Ever watched Prime Minister’s Questions? Then you’ve probably noticed something a bit odd about UK politics.
No, not that Members of Parliament act like schoolchildren with their strange murmurings, but the fact that there aren’t enough spaces on the green benches for the politicians to actually sit down in the House of Commons.
It’s a bit like the sun loungers at an all-inclusive hotel. If you aren’t there early enough then you’re out of luck and left clutching your towel.
It can be standing room only at times and that’s a bit of a problem when there are 649 other MPs… well, slightly fewer when you factor in Sinn Fein’s abstentionist policy.
The UK General Election on Thursday, July 4 will see 650 constituencies elect MPs to the House of Commons and it officially requires a political party to win 326 of those seats to form a majority in the lower chamber of Parliament and take charge.
The fact Sinn Fein do not take up their seats – they won seven in the 2019 UK General Election – and the Speaker takes up a space means a slightly lower number is generally enough to form a working majority.
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The Conservatives won 365 seats at the last UK General Election to secure a majority of 80, although that number was whittled down throughout the course of the Parliament through by-elections, suspensions and resignations.
Paddy Power’s odds for the UK General Election have a Labour Majority as an odds-on shot.
If a party fails to secure more than 326 seats in the upcoming poll then the party that wins the most seats can either attempt to form a minority Government or form a coalition with another party or parties.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Read More on the UK General Election
- Gallop over to Paddy Power News for all the latest betting tips
- Who will win the 2024 UK General Election? Paddy Power’s latest betting
- When is the 2024 UK General Election? Everything you need to know
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