126-691: A Finance Act is the headline fiscal (budgetary) legislation enacted by the UK Parliament , containing multiple provisions as to taxes, duties, exemptions and reliefs at least once per year, and in particular setting out the principal tax rates for each fiscal year . In the UK , the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers a Budget speech on Budget Day , outlining changes in spending, as well as tax and duty . The changes to tax and duty are passed as law, and each year form
252-621: A hung parliament where no party was able to command a majority in the House of Commons. This was only the second general election since the Second World War to return a hung parliament, the first being the February 1974 election . This election marked the start of Conservative government for the next 14 years. For the leaders of all three major political parties, this was their first general election contest as party leader, something that had last been
378-465: A Conservative candidate because it was too late to remove his name from the ballot paper. A total of 2,378 postal voters in Bristol West were wrongly sent ballot papers for Bristol East by mistake. Bristol City Council officials asked people to tear up the wrong papers and said: "Every effort will be made to ensure delivery [of new ballot papers] by 30 April." The SNP attempted but failed to ban
504-420: A Hung Parliament, the party with the most seats has the opportunity to form a coalition with other parties, so their combined seat tally extends past the 326-seat majority. The House of Commons is the most powerful of the components of Parliament, particularly due to its sole right to determine taxation and the supply of money to the government. Additionally, the prime minister and leader of the government sits in
630-444: A Labour–Liberal Democrat marginal seat. She asked him about vulnerable people supposedly not receiving benefits because immigrants were receiving them, adding: "You can't say anything about the immigrants because you're saying that you're ... but all these eastern Europeans what are coming in, where are they flocking from?" Brown replied: "A million people have come from Europe but a million British people have gone into Europe." In
756-488: A fourth consecutive term in office, and to restore support lost since 2001. The Conservative Party sought to gain a dominant position in British politics after losses in the 1990s, and to replace Labour as the governing party. The Liberal Democrats hoped to make gains from both sides and hoped to hold the balance of power in a hung parliament. Since the televised debates between the three leaders, their poll ratings had risen to
882-519: A general election with new leaders was in the 1979 election , when James Callaghan as Labour leader, Margaret Thatcher for the Conservatives, and David Steel with the then- Liberal Party took to the polls. The prospect of a coalition or minority government was being considered well before polling day. Gordon Brown made comments about the possibility of a coalition in January 2010. In 2009, it
1008-459: A large swing to the opposition Conservative Party led by David Cameron similar to that seen in 1979 , the last time a Conservative opposition had ousted a Labour government. The governing Labour Party led by the prime minister Gordon Brown lost the 66-seat majority it had previously enjoyed, but no party achieved the 326 seats needed for a majority. The Conservatives won the most votes and seats, but still fell 20 seats short. This resulted in
1134-517: A new election will be held. Parliaments can also be dissolved if two-thirds of the House of Commons votes for an early election. Formerly, the demise of the Sovereign automatically brought a Parliament to an end, the Crown being seen as the caput, principium, et finis (beginning, basis and end) of the body, but this is no longer the case. The first change was during the reign of William and Mary, when it
1260-598: A new loose coalition, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), contested a general election for the first time. TUSC was a grouping of left wing parties that participated in the 2009 European Parliament elections under the name of No2EU ; members included the Socialist Workers Party , the Socialist Party , the Socialist Alliance, Socialist Resistance , and is supported by some members of UNISON ,
1386-522: A presumption that a Parliament will last for five years, unless two thirds of the House of Commons votes for an early general election, or the government loses the confidence of the House. This was repealed by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 , which restored the ability for the government to call an early election while keeping five year terms. Summary history of terms of the Parliament of
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#17328444537041512-510: A private conversation with his communications director Justin Forsyth following the meeting, Brown described Duffy as "just a sort of bigoted woman that said she used be Labour. I mean it's just ridiculous." Brown's remarks were inadvertently recorded by a Sky News microphone he was still wearing, and widely broadcast. Labour sources later stated that Brown had misheard Duffy and thought she had asked, "where are they fucking from?" Soon after
1638-466: A survey dubbed by right-wing journalists the " Lloyd George 's Domesday land-survey", in particular entailing the 1910–1915 valuation maps . Each property and related right under and over land (hereditament) in England and Wales was surveyed and valued, so Increment Value Duty based on land value could be levied when any property was sold. The initial rate was 20% of the increase in land-value between
1764-589: A tie. Both Houses normally conduct their business in public, and there are galleries where visitors may sit. Originally there was no fixed limit on the length of a Parliament, but the Triennial Act 1694 set the maximum duration at three years. As the frequent elections were deemed inconvenient, the Septennial Act 1715 extended the maximum to seven years, but the Parliament Act 1911 reduced it to five. During
1890-557: A variety of news outlets, took attention away from the previous day's speech by Brown to Citizens UK , widely described as his best in the campaign. A Conservative Party activist in Peterborough was arrested after alleged postal voting fraud, calling into question 150 postal votes. Simon Bennett resigned as the head of the British National Party 's online operation then redirected its website to his own on which he attacked
2016-601: Is chosen by a single constituency by the First-Past-the-Post electoral system. There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom, each made up of an average of 65,925 voters. The First-Past-the-Post system means that every constituency elects one MP each (except the constituency of the Speaker, whose seat is uncontested). Each voter assigns one vote for one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes in each constituency
