United Kingdom: House of Commons, 8 June 2017

At stake in this election: 

• 650 seats in the House of Commons

Description of government structure: 

• Chief of State:   Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
• Head of Government:   Prime Minister Theresa MAY (since 13 June 2016)
• Assembly:   The United Kingdom has a bicameral parliament consisting of the House of Lords (92 seats) and the House of Commons (650 seats).

Description of electoral system: 

• Members of the House of Commons are directly elected by plurality vote in single-seat constituencies to a five-year term.
• The Prime Minister is nominated by the House of Commons and is typically the leader of the majority party.
• The monarchy is hereditary.
• Membership of the House of Lords is hereditary. By-elections are held when vacancies in hereditary peerage arise. 

Last Election: 

• In the 2015 elections, the Conservative Party won a narrow majority with 330 seats and appointed David CAMERON as Prime Minister. CAMERON stepped down following the Brexit vote in June 2016 and MAY was appointed in his place.
• The Labor Party won 232 seats and the remaining seats were divided among nine smaller opposition parties.
• Elections were scheduled for 2020. MAY called for a snap election which was approved by Parliament in April 2017.

Main candidates in the election: 

• Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Leader: Theresa MAY
  • Seats won in last election:  330
• Labor Party / Labour Party
  • Leader: Jeremy CORBYN
  • Seats won in last election:   232
• Scottish National Party
  • Leader: Nicola STURGEON
  • Seats won in last election:   56
• Liberal Democrats
  • Leader: Tim FARRON
  • Seats won in last election:   8
• Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland)
  • Leader:  Arlene FOSTER
  • Seats won in last election:  8
• Liberal Democrats
  • Leader: Tim FARRON
  • Seats won in last election:  8
• Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland)
  • Leader: Gerry ADAMS
  • Seats won in last election:  4
• Party of Wales / Plaid Cymru
  • Leader: Leanne WOOD
  • Seats won in last election: 3
• Social Democratic and Labor Party (Northern Ireland)
  • Leader: Colum EASTWOOD
  • Seats won in last election:  3
• Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland)
  • Leader: Mike NESBITT
  • Seats won in last election:  2
• UK Independence Party
  • Leader: Paul NUTTALL
  • Seats won in last election:   1
• Greens Party of England and Wales
  • Leader: Caroline LUCAS and Jonathan BARTLEY
  • Seats won in last election:   1

Population and number of registered voters: 

• Population:   64,430,428 (July 2016)
• Registered Voters:   45,766,429 (December 2016)

Gender Data: 

• Female Population:   32,374,163 (July 2016)
• Is the United Kingdom a signatory to CEDAW:  Yes (22 July 1981)
• Has the United Kingdom ratified CEDAW:   Yes (7 April 1986)
• Gender Quota:   No
• Female candidates in this election:   Yes
• Number of Female Parliamentarians:   402*
• Human Development Index Position:   16 (2015)
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization:   N/A

*Includes House of Commons and House of Lords

Disability Data: 

• Is the United Kingdom a signatory to CRPD:   Yes (30 March 2007)
• Has the United Kingdom ratified CRPD:   Yes (8 June 2009)
• Population with a disability:   9,613,233