Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

UK 2024 general election: constitutional conventions, wash-up, pre-election sensitivity, and which Bills will pass or be lost

Published on: 23 May 2024

Published by a LexisNexis Public Law expert

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Article summary

What has happened?

The Prime Minister (PM) has confirmed that the next UK general election will take place on 4 July 2024. This is the first such announcement since DCPA 2022 reinstated the Sovereign’s prerogative to dissolve Parliament on the PM’s advice. What follows is guided mainly by parliamentary convention rather than statute. The headline timetable is:

22 May — PM asked the King to dissolve Parliament
22 May — King Charles agreed; the election was announced to the country
23 May — ‘Wash-up’ period starts
24 May — Parliament prorogued
25 May — Pre-election period of sensitivity begins (formerly ‘purdah’)
30 May — Parliament dissolved
30 May — Pre-election period begins
4 July — General Election

What does ‘wash-up’ mean?

‘Wash-up’ is the stretch between calling a general election and prorogation of Parliament. It typically covers the final days of a Parliament, when any remaining business must be approved by both Houses or it lapses on dissolution, reflecting the convention that Public Bills are not carried over...

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