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Candidates in the 2017 United Kingdom general election

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3,303 candidates stood in the United Kingdom general election of 2017, which was held on 8 June 2017. The deadline for parties and individuals to file candidate nomination papers to the acting returning officer (and the deadline for candidates to withdraw) was 16:00 on 11 May 2017.[1]

The total number of candidates was 3,303; this is fewer than the 3,971 candidates who stood in the 2015 United Kingdom general election or the record 4,133 who stood in the 2010 United Kingdom general election.[2]

2017 United Kingdom general election
← 2015 8 June 2017 2019 →
All 650 seats in the House of Commons
326[n 1] seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout68.8% (Increase2.4%)[3]
  First party Second party Third party
  Jeremy Corbyn Nicola Sturgeon
Leader Theresa May Jeremy Corbyn Nicola Sturgeon
Party Conservative Labour SNP
Leader since 11 July 2016 12 September 2015 14 November 2014
Leader's seat Maidenhead Islington North Did not stand[n 2]
Last election 330 seats, 36.9% 232 seats, 30.4% 56 seats, 4.7%
Seats won 317* 262 35
Seat change Decrease13 Increase30 Decrease21
Popular vote 13,636,684 12,878,460 977,569
Percentage 42.4% 40.0% 3.0%
Swing Increase5.5% Increase9.6% Decrease1.7%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Tim Farron Arlene Foster
Leader Tim Farron Arlene Foster Gerry Adams
Party Liberal Democrats DUP Sinn Féin
Leader since 16 July 2015 17 December 2015 13 November 1983
Leader's seat Westmorland and Lonsdale Did not stand[n 3] Did not stand[n 4]
Last election 8 seats, 7.9% 8 seats, 0.6% 4 seats, 0.6%
Seats won 12 10 7[n 5]
Seat change Increase4 Increase2 Increase3
Popular vote 2,371,910 292,316 238,915
Percentage 7.4% 0.9% 0.7%
Swing Decrease0.5% Increase0.3% Increase0.1%
A map of UK parliamentary constituencies
* Figure does not include the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, who was included in the Conservative seat total by some media outlets.
Prime Minister before election

Theresa May
Conservative

Appointed Prime Minister

Theresa May
Conservative

Gender

[edit]

965 female candidates stood within this election, 29% of the total number of candidates. This was a record in percentage terms, up from 26% in 2015, but a decrease in total numbers.[2] In Northern Ireland, 33% of candidates were female,[4] while in Wales the figure was 31%.[5]

Of the larger parties, the Labour Party had the largest proportion of female candidates, at 41%. 33% of Scottish National Party candidates are women, compared with 30% of Liberal Democrats and 29% of Conservative Party candidates.[6]

Political parties

[edit]

The Conservative Party put forward the most candidates, standing in 638 of the UK's 650 seats. The Labour Party contested 631, the Liberal Democrats 629, the various Green parties[n 6] a total of 467, and the UK Independence Party 378.[2] The total number of candidates by party is shown below:

Party[7] Candidates
Conservative and Unionist Party 638
Labour Party 631
Liberal Democrats 629
Green Party of England and Wales 457
UKIP 378
Independent 187
SNP 59
Plaid Cymru 40
Christian Peoples Alliance 31
The Yorkshire Party 21
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 18
Social Democratic & Labour Party 18
Sinn Féin 18
Democratic Unionist Party 17
Ulster Unionist Party 14
Official Monster Raving Loony Party 12
British National Party 10
Pirate Party 10
English Democrats 7
Green Party in Northern Ireland 7
Women's Equality Party 7
Social Democratic Party 6
National Health Action Party 5
Workers Revolutionary Party 5
Animal Welfare Party 4
Libertarian Party 4
Liberal Party 4
Alliance for Green Socialism 3
Friends Party 3
Scottish Green Party 3
Socialist Labour Party 3
The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party 3
Socialist Party of Great Britain 3
Young People's Party 3
Christian Party 2
Communist League 2
People Before Profit Alliance 2
Something New 2
Peace Party 2
Workers' Party 2
Apolitical Democrats 1
Ashfield Independents 1
Better for Bradford 1
Blue Revolution Party 1
Church of the Militant Elvis Party 1
Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance 1
Common Good 1
Compass Party 1
Concordia 1
Demos Direct Initiative Party 1
Greater Manchester Homeless Voice 1
Humanity 1
Independent Save Withybush Save Lives 1
Independent Sovereign Democratic Britain 1
Money Free Party 1
Movement for Active Democracy 1
North East Party 1
North of England Community Alliance 1
Open Borders Party 1
Patria 1
Populist Party 1
Rebooting Democracy 1
Scotland's Independence Referendum Party 1
Southampton Independents 1
Southend Independent Association 1
Space Navies Party 1
Speaker seeking re-election 1
The Just Political Party 1
The New Society of Worth 1
Radical Party 1
The Realists' Party 1
Traditional Unionist Voice 1
War Veteran's Pro-Traditional Family Party 1
Wessex Regionalists 1

