The executive
constituency electorates are kept roughly equal,
comprises the Government (members of the
four permanent Parliamentary Boundary
Cabinet and other ministers responsible for
Commissions, one each for England, Wales,
policies); government departments and agencies;
Scotland and Northern Ireland, have kept
local authorities; public corporations; independent
constituency size under review. After 2005, when
regulatory bodies; and certain other organisations
the Boundary Commissions for England, for Wales
subject to ministerial control. The judiciary (see
and for Scotland are due to report on their latest
chapter 14) determines common law and
reviews, all four Commissions will be absorbed
interprets statutes.
into the independent Electoral Commission – see
page 55.
In her role as Monarch, the Queen is head of the
executive and plays an integral part in the
Voters
legislature. She heads the judiciary and is both the
British citizens, and citizens of other
commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the
Commonwealth countries and the Irish Republic
Crown and ‘supreme governor’ of the established
resident in the UK, may vote in parliamentary
Church of England.
elections provided that they are:
Following devolution (see chapters 3, 4 and 5), the
■
aged 18 or over;
responsibilities of the Secretaries of State for
■
included in the register of electors for the
constituency; and
1 Conventions are rules and practices which are not legally
enforceable but which are regarded as indispensable to the
■
working of government.
not subject to any legal incapacity to vote.
31
Government and foreign affairs
6 Government
People not entitled to vote include members of
Table 6.1 General Election results by
the House of Lords, foreign nationals resident in
party, June 2001
the UK (other than Commonwealth citizens or
citizens of the Irish Republic), some patients
MPs
% share
detained under mental health legislation,
elected
of UK vote
sentenced prisoners and people convicted within
the previous five years of corrupt or illegal
Labour
4121
40.7
election practices. Members of the armed forces,
Conservative
166
31.7
Crown servants and staff of the British Council
Liberal Democrats
52
18.3
employed overseas (together with their wives or
Scottish National
5
1.8
husbands if accompanying them) may be
Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales
4
0.7
registered at an address in the constituency where
Ulster Unionist
6
0.8
they would live if not serving abroad. British
Democratic Unionist
5
0.7
citizens living abroad may apply to register as
Social Democratic and Labour
3
0.6
electors for a period of up to 15 years after they
Sinn Féin2
4
0.7
have left the UK.
Speaker
1
0.1
Others
1
0.1
Voting procedures
Each elector may cast one vote, and usually does
1 One Labour MP subsequently changed parties and now sits as a
so in person at a polling station. However,
Liberal Democrat.
2 The Sinn Féin Members have not taken their seats.
measures aimed at modernising voting and
Source: House of Commons
registration procedures for UK elections were
introduced under the Representation of the People
House of Lords; and holders of certain offices
Act 2000 and implemented for the first time in the
listed in the House of Commons Disqualification
General Election held in June 2001. Provisions in
Act 1975.
the Act include:
A candidate’s nomination for election must be
■
the right for electors to cast their vote by post
proposed and seconded by two electors registered
if they find that method more convenient;
as voters in the constituency and signed by eight
other electors. Candidates do not have to be
■
a rolling register, updated monthly, to enable
backed by a political party. A candidate must also
voters to register at any time of the year;
deposit £500, which is returned if he or she
receives 5 per cent or more of the votes cast.
■
improved access and facilities for disabled
voters; and
The maximum sum a candidate may spend on
a General Election campaign is £5,483 plus
■
easier registration for homeless people, those
4.6 pence for each elector in a borough
in mental institutions, and unconvicted or
constituency, or 6.2 pence for each elector in a
remand prisoners.
county constituency. A higher limit of £100,000
has been set for by-elections because they are
Voting is not compulsory in the UK and the
often seen as tests of national opinion in the
simple majority system is used for Westminster
period between General Elections. All election
elections. Candidates are elected if they have more
expenses, apart from the candidate’s personal
votes than any of the other candidates (although
expenses, are subject to these statutory maxima.
not necessarily an absolute majority over all other
A candidate is also entitled to send one election
candidates).