Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019

The Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 (c. 29) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made legal provision for the holding of the 2019 United Kingdom General Election on Thursday 12 December 2019.[1]

Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019
Act of Parliament
Long titleAn Act to make provision for a parliamentary general election to be held on 12 December 2019.
Citation2019 c. 29
Introduced byBoris Johnson, Prime Minister (Commons)
Lady Evans, Leader of the House of Lords (Lords)
Dates
Royal assent31 October 2019
Commencement31 October 2019
Other legislation
Relates toFixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
Status: Spent
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Constitutional documents and events relevant to the status of the United Kingdom and its countries
          List per year
Treaty of Union1706
Acts of Union1707
Succession to the Crown Act 17071707
Septennial Act1716
Wales and Berwick Act1746
Constitution of Ireland (1782)1782
Acts of Union 18001800
HC (Disqualifications) Act 18011801
Reform Act 18321832
Scottish Reform Act 18321832
Irish Reform Act 18321832
Judicial Committee Act 18331833
Judicial Committee Act 18431843
Judicial Committee Act 18441844
Colonial Laws Validity Act1865
British North America Act 18671867
Representation of the People Act 18671867
Reform Act (Scotland) 18681868
Reform Act (Ireland) 18681868
Irish Church Act1869
Royal Titles Act 18761876
Appellate Jurisdiction Act1876
Reform Act 18841884
Interpretation Act 18891889
Cth of Australia Constitution Act1900
Parliament Act1911
Aliens Restriction Act1914
Status of Aliens Act 19141914
Government of Ireland Act 19141914
Welsh Church Act1914
Royal Proclamation of 19171917
Representation of the People Act 19181918
Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act1919
Government of Ireland Act1920
Anglo-Irish Treaty1921
Church of Scotland Act 19211921
Irish Free State (Agreement) Act1922
Irish Free State Constitution Act1922
Ireland (Confirm. of Agreement) Act 19251925
Balfour Declaration of 19261926
Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act1927
Representation of the People Act 19281928
Eire (Confirmation of Agreement) Act 19291929
Statute of Westminster1931
HM Declaration of Abdication Act 19361936
Regency Act 19371937
Regency Act 19431943
Indian Independence Act1947
Burma Independence Act1947
British Nationality Act 19481948
Representation of the People Act 19481948
Ireland Act 19491949
Statute of the Council of Europe1949
Parliament Act 19491949
Regency Act 19531953
Royal Titles Act 19531953
European Convention on Human Rights1953
Interpretation Act (NI)1954
HC Disqualification Act 19571957
Life Peerages Act1958
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 19621962
Peerage Act1963
West Indies Act 19671967
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 19681968
Immigration Act1971
EC Treaty of Accession1972
NI (Temporary Provisions) Act1972
European Communities Act1972
Local Government Act1972
Joining to the European Communities1973
Local Government (Scotland) Act1973
NI border poll1973
NI Constitution Act1973
House of Commons Disqualification Act1975
Referendum Act1975
EC membership referendum1975
Interpretation Act1978
Scotland Act 19781978
Wales Act 19781978
Scottish devolution referendum1979
Welsh devolution referendum1979
British Nationality Act 19811981
Representation of the People Act 19831983
Representation of the People Act 19851985
Maastricht Treaty1993
Local Government (Wales) Act1994
Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act1994
Referendums (Scotland & Wales) Act1997
Scottish devolution referendum1997
Welsh devolution referendum1997
Good Friday Agreement1998
Northern Ireland Act1998
Government of Wales Act1998
Human Rights Act1998
Scotland Act1998
House of Lords Act1999
Representation of the People Act 20002000
Parties, Elections and Referendums Act2000
Constitutional Reform Act2005
Government of Wales Act 20062006
Northern Ireland Act 20092009
Lisbon Treaty2009
Parl. Voting System and Constituencies Act2011
Welsh devolution referendum2011
Alternative Vote referendum2011
European Union Act 20112011
Fixed-term Parliaments Act2011
Scotland Act 20122012
Succession to the Crown Act 20132013
Scottish independence referendum2014
House of Lords Reform Act2014
Wales Act 20142014
HL (Expulsion and Suspension) Act2015
European Union Referendum Act2015
EU membership referendum2016
Scotland Act 20162016
Wales Act 20172017
EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act2017
Invocation of Article 502017
European Union (Withdrawal) Act2018
EU Withdrawal Act 20192019
EU Withdrawal Act (No. 2)2019
Early Parliamentary General Election Act2019
EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act2020
Withdrawal from the European Union2020
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The Act was fast-tracked in its passage through Parliament, meaning that it completed all of its stages in the House of Commons in a single day, on 29 October 2019, and received its formal First Reading in the House of Lords on the same day. It completed its remaining stages there on 30 October, and received royal assent, thereby becoming law, on 31 October.[2][3]

