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Rishi Sunak has called the next general election for Thursday 4 July.

It means the nation is preparing for its first polling day since 12 December 2019.

Here’s everything you need to know about the general election and how it’s going to work…

What is a general election for?

It’s a chance for people around the UK to choose the local MP who will represent their area – known as a constituency – for up to five years in the House of Commons.

There is a choice of several candidates in each constituency and there are 650 constituencies.

Most candidates are nominated by political parties, though some stand as independents.

There are 650 seats in the House of Commons, so if an MP wins in a constituency, they win that seat in the Commons.

How does it work?

We use something called the ‘first past the post’ voting system, which means MPs win seats if they get more votes than other candidates standing in their constituency.

The party that wins an overall majority of seats – so anything more than 326 MPs – wins the election and can form the next government.

People aged 18 or over in each constituency can vote once for their preferred candidate.

You can only have your say if you are registered to vote. For this election, the deadline to register is 11.59pm on 18 June. Read on for more on how to register – or check out our guide for everything you need on registering to vote.

How does this determine who becomes prime minister?

While you can’t vote for who you want to be prime minister directly, your vote in your local constituency contributes.

That’s because the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons at a general election forms the new government and its leader becomes prime minister.

What constituency are you in?

Inline graphic for ultimate guide to the general election

The July election will be fought on new boundaries, replacing the ones that have been in place since 2010.

There are 650 seats across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Just one in 10 seats – 65 – have no change to their boundaries.

That means you may be in a different constituency compared to what you were in at the last general election.

That matters because you will be voting for the politician you want to represent your constituency in parliament.

Find out what constituency you will be voting in on 4 July, how it would have voted in 2019, and how the demographic make-up has changed by entering your postcode into our lookup here.

How do I register to vote?

You have to be aged 16 or over (or 14 or over in Scotland and Wales) to register to vote.

You must also be one of the following:

  • A British citizen
  • An Irish or EU citizen living in the UK
  • A Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission
  • A citizen of another country living in Scotland or Wales who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission.

The easiest and quickest way to register is online.

Alternatively, you can use a paper form. You can do this by contacting your local Electoral Registration Office and asking them to post a form to you.

Or, you can print your own form off. You’ll then need to return the completed form to your local Electoral Registration Office.

Can everyone who registers to vote actually vote in the general election?

No – the criteria for registering to vote is different to the criteria for voting in a general election. That’s because you’re registering for different types of votes, like local elections, which have more lax rules than parliamentary votes.

For example, you can vote in a local election if you’re 16 or over in some areas, but you have to be 18 or over in order to vote in a general election. More on age restrictions can be found here.

Here are the other criteria for voting in the general election:

  • Must be registered to vote in the constituency
  • Must be either a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
  • Cannot be subject to any ‘legal incapacity’ to vote – prisoners serving a sentence for a conviction cannot vote in UK parliamentary elections and neither can peers in the House of Lords.

Read our guide to registering to vote – including what it means to be added to the official electoral register.

How do I vote?

There are three options when it comes to voting. Whichever option you take, you must be registered to vote by the end of 18 June if you want to vote in this election.

You can vote in person at your local polling station on 4 July.

If you take this option, you’ll be sent a poll card just before an election or referendum telling you when to vote and at which polling station. It will usually be in a public building near your home, like a school or local hall.

You will be able to cast your vote any time between 7am and 10pm on the day.

Alternatively, you can vote by post. You can register to vote by post for any reason, including that you simply don’t want to go to a polling station on the day.

You can also vote by proxy, which is when someone unable to vote in person asks someone else to vote on their behalf.

For more on how to vote if you won’t be at home on polling day, read our guide to postal and proxy votes.

What happens on polling day?

Inline graphic for ultimate guide to the general election

Polls are open from 7am on polling day, Thursday 4 July.

You can only vote at the polling station allocated to your address.

This will be shown on your poll card. You can also enter your postcode on this website to find out where your polling station is.