2142-496: Is contained within Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 . The Finance Act details amendments to be made to each one of these Acts. The main taxes are Excise Duties , Value Added Tax , Income Tax , Corporation Tax , and Capital Gains Tax . Excise duties are inland duties levied on articles at the time of their manufacture. The Finance (1909–10) Act 1910 resulted in a significant net increase in taxation, and it also requisitioned
2268-547: Is dissolved by virtue of the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 and previously the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 . Prior to that, dissolution was effected by the Sovereign, always on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister could seek dissolution at a time politically advantageous to their party. If the Prime Minister loses the support of the House of Commons, Parliament will dissolve and
2394-403: Is elected as MP to represent their constituency. Members sit for a maximum of five years, although elections are generally called before that maximum limit is reached. A party needs to win 326 constituencies (known as "seats") to win a majority in the House of Commons. If no party achieves a majority, then a situation of no overall control occurs – commonly known as a "Hung Parliament". In case of
2520-680: Is held in the House of Lords Chamber. Before 2012, it took place in November or December, or, in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembled. From 2012 onwards, the ceremony has taken place in May or June. Upon the signal of the Monarch, the Lord Great Chamberlain raises their wand of office to signal to Black Rod , who is charged with summoning the House of Commons and has been waiting in
2646-473: Is not properly reflected in overall share of the vote figures. Immediately following the previous general election, Labour held a double-digit lead in opinion polls. However, over the course of 2005, this lead was eroded somewhat. By December 2005, the Conservative party showed its first small leads in opinion polls following the controversial 90 days' detention proposals and the election of David Cameron to
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#17328444537042772-738: Is required for a bill to become law; however this has not been refused since 1708 and is largely formal. The House of Lords is known formally as "The Right Honourable The Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled", the Lords Spiritual being bishops of the Church of England and the Lords Temporal being Peers of the Realm . The Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal are considered separate " estates ", but they sit, debate and vote together. Since
2898-765: Is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom , and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories . It meets at the Palace of Westminster in London . Parliament possesses legislative supremacy and thereby holds ultimate power over all other political bodies in the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories. While Parliament is bicameral , it has three parts:
3024-571: The Parliament Act 1911 ) and receive royal assent for it to become law. Executive powers (including those granted by legislation or forming part of the prerogative) are not formally exercised by Parliament. However, these powers are in practice exercised on the advice of government ministers , who much be drawn from and be accountable to the Parliament. Whilst the monarch is a constitutive element of parliament, they do not debate bills or otherwise contribute to political debate. Their royal assent
3150-556: The 2007 Scottish parliament elections , set itself a target of 20 MPs and was hoping to find itself holding a balance of power. Equally, Plaid Cymru sought gains in Wales. Smaller parties which had had successes at local elections and the 2009 European elections ( UK Independence Party , Green Party , British National Party ) looked to extend their representation to seats in the House of Commons. The Democratic Unionist Party looked to maintain, if not extend, its number of seats, having been
3276-867: The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland , the Progressive Unionist Party of Northern Ireland , the British National Party , the UK Independence Party (UKIP), and the Green parties in the UK: the Green Party of England and Wales , the Scottish Green Party , and the Green Party in Northern Ireland . In 2009, Nigel Farage announced his intention to resign as UKIP leader to focus on becoming an MP. Farage
3402-609: The Anglo-Irish Treaty , the revolutionary Irish Republic was replaced by the Irish Free State , recognised by the United Kingdom as a separate state (and thus, no longer represented in the Westminster Parliament), while Northern Ireland would remain British, and in 1927, parliament was renamed the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Further reforms to the House of Lords were made in
3528-534: The Coalition Government reduced the headline rate of Capital Gains Tax to 18%. The act increased the general rate of VAT from 17.5% to 20% (while cutting it for imported goods and materials from 28.58% to 25%). Enacted on 16 December 2010 this Act extended foster care relief, extended the applicability of venture capital schemes to companies with a "permanent establishment" in the UK "in financial health", modified
3654-537: The Conservative majority in the House of Lords. In the face of such a threat, the House of Lords narrowly passed the bill. The Parliament Act 1911 , as it became, prevented the Lords from blocking a money bill (a bill dealing with taxation), and allowed them to delay any other bill for a maximum of three sessions (reduced to two sessions in 1949), after which it could become law over their objections. However, regardless of
3780-534: The English Civil War . The wars established the constitutional rights of Parliament, a concept legally established in the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and the subsequent Bill of Rights 1689 . Since then, no British monarch has entered the House of Commons when it is in session. On Black Rod's approach, the doors are slammed shut against them, symbolising the rights of parliament and its independence from
3906-471: The Finance Act 2007 of the inheritance tax nil rate band threshold from £325,000 to £350,000 which would have applied from 6 April 2010, thus, emphasising a degree of redistribution , the tax instead continues to apply to death estates that do not benefit from any exemptions (such as spouse nil-rate-bands) and consist of a property valued at 25% above the national average. The Finance (No. 2) Act 2010 under
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4032-519: The House of Lords performed judicial functions through the law lords . The Parliament of the United Kingdom is one of the oldest legislatures in the world, and is characterised by the stability of its governing institutions and its capacity to absorb change. The Westminster system shaped the political systems of the nations once ruled by the British Empire , and thus has been called the " mother of parliaments ". The Parliament of Great Britain
