80-639: In British politics , Brownism is the social democratic political ideology of the former Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party Gordon Brown and those that follow him. Proponents of Brownism are referred to as Brownites . Brownism is understood by Anthony Giddens and others as a social democratic ideology, characterised by its distinction from the ideology of New Labour under Tony Blair , with Brownism generally understood as tolerating less enthusiasm about market driven reforms such as tuition fees and foundation hospitals, more keen on
160-550: A Government Minister who is often a Secretary of State and member of the Cabinet . The minister may also be supported by a number of junior ministers. In practice, several government departments and ministers have responsibilities that cover England alone, with devolved bodies having responsibility for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, (for example – the Department of Health ), or responsibilities that mainly focus on England (such as
240-406: A big change for Blair. Blair also has told journalist Andrew Marr that as their years working together went on, co-operation became "hard going on impossible". Blair criticised the departure from much of New Labour ideology under Gordon Brown's premiership , who blamed it for Labour 's defeat in the 2010 General Election : Why did Labour lose the 2010 election? The answer to that, I'm afraid
320-520: A great level of experience and stability to a party that had ousted its former leader Iain Duncan Smith just 18 months prior. The Conservative campaign was managed by Australian strategist Lynton Crosby . The campaign focused on more traditional conservative issues like immigration, which created some controversy with the slogan "It's not racist to impose limits on immigration". They also criticised Labour's "dirty" hospitals and high crime levels, under
400-981: A minority Labour or Conservative government. In Northern Ireland the Democratic Unionist Party sought to make further gains from the Ulster Unionist Party in unionist politics, and Sinn Féin hoped to overtake the Social Democratic and Labour Party in nationalist politics. (Sinn Féin MPs do not take their seats in the House of Commons —they follow a policy of abstentionism .) The pro- independence Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) stood candidates in every constituency in Scotland and Wales respectively. Many seats were contested by other parties, including several parties without incumbents in
480-545: A net gain of just one seat, 2005 was the first general election since their famous 1983 landslide victory where the number of Conservative seats increased appreciably, although the Conservatives' vote share increased only slightly and this election did mark the third successive general election in which the Conservatives polled below 35%. In some areas the Conservative vote actually fell. The Conservatives claimed to have won
560-404: A pluralist and fair society, social mobility, and marrying economic efficiency with social justice". Brownism retains much of the economic pragmatism of New Labour , characterised by commitments to liberalised markets and "responsible capitalism", with light-touch approaches to financial regulation and tax. Brownite pragmatism was demonstrated during the 2008 Financial Crisis which occurred during
640-521: A strong stance against the Iraq War , particularly due to the absence of a second United Nations resolution, This anti-war position resonated with disenchanted Labour voters, leading to the Liberal Democrats achieving what was at that point their largest vote share in their history. Blair won a third term as prime minister, with Labour having 355 MPs, but with a popular vote share of just 35.2%. This
720-410: A third consecutive election, netting the most seats in its history until 2024 and the most of any of the connected British Liberal parties since 1929 . The Labour campaign emphasised a strong economy; however, Blair had suffered a decline in popularity, which was exacerbated by the controversial decision to send British troops to invade Iraq in 2003. Despite this, Labour mostly retained its leads over
800-566: A working majority in Parliament. A Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government held office from 2010 until 2015, the first coalition since 1945. The coalition ended following parliamentary elections on 7 May 2015 , in which the Conservative Party won an outright majority of seats, 330 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, while their coalition partners lost all but eight seats. With
880-522: Is a constitutional monarchy which, by legislation and convention , operates as a unitary parliamentary democracy . A hereditary monarch , currently King Charles III , serves as head of state while the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , currently Sir Keir Starmer since 2024 , serves as the elected head of government . Under the United Kingdom's parliamentary system, executive power