You do not need to take your poll card to vote.

At the polling station, you will need to give your name and address to staff and show them your photo ID (more on the requirements for that below).

Then you will be given a ballot paper with a list of the candidates and what party they belong to.

You will vote for who you want to represent your constituency in the House of Commons – in other words, who you want your MP to be.

You vote for the candidate you want by putting a cross in the box next to their name.

There will be instructions in the polling booth telling you exactly what to do.

After you have marked your ballot paper, you fold the paper and put it in the ballot box.

For those leaving it late or who are delayed, such as by major events taking place on the same day, you must be inside the polling station or in a queue at the polling station by 10pm in order to be given a ballot paper and then vote, as laid out in rules in the Electoral Commission handbook.

What is the exit poll – and how accurate is it?

When voting closes at 10pm, the results of an exit poll are announced.

The exit poll is taken from a survey of voters in about 150 constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales that have been chosen to be demographically representative of the country.

As voters exit polling stations, they are asked who they voted for.

They mark who they voted for on a replica ballot paper and drop this in a box – replicating what they just did inside the polling station.

Analysts take these results, compare them to previous exit polls at the same polling stations and project how many seats each party will end up with once all the votes are counted.

Exit polls aren’t always perfect, but they tend to give an accurate indication of what the outcome will be.

In some years, they have predicted the winning party’s majority down to the exact number of seats – but there have been notable times exit polls have been wrong, including the 2015 exit poll that suggested a hung parliament, not a Conservative majority.

What happens when polls close?

After 10pm, once all votes are in, ballot boxes in all constituencies are taken to what’s known as a “count centre” – a large space like a community hall where counting can begin.

This is a lengthy process and goes on through the night.

Results come in throughout the night and by early morning, it is usually clear which party has the majority.

The final results tend to come in by late morning.

What is a hung parliament?

A hung parliament happens when no party has the 326 seats needed for the majority that allows them to govern outright.

Protocol means that the previous government generally remains in place while there is a period of negotiation as discussions take place to form a coalition.

It can take several weeks before parties strike an agreement to form a coalition.

If the incumbent government is unable to form a coalition big enough to rule, they may either resign and the largest opposition party may be invited to form a government, or they may try to continue to govern as a minority government.

What is the process with the new PM?

The prime minister is technically appointed by the monarch rather than the public, but the monarch honours democracy by appointing them based on which party wins the general election.

If the current government retains a majority in the new parliament after an election, it will continue in office and resume normal business.

If the election results in a clear majority for a different party, the prime minister already in office and government will immediately resign, and the King will invite the leader of the party that has won the election to form a government.

When does the new prime minister (or re-elected one) walk into Number 10?

Prime ministers, by tradition, get to move into the iconic 10 Downing Street. And of course, prime ministers who retain their role get to remain there.

It has three functions: it’s the official residence of the PM, it’s their office, and it is also the place where they entertain guests.

There isn’t a set time when a prime minister needs to move in. In fact, there is no requirement for them to move in at all if they don’t wish to.

But they do always operate at Number 10 in some capacity, even if it’s just used as their office or a place to entertain guests.

In recent times, when a prime minister has resigned or lost an election, they tend to be photographed with their families at Downing Street shortly after results are in and then drive to Buckingham Palace (or another royal residence) to formally resign.

They often make a speech outside the property’s famous black door before they leave.

New prime ministers generally go there on the same day and make a speech of their own, before entering Number 10 to applause from staff.

What are the rules on voter ID?

Inline graphic for ultimate guide to the general election

This will be the first general election where voters will need to take photo ID to the polling station.

There are 22 different types of ID you can use – you can find a list in our full guide to the voter ID rules.

The ID can be out of date, as long as it still looks like you and the name is the same one used to register to vote.

If you don’t have any of the accepted forms of ID, you can register for a Voter Authority Certificate.

The deadline is 26 June, and you must have already registered to vote.