4158-725: The London Borough of Tower Hamlets . The Times reported on 2 May that the investigation had revealed some names on the register were fictitious, with a late surge in applications to be added to the electoral register (before 20 April deadline) leading to 5,000 additions without time for full checks. In terms of the outcome of the borough's two seats, the narrower majority in any event exceeded 5,000 votes in Poplar and Limehouse , at 6,030 votes. The Labour candidate for North West Norfolk , Manish Sood, described Gordon Brown as Britain's worst ever prime minister. The comments, which he repeated to
4284-515: The National Land Fund and much of National Savings and Investments . The 1948 act established the "Special Contribution", which was a one-off wealth tax . The 1963 act abolished Schedule A of income tax , which was a tax on the imputed rent of owner-occupiers . It also abolished the land tax . The 1965 act introduced corporation tax and capital gains tax . The 1972 act introduced value added tax . The Finance Act 1977 abolished
4410-875: The National Union of Teachers , the University and College Union , the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers , and the Public and Commercial Services Union . Several members of these unions ran as candidates under the TUSC banner. However, some former members of NO2EU, such as the Liberal Party and the Communist Party of Britain , chose not to participate in the TUSC campaign. The coalition did not run candidates against left wing Labour or Respect candidates. The prospective Labour candidate for Moray , Stuart Maclennan,
4536-441: The Second World War , the term was temporarily extended to ten years by Acts of Parliament. Since the end of the war the maximum has remained five years. Modern Parliaments, however, rarely continued for the maximum duration; normally, they were dissolved earlier. For instance, the 52nd , which assembled in 1997, was dissolved after four years. The Septennial Act was repealed by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 , which established
4662-449: The first-past-the-post system . By constitutional convention , all government ministers , including the prime minister, are members of the House of Commons (MPs), or less commonly the House of Lords, and are thereby accountable to the respective branches of the legislature. Most Cabinet ministers are from the Commons, while junior ministers can be from either house. The House of Lords is
4788-527: The upper chamber of Parliament, comprising two types of members. The most numerous are the Lords Temporal , consisting mainly of life peers appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the prime minister, plus up to 92 hereditary peers . The less numerous Lords Spiritual consist of up to 26 bishops of the Church of England . Before the establishment of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009,
4914-427: The 20th century. The Life Peerages Act 1958 authorised the regular creation of life peerage dignities. By the 1960s, the regular creation of hereditary peerage dignities had ceased; thereafter, almost all new peers were life peers only. The House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, although it made an exception for 92 of them to be elected to life-terms by
5040-590: The Church of England—archbishops, bishops, abbots and mitred priors. The Lords Temporal consists of 92 hereditary peers and all life peers appointed under the Life Peerages Act 1958 (currently numbering around 700). Two hereditary peers sit ex officio by virtue of being the Earl Marshal or the Lord Great Chamberlain . Each of the other 90 are elected for life upon a seat becoming vacant. 15 members are elected by
5166-564: The Commons lobby. Black Rod turns and, under the escort of the Door-keeper of the House of Lords and an inspector of police , approaches the doors to the Chamber of the Commons. In 1642, King Charles I stormed into the House of Commons in an unsuccessful attempt to arrest the Five Members , who included the celebrated English patriot and leading Parliamentarian John Hampden . This action sparked
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5292-454: The Commons passed the " People's Budget ", which made numerous changes to the taxation system which were detrimental to wealthy landowners. The House of Lords, which consisted mostly of powerful landowners, rejected the Budget. On the basis of the Budget's popularity and the Lords' consequent unpopularity, the Liberal Party narrowly won two general elections in 1910. Using the result as a mandate,
5418-580: The Commons—or "Content!" and "Not-Content!" in the Lords—and the presiding officer declares the result. The pronouncement of either Speaker may be challenged, and a recorded vote (known as a division ) demanded. (The Speaker of the House of Commons may choose to overrule a frivolous request for a division, but the Lord Speaker does not have that power.) In each House, a division requires members to file into one of
5544-479: The Conservative candidate for North Ayrshire and Arran , was suspended from the party for comments he made about homosexuality on his website, describing it as not "normal behaviour". Andrew Fulton , the chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party , called the comments "deeply offensive and unacceptable", adding: "These views have no place in the modern Conservative party." However, he still appeared as
5670-452: The Conservatives again took the lead and, from then, extended their lead into double digits, particularly in response to the MPs' expenses scandal, although there was some evidence that the lead narrowed slightly towards the end of 2009. By the end of February 2010, Ipsos MORI , ICM , YouGov and ComRes polls had all found a sufficient narrowing of the Conservative lead for media speculation about
5796-509: The Crown. After the pro forma bill is introduced, each House debates the content of the Speech from the Throne for several days. Once each House formally sends its reply to the Speech, legislative business may commence, appointing committees, electing officers, passing resolutions and considering legislation. A session of Parliament is brought to an end by a prorogation . There is a ceremony similar to
5922-589: The House Jacob Rees-Mogg and Penny Mordaunt , future Health Secretary Matt Hancock and future Deputy Prime Ministers Dominic Raab and Thérèse Coffey . On 6 April 2010, the prime minister, Gordon Brown , visited Buckingham Palace for a meeting with the Queen to ask permission to dissolve Parliament on 12 April, confirming in a live press conference in Downing Street , as had long been speculated, that
6048-424: The House of Commons (MPs) were elected in an antiquated electoral system , under which constituencies of vastly different sizes existed. Thus, the borough of Old Sarum , with seven voters, could elect two members, as could the borough of Dunwich , which had almost completely disappeared into the sea due to land erosion. Many small constituencies, known as pocket or rotten boroughs , were controlled by members of
