When will the next UK General Election be held?

The Fixed Terms Parliament Act sets a date for general election every five years

It hasn’t even been 24 hours since the the 2015 General Election polls closed, but many are eager to know when the next vote will be.

Historically, it was for the sitting prime minister to decide when to call an election, as long as the interval between each one was no longer than five years.

But following the Fixed Terms Parliament Act of 2011, passed by the previous Coalition Government, a General Election must now be held every five years on a set date.

The act specifies that future elections will be held on the first Thursday of May, every five years.

This would mean the date of the next General Election in the UK would fall on 7 May 2020.

It is possible for a fixed term parliament to be brought down and the date to change, but only in two specific ways.

First, if a two-thirds majority of the House of Commons votes to dissolve itself or secondly, if the government passes a motion of no confidence and no one forms a government, which wins a vote of confidence, within two weeks.