Local elections are due to be held in the UK on 2nd of May.
In the UK, elections occur on the first Thursday of May each year in public buildings such as schools and local community centres.
As a child, I always looked forward to election days because my school would be closed for the day while it was used as a polling station.
Local elections take place every five years and in the interim years general elections and referendums take place.
Voting rights
There are 248 local councils in Britain, one for each town or city, with the exception of London, which is split into 32 due to its large population.
The minimum voting age in the UK is 18, the same as Japan. As well as British citizens, EU citizens (prior to Brexit), Irish citizens and citizens of Commonwealth countries are eligible to vote in the UK. British citizens who live abroad (such as myself) can vote by proxy (choosing someone to vote in your place) or by postal vote.
Political parties in the UK
Just like Japan, the British Prime Minister is not directly elected, but appointed by the ruling party. The British public votes for its preferred political party or councillor. The two main political parties are the Conservative party (right-wing) and the Labour party (left-wing). Other parties include the Lib Dems (Liberal Democrats), Green Party, UKIP (which headed the Brexit Leave campaign), the SNP (Scotland’s National Party), and Irish national parties, such as the DUP and Sinn Fein. There is a general voting trend to support Labour in Northern England (traditionally an economically poorer area with labourers and miners) and the Conservative party in the south (traditionally the wealthier part of the country).
Recent voting trends and the influence of Social Networking Sites
In response to issues surrounding the influence of Social Networking Sites and “Fake News” in the Brexit referendum, Facebook announced its decision to only allow official content related to the upcoming elections.
British politics is due to undergo major changes in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled!