What Is 57th United Kingdom general election

Overview

The 57th United Kingdom general election took place on December 12, 2019, marking a pivotal moment in British political history. It was called earlier than required under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, following parliamentary deadlock over Brexit.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought a new mandate to 'get Brexit done,' capitalizing on public fatigue with prolonged negotiations. The election reshaped the political landscape, delivering a strong Conservative majority after years of hung parliaments and coalition governments.

• The election date was December 12, 2019, an early poll triggered after Parliament passed a bill requiring a vote if no Brexit deal was approved by October 31, 2019.
• 650 seats in the House of Commons were contested, with a first-past-the-post voting system determining the winner in each constituency.
• The Conservative Party won 365 seats, gaining 48 seats compared to 2017 and securing a working majority of 80 in Parliament.
• The Labour Party won 203 seats, a loss of 59 from 2017 and their worst performance since the 1935 general election.
• The turnout was 67.3%, the highest since 2001, with over 32 million people casting ballots across the UK.

How It Works

UK general elections determine the composition of the House of Commons, with each Member of Parliament (MP) elected from a single constituency using the first-past-the-post system.

• Term: A general election must be held at least every five years under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, but early elections can be called with parliamentary approval or under specific conditions. The 57th election was called after a supermajority vote in Parliament.
• Electoral System: The UK uses a first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the most votes in each of the 650 constituencies wins a seat, often leading to disproportionate seat-to-vote share outcomes.
• Conservative Vote Share: The Conservative Party received 43.6% of the popular vote, the highest percentage for any party since 1979.
• Labour Vote Share: Labour received 32.1% of the vote, a decline of 7.8 percentage points from the 2017 election.
• Scottish National Party (SNP): The SNP won 48 of 59 Scottish seats, increasing their seat count by 13 and consolidating their dominance in Scotland.
• Liberal Democrats: Despite campaigning on a platform to revoke Brexit, the Liberal Democrats won only 11 seats, losing ground despite gaining 11.6% of the national vote.

Comparison at a Glance

Here's how the 2019 election results compare to previous general elections in key metrics:

The 2019 election marked a dramatic reversal from the 2017 result, where the Conservatives lost their majority. The clear outcome ended years of parliamentary uncertainty and enabled swift legislative action on Brexit.

Why It Matters

The 57th general election had far-reaching consequences for UK governance, policy, and constitutional dynamics, particularly regarding devolution and national unity.

• Enabled Brexit completion: The Conservative majority allowed the UK to formally leave the EU on January 31, 2020, fulfilling a key campaign promise.
• Shifted political geography: The Conservatives made significant gains in traditional Labour strongholds in the North of England and the Midlands, dubbed the 'Red Wall.'
• Exposed urban-rural divide: Voting patterns highlighted growing polarization between cities and rural areas, particularly on issues like Brexit and economic policy.
• Impact on devolution: The SNP's dominance in Scotland intensified calls for a second independence referendum, challenging UK unity.
• Electoral reform debate: The disparity between vote share and seats reignited discussions about adopting proportional representation.
• Changed Labour’s leadership: Jeremy Corbyn stepped down after the defeat, leading to a leadership contest won by Keir Starmer in 2020.

This election underscored the power of single-issue politics and realigned voter loyalties, setting the stage for a new era in British politics shaped by post-Brexit realities.