If you’re voting as someone’s proxy, you need to take your own ID – not theirs.

What is tactical voting?

You may have heard the term through friends and family who are considering the best way to use their vote.

Based on what we’ve covered so far, it may sound like your only option is to vote for whichever candidate you believe will best represent your constituency.

But tactical voting is a less conventional way of voting, and is often used when someone feels their preferred candidate has little chance of getting the most votes in their constituency.

Essentially, it’s when you vote for a political party or person that you wouldn’t usually support in order to prevent another party or person from winning.

The two main ways of doing this are:

  • Vote swapping – where you agree to vote for a party on someone else’s behalf, and they’ll vote for your preferred party in their constituency
  • Least worst option – where you would select a different party to vote for in your constituency which you consider to be the best of the rest.

Want to know more? Read more in our guide to tactical voting.

What are the key issues the election will be fought over?

Rishi Sunak will be hoping to use the improving economic outlook to make a case that the nation should stick with him, while Sir Keir Starmer will attack the Tories’ 14-year record in government to make the case for change.

Here’s a rundown of the main battlegrounds – with more detail in our full guide to election issues.

Inline graphic for ultimate guide to the general election

Economy

Rishi Sunak will point to inflation coming down and recent tax cuts as signs the Conservatives are the safest hands, while hints about further tax cuts will be used to woo voters.

Labour will argue its strict fiscal rules will help bring down debt and grow the economy, likely pointing to rising food and energy bills and the mortgage chaos triggered by Liz Truss’s mini-budget.

NHS and social care

Rishi Sunak made cutting NHS waiting lists one of his main pledges, committing record funding of nearly £165bn – but a huge backlog remains.

There is also a crisis in dentistry and social care leaders have warned that rising demand and staffing issues have brought the system to its knees.

Labour’s headline pledges include promising to cut waiting times with thousands of extra appointments each week and creating shared waiting lists so hospitals can pool resources.

Immigration

Mr Sunak staked his premiership on a promise to “stop the boats” and the government’s Rwanda Bill finally became law last month – but the decision to call a summer election means planes won’t take off before people go to the polls.

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to scrap the deal and use the money instead for a new Cross Border Police Unit to tackle small boat crossings.

Education and childcare

Education is a key dividing line between the two main parties. One of Labour’s flagship policies is to end tax breaks enjoyed by private schools to raise £1.7bn to invest in state schools.

Childcare, too, is a divisive issue. Labour has committed to keeping the government-extended free provision, but has said there are not enough staff to match the places.

Housing

The Tories pledged in their election manifesto to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s, but that has not been achieved and the figure watered down in December 2022.

Labour has vowed to be on the side of “builders not blockers” and has announced its ambition to create 1.5 million new homes through the creation of “new towns”.

The government’s flagship renters reform and leasehold reform bills will not make it into law before the election. Labour has backed both pieces of legislation but wants to go further and says it will abolish no-fault evictions.

Crime

The criminal justice system faces major issues, with prisons overflowing, knife crime on the rise, a record-high crown court backlog, and prosecutions at an all-time low.

The Conservatives have announced plans for tougher sentences for the most serious criminals and measures to force offenders to appear in the dock.

Labour have promised to be “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” with pledges to fund more community police officers and give parents classes to handle anti-social behaviour.

How to watch on Sky News

From left: Deputy political editor Sam Coates, Sunday morning breakfast show presenter Sir Trevor Phillips, lead politics presenter Sophy Ridge, chief presenter Kay Burley, political editor Beth Rigby and economics editor Ed Conway
Image:
Sam Coates, Sir Trevor Phillips, Sophy Ridge, Kay Burley, Beth Rigby and Ed Conway

Sky News will have live coverage and an award-winning line-up, bringing you everything as soon as it happens, with commentary and analysis to help you digest key developments.

Chief presenter Kay Burley will anchor Election Night Live, with analysis from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Baroness Ruth Davidson.

