British Politics 2010-24

  • 2010 General Election

    65.1% turnout Conservative Party (David Cameron)- 306 seats, 36% vote share
    Labour Party (Gordon Brown)- 258 seats, 29% vote share
    Liberal Democrats (Nick Clegg)- 57 seats, 23% vote share
  • David Cameron becomes PM of a coalition government

    Cameron-Clegg coalition/ Conservative-Liberal Democrats
    Cameron =PM. Clegg= Deputy PM
    Centrist cabinet (16 Cons + 5 LDs)
  • Ed Miliband becomes Leader of the Labour Party

    Won 4th round with 50.7% of vote, beating David Miliband's 49.3%
    Replaced Gordon Brown, who resigned post-2010 General Election
  • UK begins intervention in Libyan Civil War

    NATO-led military intervention to implement a UN Security Council Resolution for an immediate ceasefire. Civil War was between Gaddafi's forces and rebel forces. Gaddafi would be killed in October by rebels
  • Alternative Vote Refereundum

    Referendum to change the voting system from 'First Past the Post' to 'Alternative vote'
    Turnout- 42.2%
    For changing (Yes)- 32.1%
    Against changing (No)- 67.9%
  • Same- Sex marriage legalised

    Legislation passed in 2013 for England and Wales, but it took effect on 13 March 2014. Devolved legislative matter, so in Scotland, the legislation was passed in Feb 2014, and took effect on 16 Dec 2014. In Northern Ireland, passed in July 2019, and took effect 13 Jan 2020
  • House of Commons votes against UK intervention against Syrian government

    PM Cameron opened the debate, and was pro-intervention. The Government motion was defeated by 286 votes to 272
  • Scottish Independence Referendum

    Turnout- 84.6%
    Yes- 44.7%
    No- 55.3%
  • 2015 General Election

    66.4% turnout
    Conservative Party (David Cameron)- 330 seats (majority), 36.8% vote share
    Labour Party (Ed Miliband)- 232 seats, 30.4% vote share
    Scottish National Party (Nicola Sturgeon)- 56 seats, 4.7% vote share
  • Ed Miliband resigns as Leader of the Labour Party

    Followed the Party's defeat in the 2015 General Election
  • Jeremy Corbyn becomes Leader of the Labour Party

    Jeremy Corbyn won the first round with 59.5% of the vote- (Dark horse candidate)
    Followed Ed Miliband's resignation after Labour's defeat at the 2015 General Election
  • House of Commons votes in favour of UK intervention against ISIS

    For- 397
    Against- 223
    10 hour debate, 66 Labour MPs sides with Government
  • Brexit Referendum

    Turnout - 72.2%
    Should the UK remain a member of the EU or leave the EU?
    Remain- 48.1%
    Leave- 51.9%
  • Theresa May becomes Prime Minister

    Followed David Cameron's resignation after losing the Brexit referendum (he was pro-remain)
    Won 3rd round unopposed after opponent dropped out. Won 2nd round with 60.5% of the vote
  • 2017 General Election

    68.8% turnout
    Conservative Party (Theresa May)- 317 seats, 42.3% vote share
    Labour Party (Jeremy Corbyn)- 262 seats, 40.0% vote share
    Scottish National Party (Nicola Sturgeon)- 35 seats, 3.0% vote share
  • Theresa May commences airstrikes against Syrian government without House of Commons approval

    Joint airstrikes with France and the US during the night. Justification was to deter the use of chemical weapons by President Assad. David Cameron lost a vote for military action in 2013, but May never called a vote, so didn't have the approval of the House of Commons.
  • Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister

    Followed Theresa May's resignation as PM and Leader of the Conservative Party
    Won the 5th round with 51.3% of the vote, and won 66.4% of the members' vote
  • Theresa May resigns as Prime Minister

    Announced resignation 24th May 2019, but officially resigned after the leadership election when a new PM was elected
    Resigned due to increasing pressure and failure to pass a Brexit deal
  • Supreme Court rules that the proroguing of Parliament is unlawful

    Followed Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks in the run-up to the Brexit deadline. Opposing rulings from the High Court (issue was beyond scope of judicial review) and the Court of Session (issue was unlawful and thus of no effect) led to the matter being referred to the Supreme Court
  • 2019 General Election

    67.3% turnout
    Conservative Party (Boris Johnson)- 365 seats (majority), 43.6% vote share
    Labour Party (Jeremy Corbyn)- 202 seats, 32.1%
    Scottish National Party (Nicola Sturgeon)- 48 seats, 3.9% vote share
  • Britain officially leaves the European Union

  • Boris Johnson announces first national lockdown

    Due to an outbreak of COVID-19
  • Jeremy Corbyn resigns as Leader of the Labour Party

    Followed the defeat at the 2019 general election. Announced his resignation in December, and formally resigned in April, when the new leader was announced
  • Keir Starmer becomes Leader of the Labour Party

    Followed Jeremy Corbyn's resignation.
    Won leadership round 1 with 56.2% of the vote
  • Matt Hancock resigns as Health Minister

    Followed a scandal during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Hancock had an affair with an advisor in the DHSC, breaching COVID restrictions
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act becomes law

    Introduced by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, gives more power to the police, criminal justice, and sentencing legislation, and encompasses restrictions on 'unacceptable' protests, crimes against children, and sentencing limits. Passed by Parliament 26 April 2022, and got Royal Assent on 28 April
  • Boris Johnson resigns as Prime Minister

    Followed a series of political controversies, including Partygate and mass resignations (179)
    Resigned as Party Leader on 7th July, and announced he would resign as PM when a successor was elected
  • Liz Truss becomes Prime Minister

    Followed Boris Johnson's resignation
    Lost the 5th MPs ballot to Rishi Sunak with only 31.6%, however won the members' vote with 57.4% of the vote
  • Liz Truss resigns as Prime Minister

    Following a disastrous mini-budget, Liz Truss resigned after only 50 days, making her the shortest serving British PM
  • Rishi Sunak becomes Prime Minister

    Following Liz Truss's resignation, Sunak was elected unopposed
  • 2024 General Election

    Turnout- 60% Labour Party (Keir Starmer)- 411 seats (landslide majority), 33.7% vote share
    Conservative Party (Rishi Sunak)- 121 seats, 23.7% vote share
    Liberal Democrats (Ed Davey)- 72 seats, 12.2%