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#1732869476288960-451: Is a notional figure Tony Blair Labour Tony Blair Labour The 2005 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 5 May 2005, to elect 646 members to the House of Commons . The governing Labour Party led by the prime minister Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, with Blair becoming the second Labour leader after Harold Wilson to form three majority governments. However, its majority fell to 66 seats;
1040-402: Is based on the 2001 election results if they had been fought on these new 2005 boundaries. At 04:28 BST, it was announced that Labour had won Corby , giving them 324 seats in the House of Commons out of those then declared and an overall majority, Labour's total reaching 355 seats out of the 646 House of Commons seats. Labour received 35.3% of the popular vote , equating to approximately 22% of
1120-1053: Is characterised by "complexity, inter-connectedness, and cooperation", with focuses on improving globally under-developed regions, improving human rights, and global social justice – particularly through international aid . Brownism is additionally characterised by significantly greater hesitance towards liberal interventionism compared to Blairism , with focuses on foreign policy advanced through cooperation, and hesitance towards conflict. It emphasises "duties to discharge and responsibilities to keep" where conflict does take place, and places greater distance towards US foreign policy , while retaining commitments to Atlanticism . Brownism has been described as lacking an "ideological narrative", something that has been said to have damaged Gordon Brown 's "credibility as Labour leader". This has meant that scholars and observers have been able to describe Brownism as neoliberal , while others have described it as social democratic . Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister after Brown's long tenure as
1200-513: Is drawn from and is answerable to Parliament – a successful vote of no confidence will force the government either to resign or to seek a parliamentary dissolution and a general election . In practice, members of parliament of all major parties are strictly controlled by whips who try to ensure they vote according to party policy. If the government has a large majority, then they are very unlikely to lose enough votes to be unable to pass legislation. The Prime Minister, currently Sir Keir Starmer,
1280-573: Is exercised by His Majesty's Government , whose leadership are formally appointed by the King to act in his name. However, the King may only appoint individuals that are members of and have the confidence of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The Parliament has two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords . The Parliament is the UK's supreme legislative body ; however some powers have been devolved to
1360-407: Is obvious. Labour won when it was New Labour. It lost because it stopped being New Labour...Had he [Brown] pursued New Labour policy, the personal issue would still have made victory tough, but it wouldn't have been impossible. Departing from New Labour made it so. Just as the 2005 election was one we were never going to lose, 2010 was one we were never going to win – once the fatal strategic decision
1440-507: Is the most senior minister in the Cabinet. Their tenure begins when they are appointed by the monarch. The Prime Minister is responsible for chairing Cabinet meetings, selecting Cabinet ministers (and all other positions in His Majesty's government), and formulating government policy. The Prime Minister being the de facto leader of the UK, exercises executive functions that are nominally vested in
1520-533: Is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom (i.e., there is parliamentary sovereignty ), and government is drawn from and answerable to it. Parliament is bicameral , consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords . There are also devolved Scottish and Welsh parliaments and a devolved assembly in Northern Ireland, with varying degrees of legislative authority. 2005 United Kingdom general election * Indicates boundary change – so this
1600-559: The 1992 general election and having not taken a single seat off Labour in 1997 , they had held their gains off Labour from the 2001 general election and had actually made further gains from them. The Liberal Democrats also managed to take three seats from the Conservatives, one notable victory being that of Tim Farron over Tim Collins in Westmorland and Lonsdale , through the use of a "decapitation strategy", which targeted senior Tories. The Liberal Democrats increased their percentage of
1680-418: The 2011 Scottish Parliament elections which formed the current Scottish Government administration. In a 2014 referendum on independence 44.7% of voters voted for independence versus 55.3% against. In Northern Ireland, Irish nationalist parties such as Sinn Féin advocate Irish reunification . In Wales, Welsh nationalist parties such as Plaid Cymru support Welsh independence . The constitution of
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#17328694762881760-580: The Chancellor of the Exchequer . Although viewed in the media as somewhat personally close, Blair later wrote in his autobiography A Journey that a "maddening" Brown effectively blackmailed him while he was in 10 Downing Street. Blair accused Brown of orchestrating the investigation into the Cash-for-Honours scandal and stated that the personal animosity was so strong that it led him to frequent drinking,