6174-553: The House of Commons, refused to take their seats in Westminster, and instead assembled in 1919 to proclaim Irish independence and form a revolutionary unicameral parliament for the independent Irish Republic, called Dáil Éireann . In 1920, in parallel to the Dáil, the Government of Ireland Act 1920 created home rule parliaments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland and reduced
6300-464: The House of Commons, and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland also gained its first elected member. The general election saw a 5.1% national swing from Labour to the Conservatives, the third-largest since 1945. The result in one constituency, Oldham East and Saddleworth , was subsequently declared void on petition because of illegal practices during the campaign , the first such instance since 1910. A hung parliament had been largely anticipated by
6426-424: The House of Lords ( peers ), who could ensure the election of their relatives or supporters. During the reforms of the 19th century, beginning with the Reform Act 1832 , the electoral system for the House of Commons was progressively regularised. No longer dependent on the Lords for their seats, MPs grew more assertive. The supremacy of the British House of Commons was reaffirmed in the early 20th century. In 1909,
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#17328444537046552-406: The House of Lords, the bill is called the Select Vestries Bill , while the Commons equivalent is the Outlawries Bill . The Bills are considered for the sake of form only, and do not make any actual progress. Both houses of the British Parliament are presided over by a speaker, the Speaker of the House for the Commons and the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords. For the Commons, the approval of
6678-418: The House, having acquiring this position by virtue of having the confidence of the other members. This also means that the House is also the primary location in which the government faces scrutiny, as expressed through Question Time and the work of various select committees . The State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It
6804-419: The Liberal Democrats approved the agreement "overwhelmingly", sealing a coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats . A total of 149 sitting MPs stood down at the election, the highest since 1945 , including many former New Labour Cabinet ministers such as former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott , Alan Milburn , Geoff Hoon , Ruth Kelly , James Purnell and John Reid . One reason for
6930-434: The Liberal Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith , introduced the Parliament Bill, which sought to restrict the powers of the House of Lords. (He did not reintroduce the land tax provision of the People's Budget.) When the Lords refused to pass the bill, Asquith countered with a promise extracted from the King in secret before the second general election of 1910 and requested the creation of several hundred Liberal peers, so as to erase
7056-412: The Lords to act for this purpose. This power was lost when it was transferred to the newly created Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009. Many members of the general public have questioned the need for The House of Lords in today's society. They say it is stopping the political system from evolving within the UK and hampering modernisation. The Lords Spiritual of the Lords' currently consists of
7182-434: The Lords' consent. Like in the House of Commons, the House of Lords may scrutinise governments through asking questions to government ministers that sit in the Lords and through the operation of a small number of select committees . The Lords used to also exercise judicial power and acted as the UK's supreme legislative court . Appeals were not heard by the whole body, but a committee of senior judges that were appointed to
7308-446: The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the House of Lords has always retained the unrestricted power to veto any bill outright which attempts to extend the life of a parliament. The result of the 1918 general election in Ireland showed a landslide victory for the Irish republican party Sinn Féin , who vowed in their manifesto to establish an independent Irish Republic . Accordingly, Sinn Féin MPs, though ostensibly elected to sit in
7434-421: The Rallings and Thrasher studies using ward by ward data from local elections and the 2005 general election, the new boundaries used in 2010 would have returned nine fewer Labour MPs had they been in place at the previous election; given that there are to be four more seats in the next parliament this nationally reduces Labour's majority from 66 to 48. Pursuant to Boundary Commission for England recommendations,
7560-552: The SNP and Plaid Cymru about The First Election Debate broadcast on ITV1 on Thursday 15 April 2010". The leader of the UK Independence Party, Lord Pearson , wrote an open letter to Somerset newspapers, asking voters to support Conservative candidates, rather than UKIP candidates in the Somerton and Frome , Taunton Deane and Wells constituencies. This action was criticised by UKIP candidates who refused to stand down. The Labour candidate for Bristol East and former MP Kerry McCarthy revealed information about postal votes cast in
7686-407: The Southern Irish seats were returned unopposed. Of these, 124 were won by Sinn Féin and four by independent Unionists representing Dublin University (Trinity College). Since only four MPs sat in the home rule Southern Irish parliament, with the remaining 124 being in the Republic's Second Dáil , the home rule parliament was adjourned sine die without ever having operated. In 1922, pursuant to
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#17328444537047812-404: The Sovereign is required before the election of the Speaker becomes valid, but it is, by modern convention, always granted. The Speaker's place may be taken by the Chairman of Ways and Means , the First Deputy Chairman, or the Second Deputy Chairman. (The titles of those three officials refer to the Committee of Ways and Means, a body which no longer exists.) Prior to July 2006, the House of Lords
7938-413: The Sovereign) instruct them to elect a Speaker. The Commons perform the election; on the next day, they return to the House of Lords, where the Lords Commissioners confirm the election and grant the new Speaker the royal approval in the Sovereign's name. The business of Parliament for the next few days of its session involves the taking of the oaths of allegiance . Once a majority of the members have taken
8064-410: The Sovereign. 2010 United Kingdom general election Gordon Brown Labour David Cameron Conservative The 2010 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 6 May 2010, to elect Members of Parliament (or MPs) to the House of Commons . The election took place in 650 constituencies across the United Kingdom under the first-past-the-post system. The election resulted in
