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{{Infobox Election

|election_name = Next United Kingdom general election<ref name=BBCRes>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/ Election 2010 United Kingdom - National Results] BBC News</ref>

|country = United Kingdom

|type = parliamentary

|ongoing = yes

|previous_election = United Kingdom general election, 2010

|previous_year = 2010

|previous_mps = List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2010

|next_year = Next

|next_mps =

|seats_for_election = All [[List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2010|650 seats]] to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]

|election_date = On or before 11 June 2015

<!-- Conservative -->

|image1 = [[File:David Cameron - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2010.jpg|95px|David Cameron]]

|leader1 = [[David Cameron]]

|leader_since1 = [[Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005|6 December 2005]]

|party1 = Conservative Party (UK)

|leaders_seat1 = [[Witney (UK Parliament constituency)|Witney]]

|last_election1 = 306 seats, 36.1% <!--Note: The BBC and Sky erroneously count Speaker John Bercow as a Conservative, giving 307. See Talk:United Kingdom general election, 2010.-->

|seats_before1 = 306

|seats_needed1 = +20

<!-- Labour -->

|image2 = [[File:Harriet Harman 2009 color.jpg|95px]]

|leader2 = [[Harriet Harman]]<br />''(acting leader)''

|leader_since2 = 11 May 2010

|party2 = Labour Party (UK)

|leaders_seat2 = [[Camberwell and Peckham]]

|last_election2 = 258&nbsp;seats,&nbsp;29.0%

|seats_before2 = 258

|seats_needed2 = +68

<!-- Liberal Democrats -->

|image3 = [[File:Nick Clegg by the 2009 budget cropped.jpg|106px|Nick Clegg]]

|leader3 = [[Nick Clegg]]

|leader_since3 = [[Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2007|18 December 2007]]

|party3 = Liberal Democrats

|leaders_seat3 = [[Sheffield Hallam (UK Parliament constituency)|Sheffield Hallam]]

|last_election3 = 57 seats, 23.0%

|seats_before3 = 57

|seats_needed3 = +269

}}

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|[[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 election]] '''•''' [[MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2001|MPs]]

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 election]] '''•''' [[MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2005|MPs]]

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010 election]] '''•''' [[MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2010|MPs]]

|}

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The next [[United Kingdom general elections|United Kingdom general election]] will be the election to the 56th Parliament. The election must be held by 11 June 2015, barring an [[Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom|Act of Parliament]]. Under the terms of the coalition agreement between the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] and [[Liberal Democrats]], the two parties which make up the current government, the election will be held on 7 May 2015.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8677088.stm</ref> The general election will see voting take place in all [[Constituencies in the next United Kingdom general election|Parliamentary constituencies]] of the [[United Kingdom]], in order to appoint [[Members of Parliament]] (MPs) to seats in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], the [[lower house]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]

This will be the 55th general election for the United Kingdom since 1801 (as opposed to previous elections going back centuries for earlier Parliaments in [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]]), though the resultant Parliament will be the 56th, as the first Parliament came about after [[United Kingdom general election, 1801|the co-option of members]] from the [[Parliament of Great Britain]] and the [[Parliament of Ireland]].

==Date of the election==

An election is usually called following the [[dissolution of the Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. The power to dissolve Parliament is a [[Royal Prerogative (United Kingdom)#Legislature|Royal Prerogative]], exercised by the Queen on the advice of the [[Prime Minister]]. It is extremely unusual for the Sovereign to refuse a request for dissolution. The guidelines under which this might occur are known as the [[Lascelles Principles]] after the Civil Servant who set them out (note that in common with much UK constitutional law, this was a codification of existing convention rather than new policy). The PM's control over the timing of the election can be used for tactical advantage by an incumbent government. For example, the Conservatives' decisive gains in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1983|1983 election]] are party attributable to the recent victory in the [[Falklands War]].

Under the provisions of the [[Septennial Act 1715]], as amended by the [[Parliament Act 1911]], the election must be held on or before Thursday 11 June 2015, barring exceptional circumstances. Since the enactment of the Septennial Act 1715, Parliament has never been allowed to expire.

