MAJOR ELECTIONS •

1. Political parties

Keir Starmer, the current UK Prime Minister (PM), is a Labour and Donald Trump, the current US president, is a Republican.

2. Major elections

The UK general election

• Holding the election

Holding a general election means electing the House of Commons composed of members of Parliament (MPs). General elections are held every 5 year maximum. So the PM’s term lasts 5 years except if they decide to call an early or snap election in 2019. The next GE is due in 2029.

• Winning the election

• The Labour Party won the 2024 general election. It was a landslide victory as Labour won an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons. It only needed a simple majority (majorité relative) but got far more than an simple majority (majorité absolue). This victory also ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
• Meanwhile the Conservative Party suffered its worst defeat in their party’s history. 14 years in power is a long time, the British probably wanted a change in policy. Besides, Brexit, that is to say the UK leaving the EU in 2020 after the 2016 referendum, created political instability.

• Becoming PM

• In 2024, the Labour Party won the GE ; as Keir Starmer was its leader, he became the new PM. In 2019 the Conservative Party won the GE and its leader Boris Johnson became PM - in fact stayed on as PM as he was the one who called the snap election. However, he resigned before the 2024 GE, as did his successor Liz Truss. In fact it was Rishi Sunak who resigned after the 2024 GE. Consequently there were 3 different Conservative PMs between the 2019 and 2024 GEs, meaning its possible to become PM without a GE. Indeed, in 2022, Rishi Sunak became PM after his predecessor Liz Truss resigned because he was elected as the new party leader and so became the new PM.
• Generally speaking, the first way to become PM in the UK is to be the leader of the party which won the GE. The other way is when party MPs are unhappy with their PM and leader, they can cause their resignation and elect a new party leader who then will be the new PM without calling a GE. It shows that in the UK parliamentary system, the party matters more than personalities. As long as it wins general elections, it stays in power.

• However, they only officially become PM when the monarch appoints them - a conventional but necessary formality as constitutionally the head of government is appointed by the head of state who also accepts their resignation.