8190-415: The State Opening of Parliament proceeds directly. To avoid the delay of opening a new session in the event of an emergency during the long summer recess, Parliament is no longer prorogued beforehand, but only after the Houses have reconvened in the autumn; the State Opening follows a few days later. Each Parliament comes to an end, after a number of sessions, in anticipation of a general election. Parliament
8316-442: The State Opening, but much less well known to the general public. Normally, the Sovereign does not personally attend the prorogation ceremony in the House of Lords and is represented by Lords Commissioners. The next session of Parliament begins under the procedures described above, but it is not necessary to conduct another election of a Speaker or take the oaths of allegiance afresh at the beginning of such subsequent sessions. Instead,
8442-456: The UKIP leader, Lord Pearson stated that his party should also be included. Following a decision by the BBC Trust not to uphold a complaint from the SNP and Plaid Cymru over their exclusion from the planned BBC debate, the SNP announced on 25 April that they would proceed with legal action over the debate scheduled for 29 April. The party said it was not trying to stop the broadcast but it wanted an SNP politician included for balance. The SNP lost
8568-411: The United Kingdom Following a general election, a new Parliamentary session begins. Parliament is formally summoned 40 days in advance by the Sovereign, who is the source of parliamentary authority. On the day indicated by the Sovereign's proclamation, the two Houses assemble in their respective chambers. The Commons are then summoned to the House of Lords, where Lords Commissioners (representatives of
8694-419: The archbishops of Canterbury and York , the bishops of London , Durham and Winchester (who sit by right regardless of seniority) and 21 other diocesan bishops of the Church of England , ranked in order of consecration , subject to women being preferred if one is eligible from 2015 to 2025 under the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 . Formerly, the Lords Spiritual included all of the senior clergymen of
8820-457: The banner of " Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force ". However, this caused the sole UUP MP Lady Sylvia Hermon to resign from the party on 25 March 2010, leaving them with no representation at Westminster for the first time in their history. Many constituencies were contested by other, smaller parties. Parties that won no representatives at Westminster in 2005 but have seats in the devolved assemblies or European Parliament included
8946-461: The broadcast of the final party leaders' debate in Scotland, in a court action. They had argued that "the corporation [the BBC] had breached its rules on impartiality by excluding the SNP". The judge, Lady Smith, ruled that "the SNP's case 'lacks the requisite precision and clarity ' " and added she could not "conclude the BBC had breached impartiality rules". Additionally, broadcasting regulator Ofcom ruled that it had not "upheld complaints received from
9072-821: The cameras. She said the incident had left her feeling more sad than angry and that she would not be voting for Labour or any other party. The incident was subsequently dubbed "Bigotgate", which was later added to the Collins English Dictionary . Despite this, Labour went on to gain the Rochdale seat from the Liberal Democrats, one of the few gains they made in the election. In Hornsey and Wood Green constituency 749 postal voters were sent ballot papers which asked voters to pick three candidates instead of one; Haringey Council had to send correct versions by hand. The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in
9198-556: The case in the 1979 election. Prime Minister Gordon Brown had taken office in June 2007 following the end of Tony Blair's 10-year tenure as prime minister and 13 years as leader of the Labour Party, while David Cameron had succeeded Michael Howard in December 2005 and Nick Clegg had succeeded Menzies Campbell (who never contested a general election) in December 2007. During the campaign,
9324-410: The case, in a judgement delivered on 28 April. Since each MP is elected separately by the first past the post voting system, it is impossible to precisely project a clear election outcome from overall UK shares of the vote. Not only can individual constituencies vary markedly from overall voting trends, but individual countries and regions within the UK may have a very different electoral contest that
9450-501: The coming year. The speech reflects the legislative agenda for which the Government intends to seek the agreement of both Houses of Parliament. After the monarch leaves, each Chamber proceeds to the consideration of an "Address in Reply to His Majesty's Gracious Speech." But, first, each House considers a bill pro forma to symbolise their right to deliberate independently of the monarch. In
9576-486: The constituency on Twitter. Avon and Somerset Police said they were "looking into a possible alleged breach of electoral law". Bristol City Council stated: "This is a criminal matter and [it] will be for the police to decide what action to take." The former Prime Minister Tony Blair returned to the campaign trail for Labour, visiting a polyclinic in Harrow West, following a troubled Labour campaign. Postal voters in
9702-540: The date of the survey and the date of sale (capital gain). Exemptions included farmland and plots smaller than 50 acres (20 ha; 200,000 m). This tax was substantively altered by the repeal of s. 67 by the Finance Act 1920 which superseded it. As part of the survey, landowners had to fill in a form, and the resulting records are extremely useful for local history . The records today consist of: The valuation maps and books are kept in local record offices, and
9828-593: The deaths of Labour MPs and one due to the resignation in January 2010 of a DUP member. Each of the four national boundary commissions is required by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended by the Boundary Commissions Act 1992) to conduct a general review of all the constituencies in its part of the United Kingdom every eight to twelve years to ensure the size and composition of constituencies are as fair as possible. Based on
9954-467: The election would be held on 6 May, five years since the previous election on 5 May 2005. The election took place on 6 May in 649 constituencies across the United Kingdom, under the first-past-the-post system, for seats in the House of Commons . Voting in the Thirsk and Malton constituency was postponed for three weeks because of the death of a candidate . The governing Labour Party campaigned to secure
