The next general election is less than 19 months away. With less than 100 days to go until the polls open, the question is: will it be soon enough to keep everyone interested in politics?
According to our research, there is currently high interest in elections, with the date drawing in more people than usual. More than four in 10 (42%) say that they are following the election closely, up from just under three in 10 (28%) in 2017. This puts it on par with the 2015, and 2011 general elections, which were also held in the last 100 days of the previous parliament. But at least since 2010, the last official date for an election was October 2015, more than 18 months away.
Is the 2019 election going to be the exception to this rule, or is there still a long time to go until the next election? Let’s have a look.
When Will The Next Election Be Held?
The UK general election is held every five years. Parliament is officially dissolved on the last Wednesday in October, after which the new MPs enter parliament. This election is due to take place no later than the third week of October 2019.
The first UK general election was held in 1885. Since then, the country has gone through many changeovers, with the most recent election being called and completed in 2010. This is due to the fact that, since 1885, there have only been 19 parliamentary terms in which there was no election. That’s nearly 100 years without a general election!
So, if we compare this to other parliaments, such as the U.S.A, where the last election was more than four years ago and the next one will be in December 2021, it is clear that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone living in Great Britain.
Will It Be Soon Enough To Keep Everyone Interested In Politics?
When a general election is so close at hand, it is natural for people to become interested in politics. With Brexit negotiations wrapping up and just a few months to go until the country leaves the EU, it is likely that people will be focused on the political implications of leaving the bloc.
In the last few months, the proportion of people saying that they are interested in politics has risen by seven points to 43%, the highest level of interest since 2014. Even among regular Labour voters, 39% are interested in politics compared to just 27% who are not. But at this point, with only a few months to go, the political implications of Brexit are not yet fully understood. It could be that as Brexit day nears, people will become less interested in elections.
What is clear is that the 2019 general election will be a historic event. The last time that the UK had such an early election was in 1910, when the then-Prime Minister, Lloyd George, called a snap election to strengthen his mandate following the assassination of King George in January. That’s more than 100 years ago! This is just one of the many examples of how times have changed. Since then, the UK has undergone many fluctuations in political climate, and with every changing of the guard, the date of the next election has been brought forward.
The next general election will be held on Saturday, 12th December 2019. In the lead-up to the vote, there will be a variety of events and activities organised by both the major parties, including hustings and debates, as well as a range of other activities aimed at keeping the vote interesting.