---

Description

This dataset contains data on General and by-elections. A General election is when the electors of the country cast their votes to elect Members of Parliament. After the Fixed Term Parliament Act was passed on 15 September 2011, the date of the next general election is set at 7 May 2015. The act provides for General elections to be held on the first Thursday in May every five years. There are two provisions that trigger an election other than at five year intervals. A motion of no confidence is passed in Her Majesty's Government by a simple majority and 14 days elapses without the House passing a confidence motion in any new Government formed A motion for a general election is agreed by two thirds of the total number of seats in the Commons including vacant seats (currently 434 out of 650) Once the dissolution of Parliament has been announced, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery issues Writs of Election. At this time the date of meeting for the new Parliament will also be announced. Although the Government continues in office, there cease to be any MPs and they may not use the facilities of the House while the general election is in progress. At the beginning of a new Parliament the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery will deliver to the Clerk of the House a return book, which lists the Members who won constituency seats and therefore have the right to serve in Parliament. A by-election occurs when a seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant during the lifetime of a Parliament (ie between general elections), because the sitting MP dies, resigns (by applying for the Chiltern Hundreds or the Manor of Northstead), is elevated to the peerage or becomes ineligible to sit for some other reason. More can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/by-elections/

---

General Information

• This data is described at

  http://www.data.parliament.uk/dataset/elections Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data is published by

  UK Parliament Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

---

Legal Information

• This data was

  originally created or generated by its curator Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The rights statement is at

  http://www.data.parliament.uk/dataset/elections Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• There are

  yes, and the rights are all held by the same person or organisation Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The rights statement includes data about

  its data licence Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data contains

  no data about individuals Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data is available under

  Other... Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data is available under

  Open Parliament Licence Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This licence is at

  http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/open-parliament-licence/ Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The content is available under

  Other... Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The content is available under

  Open Parliament Licence Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The content licence is at

  http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/open-parliament-licence/ Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

---

Practical Information

• The website links to the data from

  http://www.parliament.uk Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The data appears in this collection

  http://www.data.parliament.uk/ Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The accuracy or relevance of this data will

  go out of date but it is timestamped Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The data is

  backed up offsite Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

---

Social Information

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  title Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  description Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  identifier Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  keyword(s) or tag(s) Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  distribution(s) Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  release date Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  modification date Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  temporal coverage Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  title Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  description Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  release date Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  a URL to download the dataset Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• Find out how to contact someone about this data at

  http://www.data.parliament.uk/dataset/elections Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

---