1840-536: The Conservatives in opinion polls on economic competence and leadership, and Conservative leaders Iain Duncan Smith (2001–2003) and Michael Howard (2003–2005) struggled to capitalise on Blair's unpopularity, with the party consistently trailing behind Labour in the polls throughout the 2001–2005 parliament. The Conservatives campaigned on policies such as immigration limits, improving poorly managed hospitals, and reducing high crime rates. The Liberal Democrats took
1920-570: The Department for Education ). Implementation of the Minister's decisions is carried out by a permanent politically neutral organisation known as the Civil Service . Its constitutional role is to support the Government of the day regardless of which political party is in power. Unlike some other democracies, senior civil servants remain in post upon a change of Government. Administrative management of
2000-540: The Guinness Book of World Records as longest consecutive delivery of first results). The vote itself represented a swing (in a safe Labour seat, in a safe Labour region) of about 4% to the Conservatives and 4.5% to the Liberal Democrats, somewhat below the prediction of BBC/ITV exit polls published shortly after 2200 BST. Sunderland North was the next to declare, followed by Houghton and Washington East , both of whose Labour MPs retained their seats but with reductions in
2080-821: The Lord Advocate and Solicitor General are the Members of the Scottish Government and attend meetings of the Scottish cabinet , as set out in the Scotland Act 1998 . They are collectively known as "the Scottish Ministers". The Welsh Government and Senedd have more limited powers than those devolved to Scotland, although following the passing of the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the 2011 Welsh devolution referendum ,
2160-592: The Official Opposition into government. The Liberal Democrats hoped to make gains from both main parties, but especially the Conservative Party, with a "decapitation" strategy targeting members of the Shadow Cabinet . The Lib Dems had also wished to become the governing party, or to make enough gains to become the Official Opposition, but more realistically hoped to play a major part in a parliament led by
2240-618: The Premiership of Gordon Brown , with the UK Government response comprising the nationalisation of the Royal Bank of Scotland , Lloyds TSB and Northern Rock – with both conservative and left-leaning governments worldwide following this approach. Brown described "the values of fairness, stewardship and cooperation" as underpinning this approach to markets, and has criticised the "weaknesses of unbridled free markets". On foreign policy, Brownism
2320-646: The Scottish Government , the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive . The monarch appoints a Prime Minister as the head of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom , guided by the strict convention that the Prime Minister should be the member of the House of Commons most likely to be able to form a Government with the support of that House. In practice, this means that
2400-429: The dissolution of Parliament on 11 April by Queen Elizabeth II , at the request of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Following the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April, it was announced that the calling of the election would be delayed until 5 April. Thanks to eight years of sustained economic growth Labour could point to a strong economy, with greater investment in public services such as education and health. This
2480-509: The energy network , the environment, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service , some aspects of equality legislation, housing, planning, sport , culture , tourism , the Crown Estate , onshore oil and gas licensing , some aspects of taxation including Scottish council tax and transport . In the 2024–25 financial year, its annual budget was almost £60 billion. The government is led by
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2560-527: The first minister , assisted by the deputy first minister alongside various Ministers with individual portfolios and remits. The Scottish Parliament nominates a Member to be appointed as First Minister by the King . The first minister then appoints their Ministers (known as Cabinet Secretaries) and junior Ministers, subject to approval by the Parliament. The first minister, the Ministers (but not junior ministers ),
2640-504: The list of parties contesting the 2005 general election . All parties campaigned using such tools as party manifestos , party political broadcasts and touring the country in what are commonly referred to as battle buses . Local elections in parts of England and in Northern Ireland were held on the same day. The polls were open for fifteen hours, from 07:00 to 22:00 BST ( UTC+1 ). The election came just over three weeks after