†The Labour total includes 50 Labour Co-operative candidates.

England

[edit]

As is traditional, the Conservative Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats did not stand in the constituency of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Buckingham, although both the Green Party of England and Wales and the UK Independence Party contested the seat.[8] Otherwise, the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats stood in all constituencies, except the Liberal Democrats who did not field candidates in Brighton Pavilion and Skipton and Ripon with local parties having decided to support the Green candidates there instead.[9]

UKIP and the Green Party of England and Wales stood in many constituencies across England, but both put up candidates in fewer seats than in 2015. In some cases, local parties opted to support other candidates: UKIP local parties stood aside to support Conservatives, while Green local parties stood aside in around 30 seats[10] to support candidates from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, or, in one case, the National Health Action Party.

Among parties standing solely in England, the Christian Peoples Alliance stood 30 candidates,[11] the Yorkshire Party put up 21 candidates,[12] and the British National Party ten.[13] The Workers' Revolutionary Party contested five seats,[14] as did the National Health Action Party.[15] The Animal Welfare Party, Liberal Party and Libertarian Party each had four candidates.[16][17][18] The English Democrats,[19] the Alliance for Green Socialism, Communist League, Socialist Labour Party, Socialist Party of Great Britain, Justice and Anti-Corruption Party, Friend's Party and Young People's Party UK stood in three seats each.[20][21][22][23][24][25][26] The Peace Party had two candidates,[27] and various parties stood single candidates.[28]

Other parties standing candidates in England included the Official Monster Raving Loony Party with eleven,[29] the Pirate Party UK with nine,[30] the Women's Equality Party with five,[31] and the Social Democratic Party with five, all in Sheffield.[32] Something New stood a single candidate in England.[33] There are also various independent candidates.

Scotland

[edit]

In Scotland, 266 candidates stood, down from 346 in 2015, and fewer than in many prior general elections. The Scottish National Party, Conservative Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats contested all 59 seats, while only 30 other candidates ran, concentrated in 23 constituencies.[34]

The UK Independence Party are stood in ten seats, the Scottish Green Party in three, and the Scottish Christian Party in two, with one candidate from each of the Social Democratic Party, Women's Equality Party, Something New, Scotland's Independence Referendum Party and Independent Sovereign Democratic Britain. There were also ten independent candidates. For the first time in many years, the Scottish Socialist Party did not contest the election.[34]

Wales

[edit]

In Wales, 213 candidates stood, a reduction from the 275 who stood in 2015. The Labour Party, Conservative Party, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrats stood in all 40 seats, while the UK Independence Party in 32, and the Wales Green Party in ten. Unusually, all forty members of the previous Parliament from Wales stood for reelection.[5]

Among minor parties, the Official Monster Raving Loony Party,[29] New Society of Worth,[35] Pirate Party UK,[30] and Women's Equality Party each stood one candidate in Wales,[31] and there were a number of independent candidates.