They will be joined by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, the presenter of our Sunday breakfast show Sir Trevor Phillips, and data and economics editor Ed Conway.

From 7am on the morning after the vote, lead politics presenter Sophy Ridge, will be live from Westminster, joined by deputy political editor Sam Coates and Sky News contributor Adam Boulton.

Watch on TV:

Freeview 233, Sky 501, Virgin 603, BT 313, YouTube and the Sky News website and app.

Streams and social:

Watch Sky News live here, and on YouTube.

We will also be posting the latest videos and stories on TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Listen:

Listen to Sky News on TuneIn, and here.

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Mental health cases at A&E reach crisis level – as waits get longer and specialised beds dwindle

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Mental health cases at A&E reach crisis level - as waits get longer and specialised beds dwindle

“We’ve got two,” explains Emer Szczygiel, emergency department head of nursing at King George Hospital, as she walks inside a pastel coloured room. 

“If I had my time back again, we would probably have four, five, or six because these have helped us so much in the department with the really difficult patients.”

On one wall, there’s floral wallpaper. It is scored through with a graffiti scrawl. The words must have been scratched out with fingernails.

There are no other implements in here.

Patients being held in this secure room would have been searched to make sure they are not carrying anything they can use to harm themselves – or others.

A nurse in a special mental health A&E room
Image:
Emer Szczygiel wishes the hospital had more of the ‘ligature light’ mental health rooms

Scratched words on floral wallpaper

There is a plastic bed secured to the wall. No bedding though, as this room is “ligature light”, meaning nothing in here could be used for self harm.

On the ceiling, there is CCTV that feeds into a control room on another part of the Ilford hospital’s sprawling grounds.

“So this is one of two rooms that when we were undergoing our works, we recognised, about three years ago, mental health was causing us more of an issue, so we’ve had two rooms purpose built,” Emer says.

“They’re as compliant as we can get them with a mental health room – they’re ligature light, as opposed to ligature free. They’re under 24-hour CCTV surveillance.”

CCTV security screens
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The rooms have a CCTV camera in the ceiling that feeds through to the main control room

There are two doors, both heavily reinforced. One can be used by staff to make an emergency escape if they are under any threat.

What is unusual about these rooms is that they are built right inside a busy accident and emergency department.

The doors are just feet away from a nurse’s station, where medical staff are trying to deal with acute ED (emergency department) attendances.

The number of mental health patients in a crisis attending A&E has reached crisis levels.

Some will be experiencing psychotic episodes and are potentially violent, presenting a threat to themselves, other patients, clinical staff and security teams deployed to de-escalate the situation.

A mental health nurse on a hospital ward
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The team were already dealing with five mental health cases when Sky News visited

Like physically-ill patients, they require the most urgent care but are now facing some of the longest waits on record.

On a fairly quiet Wednesday morning, the ED team is already managing five mental health patients.

One, a diminutive South Asian woman, is screaming hysterically.

She is clearly very agitated and becoming more distressed by the minute. Despite her size, she is surrounded by at least five security guards.

She has been here for 12 hours and wants to leave, but can’t as she’s being held under the Mental Capacity Act.

Her frustration boils over as she pushes against the chests of the security guards who encircle her.

“We see about 150 to 200 patients a day through this emergency department, but we’re getting on average about 15 to 20 mental health presentations to the department,” Emer explains.

“Some of these patients can be really difficult to manage and really complex.”

Emer Szczygiel, emergency department head of nursing at King George Hospital
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Emer Szczygiel says the department gets about 15 to 20 mental health presentations a day

“If a patient’s in crisis and wants to harm themselves, there’s lots of things in this area that you can harm yourself with,” the nurse adds.

“It’s trying to balance that risk and make sure every emergency department in the country is deemed a place of safety. But there is a lot of risk that comes with emergency departments, because they’re not purposeful for mental health patients.”

