The Basics first!!
The United Kingdom is divided into 650 constituencies (agreed electoral areas of the country) and
each constituency elects a member of Parliament (MP). Parliamentary candidates have to pay their
own deposit which currently stands at £500.
The people of the United Kingdom receive a ballot sheet with candidates for their particular constituency
and choose a member of Parliament listed on that ballot sheet in three ways:
*In person at a polling station.
*By post.
*By proxy (someone voting on your behalf).
.................................................
The major political parties for the United Kingdom's 2017 General election are:
The Conservative Party. (CON)
A centre-right political party, It is currently the governing party, having won a majority of seats in the House
of Commons at the 2015 general election. The party's leader, Theresa May, is currently serving as Prime
Minister.
The Labour Party. (LAB)
A centre-left political party, favoured by the trade unions. Labour holds a diversity of ideological trends from
strongly socialist to moderately social democratic. The current party leader is Jeremy Corbyn.
The Scottish National Party. (SNP)
Supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom and to be an independent
sovereign state. Nicola Sturgeon is the current First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP.
The Liberal Democrats. (LIB-DEM)
Were formed in 1988 as a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a splinter group
from the Labour Party. The two parties had formed the SDP–Liberal Alliance for the previous seven years.
Tim Farron is the party's leader.
The Democratic Unionist Party. (DUP)
The largest unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was established in 1971 by Ian Paisley and
Desmond Boal and other members of the Protestant Unionist Party. The party's leader is Arlene Foster.
Sinn Féin.
The Irish republican political party historically associated with the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Sceptical of the European Union, Sinn Féin deemed that if the United Kingdom left the EU, it would be
'economically disastrous'. The party's main political goal is a 'United Ireland'
The party's president is Gerry Adams.
Plaid Cymru.
The political social-democratic party of Wales. Advocating for Welsh independence and to promote the
Welsh language. The party's leader is Leanne Wood.
The Green Party. (The Greens)
A green, left-wing political party in England and Wales. Environmentalism and locally controlled public services.
Also supports proportional representation and social policies such as civil liberties, animal rights, LGBT rights
and drug policy reform.
Co-Leaders are Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley.
The UK Independence Party. (UKIP)
A right-wing populist political party and strong Euro-sceptic. UKIP has no Members of Parliament in the House
of Commons, but has three representatives in the House of Lords.
It promotes a British unionist and British nationalist agenda.
The Current leader is Paul Nuttall.
The Ulster Unionist Party. (UUP)
The oldest of unionist parties in Ireland, the UUP generally favours the continuation of some form of political
union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. Current leader, Robin Swann.
The Social Democratic and Labour Party. (SDLP)
Advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers whilst supporting Northern Ireland remaining
part of the United Kingdom. Colum Eastwood leads the SDLP.
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. (APNI)
Liberal and centrist, the APNI focuses on the legitimacy of a distinctive Northern Ireland community in a manner
that benefits a wide liberal ideology.
The current leader is Naomi Long.
The Monster Raving Loony Party.
Established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by the musician David Sutch, better known as "Screaming Lord Sutch,
3rd Earl of Harrow" Focuses on the satire of British politics and the culture of elections.
Current Monster-Head, Howling Laud Hope.
.................................................
For a party to get a majority and be able to form a government, it must win at least 326 of the House of Commons’
650 seats.
The United Kingdom is divided into 650 constituencies (agreed electoral areas of the country) and
each constituency elects a member of Parliament (MP). Parliamentary candidates have to pay their
own deposit which currently stands at £500.
The people of the United Kingdom receive a ballot sheet with candidates for their particular constituency
and choose a member of Parliament listed on that ballot sheet in three ways:
*In person at a polling station.
*By post.
*By proxy (someone voting on your behalf).
.................................................
The major political parties for the United Kingdom's 2017 General election are:
The Conservative Party. (CON)
A centre-right political party, It is currently the governing party, having won a majority of seats in the House
of Commons at the 2015 general election. The party's leader, Theresa May, is currently serving as Prime
Minister.
The Labour Party. (LAB)
A centre-left political party, favoured by the trade unions. Labour holds a diversity of ideological trends from
strongly socialist to moderately social democratic. The current party leader is Jeremy Corbyn.
The Scottish National Party. (SNP)
Supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom and to be an independent
sovereign state. Nicola Sturgeon is the current First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP.
The Liberal Democrats. (LIB-DEM)
Were formed in 1988 as a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a splinter group
from the Labour Party. The two parties had formed the SDP–Liberal Alliance for the previous seven years.
Tim Farron is the party's leader.
The Democratic Unionist Party. (DUP)
The largest unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was established in 1971 by Ian Paisley and
Desmond Boal and other members of the Protestant Unionist Party. The party's leader is Arlene Foster.
Sinn Féin.
The Irish republican political party historically associated with the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Sceptical of the European Union, Sinn Féin deemed that if the United Kingdom left the EU, it would be
'economically disastrous'. The party's main political goal is a 'United Ireland'
The party's president is Gerry Adams.
Plaid Cymru.
The political social-democratic party of Wales. Advocating for Welsh independence and to promote the
Welsh language. The party's leader is Leanne Wood.
The Green Party. (The Greens)
A green, left-wing political party in England and Wales. Environmentalism and locally controlled public services.
Also supports proportional representation and social policies such as civil liberties, animal rights, LGBT rights
and drug policy reform.
Co-Leaders are Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley.
The UK Independence Party. (UKIP)
A right-wing populist political party and strong Euro-sceptic. UKIP has no Members of Parliament in the House
of Commons, but has three representatives in the House of Lords.
It promotes a British unionist and British nationalist agenda.
The Current leader is Paul Nuttall.
The Ulster Unionist Party. (UUP)
The oldest of unionist parties in Ireland, the UUP generally favours the continuation of some form of political
union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. Current leader, Robin Swann.
The Social Democratic and Labour Party. (SDLP)
Advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers whilst supporting Northern Ireland remaining
part of the United Kingdom. Colum Eastwood leads the SDLP.
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. (APNI)
Liberal and centrist, the APNI focuses on the legitimacy of a distinctive Northern Ireland community in a manner
that benefits a wide liberal ideology.
The current leader is Naomi Long.
The Monster Raving Loony Party.
Established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by the musician David Sutch, better known as "Screaming Lord Sutch,
3rd Earl of Harrow" Focuses on the satire of British politics and the culture of elections.
Current Monster-Head, Howling Laud Hope.
.................................................
For a party to get a majority and be able to form a government, it must win at least 326 of the House of Commons’
650 seats.
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.