10080-451: The evening of Monday 10 May that he would resign as Leader of the Labour Party. Realising that a deal between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats was imminent, Brown resigned the next day, on Tuesday 11 May, as prime minister, marking the end of 13 years of Labour government. This was accepted by Queen Elizabeth II , who then invited David Cameron to form a government in her name and become prime minister. Just after midnight on 12 May,
10206-409: The fourth-largest party in the House of Commons. The key dates were: This election had an unusually high number of MPs choosing not to seek re-election, with more standing down than did so at the 1945 general election (which on account of the extraordinary wartime circumstances came ten years after the preceding election). This has been attributed to the 2009 expenses scandal and the fact there
10332-430: The incident, Brown talked to Jeremy Vine live on BBC Radio 2 and publicly apologised to Duffy. American comedian Jon Stewart commented that the clip showed the moment when Brown's "political career leaves his body". Brown subsequently visited Duffy to apologise in person. Upon emerging, he described himself as a "penitent sinner", while Duffy refused to speak to the press and would not shake hands with him in front of
10458-625: The judiciary as a whole), though the Lords remain largely self-governing. Decisions on points of order and on the disciplining of unruly members are made by the whole body, but by the Speaker alone in the Lower House. Speeches in the House of Lords are addressed to the House as a whole (using the words "My Lords"), but those in the House of Commons are addressed to the Speaker alone (using "Mr Speaker" or "Madam Speaker"). Speeches may be made to both Houses simultaneously . Both Houses may decide questions by voice vote ; members shout out "Aye!" and "No!" in
10584-689: The largest share of the 2009 European Parliament election vote in Scotland. In Wales, the Labour Party remained the largest party in the Welsh Assembly , although Plaid Cymru increased their share of the vote and formed a coalition government with Labour. In 2009 the Ulster Unionist Party and the Conservative Party announced they had formed an electoral alliance whereby the two parties would field joint candidates for future elections under
10710-533: The last remaining tithes payable to the Church of England or Church in Wales . The Finance Act 2000 increased the Climate Change Levy . This act shortly before the 2010 United Kingdom general election , passed as set out by the Labour Party adjusted the rates of the main taxes, in particular introducing on income tax the 50% 'additional rate' band. The act also reversed a prospective rise enacted in
10836-572: The law relating to the National Debt and the Public Revenue, and to make further provision in connection with finance. Most Gracious Sovereign We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom in Parliament assembled, towards raising the necessary supplies to defray Your Majesty's public expenses, and making an addition to the public revenue, have freely and voluntarily resolved to give and grant unto Your Majesty
10962-464: The leadership of the Conservative party. In early 2006, opinion polls were increasingly mixed with small leads given alternately to Labour and Conservative. From the May 2006 local elections, in which Labour suffered significant losses, the Conservatives took a small single-digit lead in opinion polls. Labour regained the lead in June 2007 following the resignation of Tony Blair and the appointment of Gordon Brown as prime minister. From November 2007,
11088-415: The marginal Vale of Glamorgan constituency had to be issued with new ballot papers after mistakenly being told they did not have to sign applications for postal votes. A group of entrepreneurs warned on the dangers of a Labour-Liberal coalition in an open letter to The Times on 29 April. On 28 April, Gordon Brown met Gillian Duffy, a 65-year-old woman and lifelong Labour voter from Rochdale ,
11214-627: The meaning of "distribution" in the Corporation Tax Acts, addressed the income tax treatment of seafarer's income, adjusted treatment of REITs:, modified rules as to EEA/UK consortium claims for group relief, introduced first-year allowances for zero-emission goods vehicles, adjusted for VAT purposes treatment of non-business use of business assets, amended penalties for failure to make payments on time and returns on time, proceduralised recovery of overpaid stamp duty and petroleum revenue tax, modified compliance checks as to excise duties, and clarified
11340-514: The monarch, on the advice of the prime minister. Typically, these are members of the party of the prime minister, however some peers from other parties are also generally appointed. As of 2019, the House consists of 650 members; this total includes the Speaker, who by convention renounces partisan affiliation and does not take part in debates or votes, as well as three Deputy Speakers, who also do not participate in debates or votes but formally retain their party membership. Each Member of Parliament (MP)
11466-674: The monarch. They then strike, with the end of their ceremonial staff (the Black Rod), three times on the closed doors of the Commons Chamber. They are then admitted, and announce the command of the monarch for the attendance of the Commons. The monarch reads a speech, known as the Speech from the Throne , which is prepared by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet , outlining the Government's agenda for
11592-504: The number of seats in England increased by four, and numerous changes were made to the existing constituency boundaries. Northern Ireland continued to elect 18 MPs, but minor changes were made to the eastern constituencies in accordance with the Northern Ireland Boundary Commission's recommendations. For the first time, these changes include the splitting of an electoral ward between two constituencies. Following
11718-672: The oath in each House, the State Opening of Parliament may take place. The Lords take their seats in the House of Lords Chamber, the Commons appear at the Bar (at the entrance to the Chamber), and the Sovereign takes the seat on the throne. The Sovereign then reads the Speech from the Throne —the content of which is determined by the Ministers of the Crown—outlining the Government's legislative agenda for
11844-413: The opinion polls in the run-up to the election, so politicians and voters were better prepared for the constitutional process that would follow such a result than they had been in 1974. The coalition government that was subsequently formed was the first to result directly from a UK election. The hung parliament came about in spite of the Conservatives managing both a higher vote total and a higher share of
11970-542: The other hereditary peers, with by-elections upon their death. The House of Lords is now a chamber that is subordinate to the House of Commons. Additionally, the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 led to abolition of the judicial functions of the House of Lords with the creation of the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in October 2009. Under the UK's constitution , Parliament is the supreme legislative body of