2720-740: The parliaments of Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland . The British political system is a multiple-party system and was according to the V-Dem Democracy Indices 2023 the 22nd most electorally democratic in the world. Since the 1920s, the two dominant parties have been the Conservative Party and the Labour Party . Before the Labour Party rose in British politics, the Liberal Party
2800-613: The partition of Ireland , Northern Ireland received home rule in 1920, though civil unrest meant direct rule was restored in 1972. Support for nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales led to proposals for devolution in the 1970s, though only in the 1990s did devolution happen. Today, Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland each possess a parliament and government, with devolution in Northern Ireland being conditional on participation in certain all-Ireland institutions . The British government remains responsible for non-devolved matters and, in
2880-447: The BBC and ITV agreed for the first time to pool their respective data, using results from Mori and NOP. More than 20,000 people were interviewed for the poll at 120 polling stations across the country. The predictions were very accurate—initial projections saw Labour returned to power with a majority of 66 (down from 160), and the final result (including South Staffordshire , where the election
2960-462: The BBC and presented by Peter Snow , David Dimbleby , Tony King , Jeremy Paxman , and Andrew Marr . The governing Labour Party , led by Tony Blair , was looking to secure a third consecutive term in office and to retain a large majority. The Conservative Party was seeking to regain seats lost to both Labour and the Liberal Democrats since the 1992 general election , and move from being
3040-467: The British government away from the sovereign. Theoretically, the Prime Minister is primus inter pares (i.e., Latin for "first among equals") among their Cabinet colleagues. While the Prime Minister is the senior Cabinet Minister, they are theoretically bound to make executive decisions in a collective fashion with the other Cabinet ministers. The Cabinet, along with the PM, consists of Secretaries of State from
3120-603: The Conservative Party's four previous leaders ( Iain Duncan Smith , William Hague , John Major and Margaret Thatcher ), with the caption "Britain's working, don't let the Tories wreck it again." For the Liberal Democrats, this was the second and final election campaign fought by leader Charles Kennedy , who strongly opposed the Iraq War and personally offered a more down-to-earth approach to voters, which proved popular. There were some questions, however, over Kennedy's abilities when, at
3200-505: The Conservatives. The first Liberal Democrat seat to be declared was North East Fife , the constituency of Lib Dem deputy leader Sir Menzies Campbell which he had held since 1987 . The constituency of Crawley in West Sussex had the slimmest majority of any seat, with Labour's Laura Moffatt holding off the Conservatives' Henry Smith by 37 votes after three recounts. Following problems with exit polls in previous British elections,
3280-529: The House of Commons at this election included former SDLP leader John Hume , former Cabinet ministers Estelle Morris , Paul Boateng , Chris Smith , Gillian Shephard , Virginia Bottomley and Michael Portillo , the Father of the House of Commons Tam Dalyell , Tony Banks and Sir Teddy Taylor , while Stephen Twigg lost the Enfield Southgate constituency back to the Conservatives. A notable MP who joined
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3360-504: The House of Commons at this election was future Labour leader and energy secretary Ed Miliband . Following the election, Michael Howard conceded defeat , resigned as Conservative leader and was succeeded by future prime minister David Cameron . Blair resigned as both prime minister and leader of the Labour Party in June 2007, and was replaced by Gordon Brown , the then Chancellor of the Exchequer . The election results were broadcast live on
3440-815: The House of Commons. Parties that were not represented at Westminster, but had seats in the devolved assemblies and/or the European Parliament , included the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland , the UK Independence Party , the Green Party of England and Wales , the Scottish Green Party , and the Scottish Socialist Party . The Health Concern party also stood again. A full list of parties which declared their intention to run can be found on
3520-494: The Lib Dems' vote share predicted by the exit poll was accurate (22.6% compared to the actual 22.0%), they did better in some Lib Dem-Labour marginals than predicted on the basis of the national share of the vote, and achieved a net gain of 11 seats. There were major boundary changes in Scotland, where the number of seats was reduced from 72 to 59. As a result of this each party lost some seats, and this notional election result below
3600-483: The Liberal Democrat manifesto launch, he was asked about local income tax, but appeared confused on the figures. Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives were keen to tackle Labour's introduction of tuition fees , which both opposition parties opposed and promised to abolish. At the close of voting (2200 BST ) the ballot boxes were sealed and returned to the counting centres, where counting proceeded under