In a small side room, Ajay Kumar and his wife are waiting patiently by their son’s bedside.

He’s experienced psychotic episodes since starting university in 2018 and his father says he can become unpredictable and violent.

A man and woman sit by a hospital bed
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Ajay and his wife were watching over their son, who’s been having psychotic episodes

Ajay says his son “is under a section three order – that means six months in hospital”.

“They sectioned him,” he tells us.

“He should be secure now, he shouldn’t go out in public. Last night he ran away [from hospital] and walked all the way home. It took him four and a half hours to come home.

“I mean, he got three and a half hours away. Even though he’s totally mental, he still finds his way home and he was so tired and the police were looking for him.”

Ajay Kumar, whose son has been experiencing psychotic episodes since starting university in 2018, speaks to Sky News
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Mr Kumar said his son ran away from hospital and walked for hours to get home

Now they are all back in hospital and could be waiting “for days”, Ajay says.

“I don’t know how many. They’re not telling us anything.”

Matthew Trainer, chief executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, is at pains to stress nobody is blaming the patients.

“We’ve seen, particularly over the last few years, a real increase in the number of people in mental health crisis coming into A&E for support,” he says.

“And I don’t know if this is because of the pandemic or wider economic pressures, but what we’re seeing every day is more and more people coming here as their first port of call.”

Matthew Trainer, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
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‘More and more’ people in mental health crisis are showing up at A&E, says Mr Trainer

The hospital boss adds: “If you get someone who’s really distressed, someone who is perhaps experiencing psychosis etc, I’m seeing increasing numbers of complaints from other patients and their families about the environment they’ve had to wait in.

“And they’re not blaming the mental health patients for being here.

“But what they’re saying is being in a really busy accident & emergency with ambulances, with somebody highly distressed, and you’re sat there with an elderly relative or a sick child or whatever – it’s hard for everyone.

“There’s no blame in this. It’s something we’ve got to work together to try to fix.”

New Freedom of Information data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing shows that over the last five years, more than 1.3 million people in a mental health crisis presented to A&E departments.

New Freedom of Information data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing ONE

That’s expected to be a significant underestimate however, as only around a quarter of English trusts handed over data.

For these patients, waits of 12 hours or more for a mental health bed have increased by more than 380%.

Over the last decade, the number of overnight beds in mental health units declined by almost 3,700. That’s around 17%.

The Department for Health and Social Care told Sky News: “We know people with mental health issues are not always getting the support or care they deserve and incidents like this are unacceptable.

“We are transforming mental health services – including investing £26m to support people in mental health crisis, hiring more staff, delivering more talking therapies, and getting waiting lists down through our Plan for Change.”

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, also told Sky News: “While we know there is much more to do to deal with record demand including on waits, if a patient is deemed to need support in A&E, almost all emergency departments now have a psychiatric liaison team available 24/7 so people can get specialist mental health support alongside physical treatment.

“The NHS is working with local authorities to ensure that mental health patients are given support to leave hospital as soon as they are ready, so that space can be freed up across hospitals including A&Es.”

Patients in a mental health crisis and attending hospital are stuck between two failing systems.

A shortage of specialist beds means they are left untreated in a hospital not designed to help them.

And they are failed by a social care network overwhelmed by demand and unable to provide the early intervention care needed.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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Greg Monks: Body found in search for missing Scottish man in Portugal

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Greg Monks: Body found in search for missing Scottish man in Portugal

A body has been found in the search for a missing Scottish man who disappeared while on a stag do in Portugal.

Greg Monks, 38, was last seen in Albufeira during the early hours of Wednesday, 28 May, while enjoying the first night of a five-day stay.

A major search was launched for the Cambuslang man, with his parents and girlfriend flying out to Portugal to also provide assistance.

Greg Monks with his girlfriend
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Mr Monks and his partner. Pic: Family handout

His sisters, Jillian and Carlyn, previously spoke to Sky News about the family’s devastation at his disappearance.