The Act was an unusual piece of constitutional legislation, as it is the first time that a UK general election has been triggered by a measure that circumvents the operation of ordinary electoral law. The ordinary law on parliamentary general elections has been the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 ("FtPA"), under which elections take place every five years, except that an early general election can be triggered by the House of Commons in either of two ways: a resolution supported by at least two thirds of the total membership of the House; or by a vote of no confidence in the government, when an election must be called after fourteen days if no government passes a confidence motion. The 2019 Act, being a new Act, only required a simple majority of the members voting in order to pass.

The Act automatically became spent upon the conclusion of the election.

Background
See also: Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 § 2019 motions for a general election

On the weekend of 26 October 2019 the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party proposed introducing a bill in the House of Commons to hold a general election on 9 December 2019.[4] This proposal was initially rejected by the Boris Johnson government as a "gimmick", owing to a vote on an early election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (FTPA) which was to be held on 28 October 2019.

Two previous attempts in September to get a favourable vote for an early election had failed, and the government said it would keep its options open should the third early election motion fail to pass.[5] It did fail, as the required two-thirds majority was not achieved, leaving the government still unable to trigger an election.

On 29 October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced an election bill to the House of Commons to circumvent the FtPA and trigger a general election. Only a simple majority of MPs were needed for the Bill to pass. The election date set in the Bill was Thursday, 12 December 2019. After amendments to change the proposed date were voted down, the Commons approved the Bill by a vote of 438 to 20.[6]

Early Parliamentary General Election Bill Third Reading
Ballot → 29 October 2019
Yes
438 / 639
No
20 / 639
Abstentions
181 / 639
Sources: CommonsVote [7]

The Act

The key provisions of the Act, which contains only two sections, are section 1, subsections (1) and (2):

  • (1) An early parliamentary general election is to take place on 12 December 2019 in consequence of the passing of this Act.
  • (2) That day is to be treated as a polling day appointed under section 2(7) of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.[8]

Although the Act refers to the FtPA, it does not amend it. Consequently, under FtPA section 1(3), following the 2019 election the next election is scheduled for the first Thursday in May (2 May) 2024.

Outcome
See also: Results of the 2019 United Kingdom general election

The election produced an overall majority of 80 seats for the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Conservatives won 365 seats, an increase of 48, while the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, won 202, a loss of 60. Following the result, Corbyn announced that he would stand down as Labour Party leader early in 2020.

The results of the 2019 UK general election from across the 650 parliamentary constituencies in the UK
Parties Seats Change
Conservative Party 365 48
Labour Party 202 60
Scottish National Party 48 13
Liberal Democrats 11 1
Plaid Cymru 4
Green Party 1
Brexit Party 0 New party
Others 19
Conservative 80 seat majority
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See also

References
  1. "UK set for 12 December general election after MPs' vote". BBC News. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. "Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019". UK Parliament. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  3. Pichetal, Rob (29 October 2019). "Britain set for December 12 election after MPs approve snap poll". Cable News Network. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  4. "Brexit election: Lib Dems and SNP plan to force earlier poll". BBC News. 27 October 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  5. "Brexit election: Government to 'look at options'". BBC News. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  6. DeLorenzo, Thomas (29 October 2019). "EU agrees to extend Brexit deadline and UK Parliament agrees to hold a general election in response". Jurist. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  7. "Early Parliamentary General Election Bill: Third Reading". CommonsVotes. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  8. "Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
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