12096-717: The other items are in the National Archives at Kew , London (field books in series IR58; working maps in series IR121 to IR135 according to region and each region has up to 22 different districts). This included a new "Duty on licences for mechanically propelled vehicles" ( Vehicle Excise Duty , which went into the Road Fund until 1936), repealed "customs duties on motor spirit and motor spirit dealers licence duties", and introduced "Provisions as to spirits used for generating mechanical power", along with other provisions related to income tax and tax on alcohol. The 1946 act established
12222-418: The party's creation in 1988; they found themselves in a pivotal role in the formation of the new government. The share of votes for parties other than Labour or the Conservatives was 35%, the largest since the 1918 general election . In terms of votes it was the most "three-cornered" election since 1923 , as well as in terms of seats since 1929 . The Green Party of England and Wales won its first ever seat in
12348-563: The party's leadership. On the morning of polling day, 6 May, the former and later leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage , standing in Buckingham against the Speaker, was injured when a light banner-towing aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed near Brackley , Northamptonshire. Groups of voters waiting in queues at 10 pm were locked out of polling stations in Sheffield Hallam , Manchester and Leeds; and police said one London polling station
12474-461: The passage of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 , the legislative powers of the House of Lords have been diminished of that of the House of Commons. Whilst the Lords debates and votes on all bills (except money bills ), their refusal to pass a bill may only delay its passage for a maximum of two parliamentary sessions over a year. After this, the bill may receive royal assent and become law without
12600-464: The point where many considered the possibility of a Liberal Democrat role in Government. Polls just before election day saw a slight swing from the Liberal Democrats back to Labour and Conservatives, with the majority of final polls falling within one point of Conservatives 36%, Labour 29%, Liberal Democrats 23%. However, record numbers of undecided voters raised uncertainty about the outcome. The Scottish National Party , encouraged by their victory in
12726-571: The previous general election included the Scottish National Party , with six parliamentary seats, Plaid Cymru from Wales with three seats, and Respect – The Unity Coalition and Health Concern , each of which held one parliamentary seat in England. Since that election, the SNP had won the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections and gained control of the Scottish Government , and also won
12852-693: The recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales, the total number of seats remained at 40, although new seats caused by radical redrawing of boundaries in Clwyd and Gwynedd were fought for the first time: Arfon and Dwyfor Meirionnydd replaced Caernarfon and Meirionnydd Nant Conwy , respectively; Aberconwy replaced Conwy . At the time of the election Welsh constituencies had electorates on average around 14,000 smaller than their counterparts in England. Scotland saw its most recent large-scale review completed in 2004, so its 59 constituencies remained
12978-525: The representation of both parts at Westminster. The number of Northern Ireland seats was increased again after the introduction of direct rule in 1973. The Irish republicans responded by declaring the elections to these home rule Parliaments, held on the same day in 1921 , to be the basis of membership for a new Dáil Éireann. While the elections in Northern Ireland were both contested and won by Unionist parties, in Southern Ireland, all 128 candidates for
13104-409: The respective Finance Act . Additional Finance Acts are also common and are the result of a change in governing party due to a general election , a pressing loophole or defect in the law of taxation, or a backtrack with regard to government spending or taxation. The rules governing the various taxation methods are contained within the relevant taxation acts. Capital Gains Tax legislation, for example,
13230-594: The same as at the 2005 general election. All three main parties went into the general election having changed leaders since 2005. David Cameron became Conservative leader in December 2005, replacing Michael Howard . Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as leader of the Labour Party and prime minister in June 2007. Nick Clegg was elected as leader of the Liberal Democrats in December 2007, succeeding Menzies Campbell who had replaced Charles Kennedy in January 2006. The last time all three main parties went into
13356-528: The secession of the Irish Free State . The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created on 1 January 1801, by the merger of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland under the Acts of Union 1800 . The principle of ministerial responsibility to the lower house (Commons) did not develop until the 19th century—the House of Lords was superior to the House of Commons both in theory and in practice. Members of
13482-493: The several duties hereinafter mentioned; and do therefore most humbly beseech Your Majesty that it may be it enacted, and be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows... UK Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
13608-526: The sovereign , the House of Lords , and the House of Commons . The three parts acting together to legislate may be described as the King-in-Parliament . The Crown normally acts on the advice of the prime minister , and the powers of the House of Lords are limited to only delaying legislation. The House of Commons is the elected lower chamber of Parliament, with elections to 650 single-member constituencies held at least every five years under
13734-419: The state. Whilst the privy council can also issue legislation through orders-in-council , this power may be limited by Parliament like all other exercises of the royal prerogative . The legislative authority, the King-in-Parliament , has three separate elements: the Monarch, the House of Lords , and the House of Commons . As a result, a bill must be passed by both houses (or just the House of Commons under
13860-498: The tax treatment of asbestos compensation settlements in relation to the three main taxes. The Finance (No. 2) Act 2017 (c. 14) was enacted on 16 November 2017. The Act implements tax measures laid out in the November 2017 United Kingdom budget . The Finance Act 2020 (c. 14) was enacted on 22 July 2020. Part 2 provides for the introduction of a Digital Services Tax. An Act to grant certain duties, to alter other duties, and to amend