3680-528: The Liberal Democrats failed to match the higher national votes of the SDP–Liberal Alliance in the 1980s either in absolute or percentage terms. The total combined vote for Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats proved to be the lowest main three-party vote since 1922 . Popular vote The figure of 355 seats for Labour does not include the Speaker Michael Martin . See also
3760-571: The Liberal Democrats. In Northern Ireland the Ulster Unionists were all but wiped out, only keeping North Down , with leader David Trimble losing his seat in Upper Bann . For the first time the DUP became the biggest party in Northern Ireland. It was the first general election since 1929 in which no party received more than ten million votes. It was the most "three-cornered" election since 1923 , though
3840-559: The Senedd can now legislate in some areas through an Act of Senedd Cymru . The current First Minister of Wales , or Prif Weinidog Cymru in Welsh, is Eluned Morgan of Welsh Labour . Assembly have powers closer to those already devolved to Scotland. The Northern Ireland Executive is led by a diarchy , most recently First Minister Michelle O'Neill ( Sinn Féin ) and deputy First Minister Emma-Little Pengelly ( DUP ) The British Parliament
3920-561: The Tories and the Liberal Democrats, Labour also lost Blaenau Gwent , its safest seat in Wales, to Independent Peter Law , and Bethnal Green and Bow to Respect candidate George Galloway . The Conservatives claimed that their increased number of seats showed disenchantment with the Labour government and was a precursor of a Conservative breakthrough at the next election. Following three consecutive elections of declining representation and then in 2001
4000-575: The United Kingdom is uncodified , being made up of constitutional conventions , statutes and other elements. This system of government, known as the Westminster system , has been adopted by other countries, especially those that were formerly parts of the British Empire . The United Kingdom is also responsible for several dependencies, which fall into two categories: the Crown Dependencies , in
4080-540: The case of Northern Ireland, co-operates with the government of the Republic of Ireland . Devolution of executive and legislative powers may have contributed to increased support for independence in the constituent parts of the United Kingdom . The principal Scottish pro-independence party, the Scottish National Party , became a minority government in 2007 and then went on to win an overall majority of MSPs at
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#17328694762884160-475: The department is led by a head civil servant known in most Departments as a Permanent secretary . The majority of the civil service staff in fact work in executive agencies , which are separate operational organisations reporting to Departments of State. "Whitehall" is often used as a metonym for the central core of the Civil Service. This is because most Government Departments have headquarters in and around
4240-498: The electorate on a 61.3% turnout, up from 59.4% turnout in 2001. As expected, voter disenchantment led to an increase of support for many opposition parties, and caused many eligible to vote, not to turn out. Labour achieved a third successive term in office for the first time in their history, though with reduction of the Labour majority from 167 to 67 (as it was before the declaration of South Staffordshire ). As it became clear that Labour had won an overall majority, Michael Howard ,
4320-547: The former Royal Palace Whitehall . The Scottish Government is responsible for all issues that are not explicitly reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament at Westminster , by the Scotland Act ; including NHS Scotland , education , justice , rural affairs, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, some aspects of the benefits system , elections to the Scottish Parliament and local government, some aspects of
4400-511: The general election in England, since they received more votes than Labour although Labour still won a majority of seats. The Liberal Democrats claimed that their continued gradual increase in seats and percentage vote showed they were in a position to make further gains from both parties. They pointed in particular to the fact that they were now in second place in roughly one hundred and ninety constituencies and that having had net losses to Labour in
4480-592: The immediate vicinity of the UK, are strictly-speaking subject to the Crown (i.e., the Monarch) but not part of the sovereign territory of the United Kingdom (though de facto British territory), and British Overseas Territories , as British colonies were re-designated in 1983, which are part of the sovereign territory of the United Kingdom, in most of which aspects of internal governance have been delegated to local governments, with each territory having its own first minister, though
