The UK General Election: how it works

The UK General Election on 4 July promises to bring about changes in UK domestic and international policy, whichever party or parties form a new Government. Britain's election rules and constitutional conventions can seem obscure. Brodies' experts provided an insight into the election process including:

• how is an election called?;
• what happens to Parliament, and the legislation it was working on?;
• what happens to MPs and the Government when Parliament is dissolved?;
• what are the rules on campaigning in UK General Elections – for candidates and for the media?;
• how are MPs chosen and can election results be challenged?; and
• how and when could a new Government be formed?