13986-410: The three main party leaders engaged in the first televised debates . The Liberal Democrats achieved a breakthrough in opinion polls following the first debate, in which their leader Nick Clegg was widely seen as the strongest performer. Nonetheless, on polling day their share of the vote increased by only 1%, with a net loss of five seats. This was still the Liberal Democrats' largest popular vote since
14112-450: The two lobbies alongside the Chamber; their names are recorded by clerks, and their votes are counted as they exit the lobbies to re-enter the Chamber. The Speaker of the House of Commons is expected to be non-partisan, and does not cast a vote except in the case of a tie; the Lord Speaker, however, votes along with the other Lords. Speaker Denison's rule is a convention which concerns how the Speaker should vote should he be required to break
14238-547: The upcoming year. Thereafter, each House proceeds to the transaction of legislative business. By custom, before considering the Government's legislative agenda, a bill is introduced pro forma in each House—the Select Vestries Bill in the House of Lords and the Outlawries Bill in the House of Commons. These bills do not become laws; they are ceremonial indications of the power of each House to debate independently of
14364-723: The very high number of MPs standing down was the parliamentary expenses scandal a year earlier . A record 228 new MPs were elected at the election. Many of the Conservative MPs elected for the first time became ministers in government. Notable newcomers who were elected to parliament in 2010 included future Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss , future chancellors of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Kwasi Kwarteng , future Home Secretaries Priti Patel and Sajid Javid , future Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson , future Leaders of
14490-512: The vote than the previous Labour government had done in 2005 , when it had secured a comfortable majority (although vastly reduced from its landslide victories at the previous two elections). Coalition talks began immediately between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats , and lasted for five days . There was an aborted attempt to put together a Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition (although 11 seats from other smaller parties would have been required). To facilitate this, Gordon Brown announced on
14616-446: The whole House whilst the other 75 are elected by all the hereditary peers , including those not sitting in the Lords. Currently, a standing rule divides these seats between the parties with a replacement peer from one party subject to an election only by peers of that party. Formerly, all hereditary peers were members of the Lords, until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999 limited their numbers to 92. Life peers are appointed by
14742-545: Was announced on 21 December 2009 that there would be three leaders' debates, each broadcast on prime time television , and a subsequent announcement in March 2010 that a debate between the financial spokesmen of the three main parties, Alistair Darling , George Osborne and Vince Cable would be held on 29 March. The SNP insisted that as the leading political party in Scotland in the latest opinion poll, it should be included in any debate broadcast in Scotland. On 22 December 2009,
14868-510: Was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Treaty of Union by Acts of Union passed by the Parliament of England (established 1215) and the Parliament of Scotland ( c. 1235 ), both Acts of Union stating, "That the United Kingdom of Great Britain be represented by one and the same Parliament to be styled The Parliament of Great Britain." At the start of the 19th century, Parliament
14994-442: Was further enlarged by Acts of Union ratified by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland , which abolished the latter and added 100 Irish MPs and 32 Lords to the former to create the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 formally amended the name to the "Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", five years after
15120-517: Was open until 10.30 pm, which triggered a national review of polling station requirements led by the Electoral Commission . The counts for the Foyle and East Londonderry constituencies were suspended because of a security alert around 11 pm after a car was abandoned outside the counting centre, causing a bomb scare. Following a campaign by Sky News and with agreement of the party leaders, it
15246-446: Was presided over by a Lord Chancellor (a Cabinet member), whose influence as Speaker was very limited (whilst the powers belonging to the Speaker of the House of Commons are vast). However, as part of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 , the position of Speaker of the House of Lords (as it is termed in the Act) was separated from the office of Lord Chancellor (the office which has control over
15372-399: Was replaced in an election by party members by Lord Pearson of Rannoch , whose stated intention was for the electoral support of UKIP to force a hung parliament. The Green Party of England and Wales voted to have a position of leader for the first time; the first leadership election was won by Caroline Lucas , who successfully contested the constituency of Brighton Pavilion . In addition,
15498-533: Was reported that senior civil servants were to meet with the Liberal Democrats to discuss their policies, an indication of how seriously the prospect of a hung parliament was being taken. Nick Clegg and Menzies Campbell had continued the position of Charles Kennedy of not being prepared to form a coalition with either main party and of voting against any Queen's Speech unless there was an unambiguous commitment in it to introduce proportional representation . Other parties with representation at Westminster after
15624-456: Was sacked after making offensive comments on his Twitter page, referring to elderly voters as "coffin dodgers" and voters in the North of Scotland as " teuchters ", and insulting politicians such as Cameron, Clegg, John Bercow and Diane Abbott . The UKIP candidate for Thirsk and Malton —John Boakes—died, causing the election in the constituency to be postponed until 27 May. Philip Lardner,
15750-510: Was seen to be inconvenient to have no Parliament at a time when succession to the Crown could be disputed, and an Act was passed that provided that a Parliament was to continue for six months after the death of a Sovereign, unless dissolved earlier. Under the Representation of the People Act 1867 Parliament can now continue for as long as it would otherwise have done in the event of the death of
15876-502: Was talk that redundancy-style payments for departing MPs might be scrapped after the election. In all, 149 MPs (100 Labour, 35 Conservatives, 7 Liberal Democrats, 2 Independents, 1 Independent Conservative and 1 member each from the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the DUP, and the SDLP) decided not to contest the election. Additionally, three seats were vacant at the time of the dissolution of Parliament; two due to
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