Elections

Question 1

How many MPs are in the HoC?

Answer 1

650

Question 2

How long are the fixed terms?

Answer 2

5 years (under fixed-term Parliament Act- set to be repealed)

Question 3

Who can vote?

Answer 3

-UK citizens
-Citizens of Commonwealth Countries
-Citizens of Irish Republic
 That are normally resident in the UK
 And on electoral register in the UK
-18 and over
-Not disqualified

Question 4

Who can’t vote?

Answer 4

• Peers entitles to sit in HoL
• Foreign Nationals
• Patients detained under mental health legislation for crimes
• People detained in prison
• People convicted of ‘corrupt’ or ‘illegal’ practices during last five years

Question 5

Who can stand as a candidate?

Answer 5

• Must be eligible on both the last day for nominations and on polling day
• At least 18
• British citizen- or a qualifying citizen of a Commonwealth country- or citizen of Irish Republic
• Normally resident in the UK
• Citizens of other EU member states aren’t eligible

Question 6

What were the key issues is the 2019 election? (local and national)

Answer 6

• Brexit
• Funding for the north
• NHS
• Public Services
• Welfare
• The economy
• Anti-Semitism
• Islamaphobia?

Question 7

What were the Tory’s view on Brexit?

Answer 7

• “Get Brexit Done”
• Claim they are only party to resolve issue
• “Pact” Brexit Party

Question 8

What was Labour’s view on Brexit?

Answer 8

• Labour wants to broaden issues
• Positioned as only party that can avoid No Deal
• 2nd referendum
• Softer Brexit or Remain

Question 9

What was the Brexit Party’s views on Brexit?

Answer 9

• Want “clean break” Brexit
• Opposed to Johnson deal
• Pledged to contest every seat- but since U-Turned
• Didn’t stand in 317 Tory seats

Question 10

What were the Lib Dems’ views on Brexit?

Answer 10

• Positioned as THE anti-Brexit Party
• Revoke and Remain
• Only party that would cancel Brexit

Question 11

What were the big stories of the election?

Answer 11

• Campaign launches
• Policy announcements
• Rees-Mogg Grenfell comments
• Doctored/edited Piers Morgan interview
• Tom Watson stands down as Labour MP
• Former Labour MP Ian Austin says Corbyn isn’t fit to be PM
• Brexit Party pulls out of 317 Tory seats
• Labour data hack

Question 12

What are some of the campaign strategies?

Answer 12

• Target marginal seats
• Pacts and deals- parties agreeing to not stand in some areas
• Tactical voting- support someone over their preferred choice, who is more favoured to win against their least favourite candidate

Question 13

Who is the returning officer?

Answer 13

• Person with overall responsibility for the conduct of elections
• Officer of the council who is appointed under the 1983 Representation of the People Act

Question 14

What are election agents?

Answer 14

• Legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate’s political campaign
• In the UK candidates can be their own election agent

Question 15

What is the first past the post system?

Answer 15

• 650 constituencies- each represented by one MP
• Candidate receiving the most votes are elected as the MP for that constituency
• Majority in HoC is measured in seats
• Any party gaining an absolute majority of MPs become the gov

Question 16

How do local council elections work in England?

Answer 16

Use FPTP system

Question 17

How are councillors in Scotland and NI elected?

Answer 17

Proportional representation

Question 18

What is proportional representation?

Answer 18

When the number of seats in parliament or council reflects the proportion of votes cast

Question 19

What are the ups and downs of proportional representation?

Answer 19

• It’s argued this is more democratic

- But it’s also more likely to lead to hung parliaments and coalitions

Question 20

What is the Regional List System? (d’Hondt)

Answer 20

-Country divided into large regional multi-member constituencies
-Each party has a list of candidates
-Constituents vote for the party-
-Seats distributed according to support for party
 Eg in a 10-member constituency if the Tories got 40% of the vote, they would get 4 seats and if Labour got 30%, they would return 3

Question 21

What is Single Transferable Vote? (STC)

Answer 21

• Voters rank candidates in larger constituencies, which return a few members (often 3)
• This is usually the preferred system for those campaigning for electoral reform ie Electoral Reform Society

Question 22

Where is STC used?

Answer 22

• All elections in NI- except to HoC

- Also used in Scotland’s local council

Question 23

What is the Supplementary Vote System?

Answer 23

• Vote for 1st and 2nd choice
• If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote s/he is elected
• If no candidate gets more than 50% there is a run-off between the two candidates with the most votes
• All other candidates are eliminated, and their 2nd preferences are distributed between the top two

Question 24

What is the Additional Member System?

Answer 24

Have two votes- one for single-member constituency, elected on FPTP system, and a vote for an ‘assembly-wide’ party representative, elected personally

Question 25

What does the Representation of the People Act say?

Answer 25

• It’s legal to publish a false statement of fact about a candidate’s character to swing an election
• It’s illegal to knowingly falsely state that a candidate has withdrawn from an election
• BUT it is not illegal to make a false statement of fact about a candidate’s policies