Northern Ireland

[edit]

In Northern Ireland, a total of 109 candidates stood, down from 138 in 2015. Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland stood in all eighteen seats. The Democratic Unionist Party stood in 17, the Ulster Unionist Party in 15, and the Green Party in Northern Ireland and Conservatives in Northern Ireland both standing in seven.[4]

In addition, the People Before Profit Alliance and Workers' Party ran in two seats each, Traditional Unionist Voice and Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance in one each, and were are four independent candidates. The UK Independence Party, despite standing in ten seats in 2015, did not contesting any Northern Irish seats at this election.[4]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Given that Sinn Féin MPs do not take their seats and the Speaker and deputies do not vote, the number of MPs needed for a majority is, in practice, slightly lower. Sinn Féin won 7 seats, meaning a practical majority requires at least 320 MPs.
  2. ^ Nicola Sturgeon sits as an MSP in the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Southside. Before the election, the SNP delegation to the House of Commons was led by Angus Robertson, MP for Moray, who lost his seat. Ian Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, succeeded him.
  3. ^ Arlene Foster sat as an MLA in the Northern Ireland Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone prior to the collapse of the Assembly. The party's leader in the Commons is Nigel Dodds, the MP for Belfast North.
  4. ^ Gerry Adams sits as a TD in Dáil Éireann (lower house of the Irish Parliament) for Louth. The leader of Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, sat as an MLA in the Northern Ireland Assembly for Mid Ulster prior to the collapse of the Assembly.
  5. ^ Sinn Féin MPs abstain from taking their seats in the British House of Commons.
  6. ^ There are three separate but sister Green parties in the UK: the Green Party of England and Wales, Scottish Green Party and Green Party of Northern Ireland.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "General Election 2017 timetable", Parliament of the United Kingdom
  2. ^ a b c Kirk, Ashley; Scott, Patrick (17 May 2017). "General Election 2017: Full results". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  3. ^ "General Election 2017: full results and analysis". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Mark Devenport, "General Election 2017: NI candidates confirmed", BBC News, 11 May 2017
  5. ^ a b "General Election 2017: Wales number of candidates drops", BBC News, 12 May 2017
  6. ^ "General election 2017: Labour selects most female candidates", BBC News, 12 May 2017
  7. ^ "Number of known 2017 General Election candidates per party". democracyclub.org.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  8. ^ Will Worley, "'We're utterly disfranchised': Welcome to Buckingham, the constituency where votes don't count", The Independent, 17 May 2017
  9. ^ Maxim Parr-Reid, "Forget The ‘Progressive Alliance’, A UKIP-Conservative Alliance Is Already Happening", Huffington Post, 14 May 2017
  10. ^ Peston on Sunday, ITV, 21 May 2017
  11. ^ Christian Peoples Alliance, "Home"
  12. ^ Yorkshire Party, "Yorkshire Party Announces Candidates for General Election Archived 2017-05-23 at the Wayback Machine"
  13. ^ Democracy Club, "British National Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  14. ^ "WRP launch election candidates[permanent dead link‍]", News Line, 16 May 2017
  15. ^ Democracy Club, "National Health Action Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  16. ^ Democracy Club, "Animal Welfare Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  17. ^ Democracy Club, "The Liberal Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  18. ^ Democracy Club, "Libertarian Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  19. ^ "English Democrats 'not diminishing'", Daily Politics, 15 May 2017
  20. ^ "What does Alliance for Green Socialism stand for?", Daily Politics, 17 May 2017
  21. ^ Tony Hunt, "Communist League debates class lines in UK election", The Militant, 15 May 2017
  22. ^ Socialist Labour Party, "General Election 2017: Flying the Flag for Socialist Labour! Archived 3 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine"
  23. ^ "Why is Socialist Party opposing Corbyn?", Daily Politics, 12 May 2017
  24. ^ Democracy Club, "The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  25. ^ Democracy Club, "Friends Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  26. ^ Democracy Club, "Young People's Party YPP candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  27. ^ Democracy Club, "The Peace Party - Non-violence, Justice, Environment candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  28. ^ Democracy Club, "Number of known 2017 General Election candidates per party"
  29. ^ a b Democracy Club, "Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  30. ^ a b "Pirates want online and offline freedoms", Daily Politics, 11 May 2017
  31. ^ a b Women's Equality Party, "Meet the candidates"
  32. ^ Sarah Devenney, "The SDP Announces A Full Slate In Sheffield", Social Democratic Party
  33. ^ Democracy Club, "Something New candidates in the 2017 General Election"
  34. ^ a b Philip Sim, "Election 2017: Where have all the politicians gone?", BBC News, 16 May 2017
  35. ^ Democracy Club, "The New Society of Worth candidates in the 2017 General Election"
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