4560-406: The incumbent majorities of up to 9%. The first Scottish seat to declare was Rutherglen and Hamilton West — another safe Labour seat, also a Labour hold, but with the majority reduced by 4%. The first seat to change hands was Putney , where Labour's majority of 2,771 fell to a strong Conservative challenge, with a total swing of about 5,000 (6.2%). This was also the first seat to be declared for
4640-406: The issue or withdrawal of passports, to the dismissal of the prime minister or even the declaration of war. The powers are delegated from the monarch personally, in the name of the Crown, and can be handed to various ministers, or other officers of the Crown, and can purposely bypass the consent of Parliament. The head of His Majesty's Government , the prime minister, also has weekly meetings with
4720-419: The leader of the political party with an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons is chosen to be the Prime Minister. If no party has an absolute majority, the leader of the largest party is given the first opportunity to form a coalition. The Prime Minister then selects the other Ministers which make up the Government and act as political heads of the various Government Departments . About twenty of
4800-429: The leader of the Conservative Party, announced his intention to retire from frontline politics. The final seat to declare was the delayed poll in South Staffordshire, at just after 1 a.m. on Friday 24 June. The election was followed by further criticism of the UK electoral system. Calls for reform came particularly from Lib Dem supporters, citing that they received only just over 10% of the overall seats with 22.1% of
4880-412: The majority it won four years earlier had been of 167 seats. The UK media interpreted the results as an indicator of a breakdown in trust in the government, and especially in Blair. This was the first time the Labour Party had won a third consecutive election, but would be the last election victory for Labour until 2024 . The Liberal Democrats , led by Charles Kennedy , increased its seat count for
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#17328694762884960-434: The most senior government ministers make up the Cabinet and approximately 100 ministers in total comprise the government. In accordance with constitutional convention , all ministers within the government are either Members of Parliament or peers in the House of Lords . As in some other parliamentary systems of government (especially those based upon the Westminster system ), the executive (called "the government")
5040-416: The national government performs the role of local government within that area). The British monarch , currently King Charles III , is the head of state of the United Kingdom . Though he takes little direct part in government, the Crown remains the fount in which ultimate executive power over government lies. These powers are known as royal prerogative and can be used for a vast amount of things, such as
5120-407: The popular vote increase by 3.7%, and won the most seats of any third party since 1923 , with 62 MPs. Anti-war activist and former Labour MP George Galloway was elected as the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow under the Respect – The Unity Coalition banner, unseating Oona King ; Richard Taylor was re-elected for Kidderminster Health Concern in Wyre Forest ; and independent candidate Peter Law
5200-415: The popular vote. The only parties to win a substantially higher percentage of seats than they achieved in votes were Labour, the Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Féin, and Health Concern , which ran only one candidate. The results of the election give a Gallagher index of dis-proportionality of 16.76. The Labour government claimed that being returned to office for a third term for the first time ever showed
5280-462: The public approval of Labour 's governance and the continued unpopularity of the Conservatives. Nevertheless, Labour's vote declined to 35.3%, the lowest share of the popular vote to have formed a majority government in the history of the UK House of Commons. In many areas the collapse in the Labour vote resulted in a host of seats changing hands. Labour also failed to gain any new seats, almost unique in any election since 1945. As well as losing seats to
5360-407: The role of the state, and less critical of Labour 's links to the unions. Compared to Blairism , Brownism places more emphasis on constitutional reform, advancing ideas of a "new constitutional settlement", alongside a "robust concern for redistributive politics" with commitments to reducing poverty and expanding the welfare state; Will Hutton opined: "Like Tony Blair [Gordon Brown] is a believer in
5440-410: The sovereign (by way of the Royal Prerogatives). Historically, the British monarch was the sole source of executive powers in the government. However, following the lead of the Hanoverian monarchs, an arrangement of a "Prime Minister" chairing and leading the Cabinet began to emerge. Over time, this arrangement became the effective executive branch of government, as it assumed the day-to-day functioning of