The [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|previous general election]], held on 6 May 2010, elected MPs to the 55th Parliament which begins on 18 May 2010; as such, it will expire at the end of 17 May 2015.<ref>Technically, [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] could vote to extend the lifetime of the current term beyond 5 years. This cannot be done by the House of Commons alone; it must be additionally approved by the [[House of Lords]] (the [[Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949]] may not be utilised in this case) and by the [[Queen-in-Parliament]]. Since 1911, extension of a Parliament's maximum term has only occurred during the [[First World War|First]] and [[Second World War]]s, in 1915 and 1940, respectively.</ref><ref name="Election Timetables">{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2007/rp07-031.pdf |title=Research Paper 07/31: Election Timetables |work=House of Commons Library}}</ref> Since the last day that a proclamation summoning a new Parliament can be issued is this day of expiration, election timetables dictate that the latest possible date for the election is 11 June 2015.<ref name="Election Timetables"/>

Prior to the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010 general election]], both the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] and the [[Liberal Democrats]] had pledged to introduce [[fixed-term election]]s.<ref name="Where They Stand: Guide to party election policies">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8515961.stm#subject=constitution |title=Where They Stand: Guide to party election policies |publisher=''[[BBC News]]'' |date=2010}}</ref> As part of the [[Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement]], they Government will seek to introduce fixed-term Parliaments, with the date of the next general election being 7 May 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/12/lib-dem-tory-deal-coalition |title=Full text of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition deal |date=12 May 2010 |accessdate=12 May 2010}}</ref> This would coincide with the 2015 [[Scottish Parliament election, 2015|Scottish Parliament]] and [[National Assembly for Wales election, 2015|Welsh Assembly]] elections, which are held on a four-year fixed-term basis. To make the fixed-legislation meaningful, a prime minister would no longer have the power to advise the Queen to call an early election. Rather, the proposal called for early dissolutions to occur only if Parliament voted to for one by a [[supermajority]] of 55%, although a government could still lose a [[vote of no confidence]] and be replaced on a normal majority of 50% plus one. Later, the Government chose to increase the proposed supermajority to two-thirds, as is used by the [[Scottish Parliament]] and [[Welsh Assembly]]. When doing so, [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Nick Clegg]] clarified that Parliament would be dissolved if no new government could be formed within 14 days of a no-confidence vote.<ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm100705/debtext/100705-0001.htm#10070511000001 House of Commons Debate 5 July 2010 c 23].</ref>

It is possible for constituencies to be forced to delay their date of polling. In each of the two preceding general elections, there has been a constituency forced to delay their vote, due to the death of a candidate.<ref name=thirsk>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8638371.stm |title=Thirsk and Malton candidate death delays poll date |publisher=''[[BBC News]]'' |date=22 April 2010}}</ref>

==Political parties==

{{Main|List of political parties in the United Kingdom}}

{{Expand|date=May 2010}}

==Government formation==

In the election, each parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom elects one MP to one seat in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] using the [[Plurality voting system|'first past the post' system]]. If one party were to obtain a majority of seats, then that party would be entitled to form the [[Government of the United Kingdom|Government]].

If the election results in no single party having a majority, then there is a [[hung parliament]]. In this case the options for forming the Government would be either a [[coalition government]] or a [[minority government]]. If neither is feasible, then this will usually lead to another election.

Before the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|previous general election]] the [[Liberal Democrats]] pledged to change the voting system, and the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] pledged to have a referendum about changing the voting system.<ref name="Where They Stand: Guide to party election policies"/> The Conservatives also pledged to keep first past the post, but to cut the number of constituencies by 10%. Liberal Democrat plans were to reduce the number of MPs to 500 elected using a proportional system. The Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement commits the [[Cameron ministry|coalition government]] to [[United Kingdom alternative vote referendum|a referendum on the introduction]] of [[alternative vote]] for the Commons.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8677933.stm BBC News: Full text: Conservative-LibDem deal]</ref>

==Polling==

{{main|Opinion polling in the next United Kingdom general election}}

==Notes==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/ Electoral Calculus]

*[http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/voting-intention UK Polling Report Voting Intentions]

*[http://www.theywantyourvote.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page TheyWantYourVote] Independent information on election candidates in England, Scotland and Wales

===Boundary Commissions===

*[http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk Boundary Commission for England]

*[http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/index.html Boundary Commission for Scotland]

*[http://www.bcomm-wales.gov.uk/index.html Boundary Commission for Wales]

*[http://www.comffin-cymru.gov.uk/bcwwelshreviewareas.htm Comisiwn Ffiniau i Gymru] {{cy icon}}

{{British elections}}

[[Category:Scheduled elections in the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:General elections in the United Kingdom]]