoming PM or even minister, you have to be an MP, haven't you?

Usually, but not always.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_Kingdom

Mandelson is a current exception. I'm no expert on this, but the Commons seems to resent it if a senior minister ( secretary of state or Cabinet rank) is in the Lords, leaving a junior minister ( minister of state) to answer for his department in the Commons.

Technically, the PM could be in the Lords. But that isn't a real possibility nowadays.

 

[andyandy]

Mandelson is a current exception .

Mandelson's in the cabinet and he isn't even human.

 

[andyandy]

Then he doesn't necessarily have to be the leader of the largest party, does he? And there's a decent chance this time there is going to be a hung parliament, and the UK has to take that next step in political civilization.

we like our politics simple - 5 year autocracies are so much less messy than all that continental faffing around with coalitions....

 

[geni]

Usually, but not always.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_Kingdom

Mandelson is a current exception. I'm no expert on this, but the Commons seems to resent it if a senior minister ( secretary of state or Cabinet rank) is in the Lords, leaving a junior minister ( minister of state) to answer for his department in the Commons.

Also Baron Adonis.

Having a least a few lords in the cabinet is pretty common since it allows the prime minister to bring in people that are useful but either unable or unwilling to get elected.

 

[geni]

There is also the tradition that the three main parties do not put up candidates against the Speaker (currently Conservative John Bercow, so Labour and Lib Dem won't put up candidates). There is a chance that UKIP will stand against the Speaker, and I heard on the radio today that they might win.

Something I suspect the tories have mixed feelings on. On one had both a UKIP and the speaker lossing their automatic relection would both be problematical for them. On the other hand it would get rid of Bercow something political unviable through any other method.

 

[cwalner]

The PM is indeed an MP, he/she is the leader of the largest party in Parliament, the leader of the second largest party becomes the Leader of the Opposition.

Each party elects it's own leader, there is a mix of MPs & the various constituency parties if I remember correctly.

He doesn't have to be an MP, ddt: there have been PM's who were in the house of lords. I do not think anything has changed in legal terms to prevent that: but it would not be done now for the climate has altered

Ok, now I am confused again. Both you seem to indicate that Gordon Brown is simultaneously the Prime Minister and an MP (which I assumed to mean Member of Parlaiment). What happens if say Labour wins the majority, but Brown loses his seat in his constituency?

Some have also mentioned a speaker, how is that position chosen?

And to Darat, why do you feel that Conservatives are favored in this election and are Conservatives the same as the Tories (they seem to reference the same ideology)?

Pardon all of these seemingly basic questions, but I am finding out that I knew a lot less about your political workings than I thought I knew.