IFES

June 8, 2017 Held

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Election for British House of Commons

Results

Voter
Turnout*
Cast Votes:32,204,141
Valid Votes:32,129,952
Invalid Votes:74,189

Parties:

Party Seats Won Seats Change Votes

Conservative Party 317 - 13,636,690

42.34%

Labour Party 262 - 12,877,869

39.99%

Liberal Democrats 12 - 2,371,861

7.37%

Scottish National Party 35 - 977,568

3.04%

UK Independence Party - - 594,068

1.84%

Green Party 1 - 525,665

1.63%

Democratic Unionist Party 10 - 292,316

0.91%

Sinn Fein 7 - 238,915

0.74%

Plaid Cymru 4 - 164,466

0.51%

More Info:

United Kingdom: House of Commons, 8 June 2017

At stake in this election: 

  • 650 seats in the House of Commons

Description of government structure: 

  • Chief of State:   Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  • Head of Government:   Prime Minister Theresa MAY (since 13 June 2016)
  • Assembly:   The United Kingdom has a bicameral parliament consisting of the House of Lords (92 seats) and the House of Commons (650 seats).

Description of electoral system: 

  • Members of the House of Commons are directly elected by plurality vote in single-seat constituencies to a five-year term.
  • The Prime Minister is nominated by the House of Commons and is typically the leader of the majority party.
  • The monarchy is hereditary.
  • Membership of the House of Lords is hereditary. By-elections are held when vacancies in hereditary peerage arise. 

Last Election: 

  • In the 2015 elections, the Conservative Party won a narrow majority with 330 seats and appointed David CAMERON as Prime Minister. CAMERON stepped down following the Brexit vote in June 2016 and MAY was appointed in his place.
  • The Labor Party won 232 seats and the remaining seats were divided among nine smaller opposition parties.
  • Elections were scheduled for 2020. MAY called for a snap election which was approved by Parliament in April 2017.

Main candidates in the election: 

  • Conservative and Unionist Party
    • Leader: Theresa MAY
    • Seats won in last election:  330
  • Labor Party / Labour Party
    • Leader: Jeremy CORBYN
    • Seats won in last election:   232
  • Scottish National Party
    • Leader: Nicola STURGEON
    • Seats won in last election:   56
  • Liberal Democrats
    • Leader: Tim FARRON
    • Seats won in last election:   8
  • Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland)
    • Leader:  Arlene FOSTER
    • Seats won in last election:  8
  • Liberal Democrats
    • Leader: Tim FARRON
    • Seats won in last election:  8
  • Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland)
    • Leader: Gerry ADAMS
    • Seats won in last election:  4
  • Party of Wales / Plaid Cymru
    • Leader: Leanne WOOD
    • Seats won in last election: 3
  • Social Democratic and Labor Party (Northern Ireland)
    • Leader: Colum EASTWOOD
    • Seats won in last election:  3
  • Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland)
    • Leader: Mike NESBITT
    • Seats won in last election:  2
  • UK Independence Party
    • Leader: Paul NUTTALL
    • Seats won in last election:   1
  • Greens Party of England and Wales
    • Leader: Caroline LUCAS and Jonathan BARTLEY
    • Seats won in last election:   1

Population and number of registered voters: 

  • Population:   64,430,428 (July 2016)
  • Registered Voters:   45,766,429 (December 2016)

Gender Data: 

  • Female Population:   32,374,163 (July 2016)
  • Is the United Kingdom a signatory to CEDAW:  Yes (22 July 1981)
  • Has the United Kingdom ratified CEDAW:   Yes (7 April 1986)
  • Gender Quota:   No
  • Female candidates in this election:   Yes
  • Number of Female Parliamentarians:   402*
  • Human Development Index Position:   16 (2015)
  • Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization:   N/A

*Includes House of Commons and House of Lords

Disability Data: 

  • Is the United Kingdom a signatory to CRPD:   Yes (30 March 2007)
  • Has the United Kingdom ratified CRPD:   Yes (8 June 2009)
  • Population with a disability:   9,613,233