Even if you’re not interested in politics, you wouldn’t have heard the end of it over the last week or so. But in case you haven’t heard, we’ve just had a General Election, which means that we have voted for who will be running the country for the next five years. Even if you’re not interested in politics, you wouldn’t have heard the end of it over the last week or so. But in case you haven’t heard, we’ve just had a General Election, which means that we have voted for who will be running the country for the next five years. The result? The Conservatives will be joining forces with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for the next 5 years.
What’s The Reason For The General Election Results?
Politics across the world is different depending on what country you’re in. In the UK, the country is split up into different constituencies, and you vote for who you want to elect in your local constituency. This person then gets what is called a ‘seat’ in Parliament, to win the overall election, a party needs to get the majority of seats to be in charge – 326 to be precise.
The results were as follows:
Conservatives – 318 seats
Labour – 262 Seats
Scottish National Party – 35 Seats
Liberal Democrat – 12 Seats
Democratic Unionist Party -10 Seats
Sinn Fein – 7 Seats
Plaid Cymru – 4 Seats
Green Party - 1 Seats
Although getting considerably fewer votes than in previous elections, the Conservatives were the largest party however they did not get the majority. Labour now has 30 more seats than previously, but also did not get a majority. As a result of this, no party ‘won’ so Parliament is described as being ‘hung’. This means that no party won the majority of votes, and a coalition Government must form.
What Is A Coalition Government?
A coalition Government means that two or more parties join up in order to get the majority of seats in Parliament. This has happened after previous elections and in many respects, is good for the country because policies are changed in order to please both parties. The Conservatives have formed a coalition with DUP and have since got permission from the Queen and are now in Parliament. However, this doesn’t mean that the other parties don’t have a say – the people with seats in parliament are all able to vote within the House of Commons.
How many people voted?
68.7% of the UK voted in this election, which is the highest turn out since the 1997 General Election. Although it has not been officially released, it is estimated that 69% 18-24 year olds voted, which is a considerable amount! It is even more important that you vote because you have a massive say in what can happen. After all, you don’t want your Grandparents to be the only people deciding your future…
Did my vote actually matter?
Everybody’s vote matters, which I’m sure you’ve been told time and time again but you don’t believe. Am I right? Well I’m about to show you that your vote does matter. It doesn’t matter who you vote for as it is your decision, however the results from Kensington go to show how such a small number of people make a massive difference. Kensington has been known as a Conservative stronghold for many years. However this year, Emma Dent Coad (Labour) won the constituency by 20 votes! If those 20 people didn’t go to the Polling Station, or forgot to post their postal vote, their constituency could be under different Leadership. Going to show that your vote really does matter!
What did you miss from the General Election?
Some people that stood in their constituencies include Mr Fish Finger and Lord Buckethead. Even during the election, somehow, Britons manage to make you question your morality! Lord Buckethead, standing against Theresa May managed to gain 249 votes and Mr Fish Finger, standing against Tim Farron managed to gain an impressive 309 votes!
Seriously though, don’t waste your vote, as we’ve already seen from what happened in Kensington – your vote does matter.
