When is the next general election?

Speculation is growing about when the next general election will be.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he expects to call the election "in the second half" of 2024.

For the current Parliament, that date is 17 December 2024.

However, 25 working days are then allowed to prepare for the election.

That means the next election must be held by 28 January 2025.

The prime minister decides, but this has not always been the case.

In 2011, legislation removed the PM's power to choose the date of an election, and instead gave control to the House of Commons.

Under those rules, an early election before the end of the five-year term could only be held under certain circumstances - such as if two-thirds of MPs agreed.

This restored the PM's power to call a general election at a time of their choosing, within the five-year period.

There has been speculation that it could be called earlier.

The poll generally takes place 25 days later.

At the point of dissolution, MPs lose their status, and have to campaign for re-election if they wish to carry on. Some MPs choose to stand down.

Government also enters a pre-election period - previously known as "purdah" - which restricts ministerial and departmental activity during the campaign.

The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies. Each one elects an MP to represent its residents in the House of Commons in London.

On election day, registered voters in each constituency vote for their preferred candidate in their local polling station. Some people vote by post in advance.

Most candidates represent a specific political party, but some stand as independents.

In a general election, each person has one vote. Under the "first past the post" system, the candidate who gets the most votes becomes the MP for that area.

After the votes have been counted, the King asks the leader of the party with the most MPs to become prime minister and to form a government.

The leader of the party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the leader of the opposition.

If no party ends up with a majority of MPs - meaning it cannot pass legislation with just its own MPs - the result is a hung Parliament.

At this point, the largest party might form a coalition government with another party. Under this arrangement, MPs from both parties serve as government ministers.

Alternatively, it can form a minority government, filling all the ministerial roles with its own MPs but relying on votes from other parties to pass any laws.

Anyone on the electoral register aged 18 or above on polling day has a vote as long as they are:

You can register to vote at any time if you are 16 or over - or 14 or over in Scotland.

The prime minister must have the "confidence" of the House of Commons to govern, which means they must be supported by a majority of MPs.

A motion of no confidence sees MPs from all parties decide whether they want the government to continue.

If the leader of the opposition introduces such a motion, the government is expected to provide parliamentary time for a debate and a vote.

In order to pass, the motion needs just one more MP voting in favour than against.

If the government loses the vote, a general election is normally called.