A general election allows members of the public to choose their MP in every part of the UK.

The chosen Member of Parliament will then represent a local area (also known as constituency) in the House of Commons for up to five years.

The UK Parliament website adds: “There is a choice of several candidates in each constituency.

“Some will be the local candidates for national political parties. The candidate that receives most votes becomes their MP.”

What were the results of the last General Election?

Currently, the date of the next general election is set to be held on July 4.

With this in mind, you might be wondering how often a general election is held in the UK.

How often are general elections held in the UK?

A general election is usually held every five years.

The maximum term of a Parliament is five years from the day on which it first met, explains Parliament UK.

The website says: “The current Parliament first met on Tuesday 17 December 2019 and will automatically dissolve on Tuesday 17 December 2024, unless it has been dissolved sooner by the King.

“Polling Day would be expected to take place 25 days later, not counting weekends or any bank holidays that fall within this period.”

How long have the Tories been in power?

The Conservative party is currently in power as they won the last general election in 2019.

They have been the primary government party in the UK since 2010.

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Who was the last elected Prime Minister of the UK?

Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister on October 25, 2022.

He was previously appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer from February 13, 2020 to July 5, 2022.

Before Sunak, it was Liz Truss who was Prime Minister – her term began in September 2022 and lasted until October 2022.