Speaking to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee before the police’s announcement, they described their brother as a “big part of our family”.

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Mr Monks’ sisters spoke to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee

Local police confirmed on Wednesday that a body had been found in the Cerro de Aguia area, where Mr Monks was believed to have been last seen.

A statement by Portuguese police said the body was located on a vacant and uneven lot.

The force added: “After the competent judicial inspection has been carried out, the body will be removed to the area’s legal medicine office for an autopsy to be performed.”

Read more from Sky News:
Man jailed for murdering wife after remains found under stairs
Two men charged with murder after boy, 4, died in crash

Greg Monks on holiday with a burger and fries in front on him
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Pic: Family handout

Mr Monks was earlier described by his sisters as a “real family man”.

When his family arrived in Albufeira, police told them they had spotted Mr Monks twice on CCTV footage walking around the residential area.

The area where he was last seen – more than an hour’s walk from the Albufeira Strip – had a lot of rough terrain, including rocky outcrops and cliffs.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was supporting Mr Monks’ family and was “in contact with the local authorities”.

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Truck driver Richard Satchwell jailed for murdering wife Tina after her remains were found under stairs

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Truck driver Richard Satchwell jailed for murdering wife Tina after her remains were found under stairs

A truck driver found guilty of murdering his wife, whose remains were found under the stairs at their home in Ireland, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Richard Satchwell, originally from Leicester, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between 19 March and 20 March 2017.

Her skeletal remains were discovered at the Co Cork property in October 2023, six years after her husband reported her missing.

During his five-week trial, jurors heard from more than 50 witnesses, including police officers involved in the investigation.

Police had discovered Mrs Satchwell’s remains buried under the stairs in the living room of their home. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with black plastic.

She was wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown, with the belt of the gown wrapped around her.

A state pathologist said she could not establish the exact cause of death because of how decomposed the body was.

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During police interviews, Satchwell, 58, said that on the morning of 20 March 2017 he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping off the plasterboard, and claimed she came at him with the object and he fell back on to the floor.

He said Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the dressing gown against her neck.

Satchwell said that in a very short period of time she went limp and fell into his arms.

He said he put her body on the sofa in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs.

Relatives of Mrs Satchwell wept as the guilty verdict was returned on Friday 30 May.

Satchwell did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Following the sentencing, the family of Mrs Satchwell described her as a kind and gentle woman who loved animals.

Tina’s cousin, Sarah Howard, said that Mrs Satchwell was murdered “by someone who claimed to love her”.

“The emotional toll of her loss is something I will carry with me always,” she said.

Tina Satchwell..
Pic; Family Handout/PA
Image:
Tina Satchwell. Pic: Family Handout/PA

Her half-sister Lorraine Howard said the way Mrs Satchwell was buried in plastic in her own home “sends shivers down my spine every time I think about it”.

“I will never be able to forgive Richard Satchwell for what he has done.”

Satchwell’s barrister Brendan Grehan SC told the court that Satchwell intends to appeal, and that he “never intended to kill Tina”.

Mr Grehan also said that Satchwell said “despite anything he said in the trial, Tina was a lovely person”.

Read more from Sky News:
British man goes missing on stag do
Two men charged with murder after boy dies in crash

The court was told the couple married in the UK on Tina’s 20th birthday, and later settled in Co Cork, first in Fermoy before moving to Youghal in 2016.

The trial heard that on 24 March 2017, Satchwell went to Irish police and claimed his wife had left their Youghal home four days ago because their relationship had deteriorated.

Satchwell had also claimed Mrs Satchwell had taken €26,000 euros in cash from savings they kept in the attic, which the court later heard they did not have the capacity to save.

He formally reported his wife missing in May 2017 and claimed to investigators that his wife was sometimes violent towards him.

In the following years, he made over a dozen media appearances in which he spoke extensively about the morning he claimed Mrs Satchwell left the house and never returned.

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