5520-423: The sovereign, where they may express their feelings, warn, or advise the prime minister in the government's work. According to the uncodified constitution of the United Kingdom, the monarch has the following powers: Domestic powers Foreign powers Executive power in the United Kingdom is exercised by the Sovereign, King Charles III , via His Majesty's Government and the devolved national authorities –
5600-472: The supervision of the returning officer who was obliged to declare the result as soon as it was known. As previously, there was serious competition amongst constituencies to be first to declare. Sunderland South repeated its performance in the last three elections and declared Labour incumbent Chris Mullin re-elected as MP with a majority of 11,059 at approximately 2245 BST (failing by two minutes to beat its previous best, but making it eligible for entry into
5680-426: The title used may differ, such as in the case of the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, though they remain subject to the Parliament of the United Kingdom (when United Kingdom is used to refer only to that part of the British Realm, or sovereign British territory, which is governed directly by the British Government, and not via local subsidiary governments, United Kingdom logically refers to a local government area, though
5760-411: The umbrella of the slogan "Are you thinking what we're thinking?" However, Labour counter-attacked, by emphasising Howard's role in the unpopular Major Government of 1992–1997 , airing a party election broadcast attacking Howard, showing a montage of scenes from Howard's tenure as Home Secretary , including prison riots and home repossessions. It also launched a billboard campaign showing Howard, and
5840-894: The various government departments, the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain , the Lord Privy Seal , the Lord President of the Council , the President of the Board of Trade , the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Ministers without portfolio . Cabinet meetings are typically held weekly, while Parliament is in session. The Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of ministries known mainly, though not exclusively as departments, e.g., Department for Education . These are politically led by
5920-545: The vote by 3.7%, the Conservatives by 0.6%, and Labour's dropped by 5.4%. The UK media interpreted the results as an indicator of a breakdown in trust in the government, and especially in Blair. Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party improved its position in Scotland, regaining the Western Isles and Dundee East from Labour, having lost both seats in 1987. In Wales Plaid Cymru failed to gain any seats and lost Ceredigion to
6000-499: Was elected in Blaenau Gwent . In Northern Ireland , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the more moderate of the main unionist parties, which had dominated Northern Irish politics since the 1920s, was reduced from six MPs to one, with party leader David Trimble himself being unseated. The more hardline Democratic Unionist Party became the largest Northern Irish party, with nine MPs elected. Apart from Trimble, notable MPs leaving
6080-441: Was overshadowed, however, by the issue of the controversial 2003 invasion of Iraq , which met widespread public criticism at the time, and would dog Blair throughout the campaign. The Chancellor, Gordon Brown , played a prominent role in the election campaign, frequently appearing with Blair and ensuring that the economy would remain the central focus of Labour's message. Recently elected Conservative leader Michael Howard brought
6160-495: Was postponed due to the death of a candidate) was indeed a Labour majority of 66. The projected shares of the vote in Great Britain were Labour 35% (down 6% on 2001), Conservatives 33% (up 1%), Liberal Democrats 22% (up 4%) and other parties 8% (up 1%). The Conservatives were expected to make the biggest gains, however — 44 seats according to the exit poll — with the Liberal Democrats expected to take as few as two. While
6240-756: Was taken to abandon the New Labour position. Other than Brown himself, the following prominent Labour politicians are often considered Brownites, but may not identify themselves as such: British politics King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The United Kingdom
6320-405: Was the other major political party, along with the Conservatives. While coalition and minority governments have been an occasional feature of parliamentary politics, the first-past-the-post electoral system used for general elections tends to maintain the dominance of these two parties, though each has in the past century relied upon a third party , such as the Liberal Democrats , to deliver
6400-556: Was the smallest of any majority government in UK electoral history until Keir Starmer won an even lower share in 2024. In terms of votes, Labour was only narrowly ahead of the Conservatives, but the party still held a comfortable lead in terms of seats. The Conservatives returned 198 MPs, with 32 more seats than they had won at the previous general election, and won the popular vote in England , while still ending up with 91 fewer MPs in England than Labour. The Liberal Democrats saw their share of
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