Voters in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland go to the polls this week, on Thursday 12 December, in a snap Parliamentary election, the UK’s first election in December since 1923.
ALDE Party member parties the Liberal Democrats and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland have been campaigning and on the doorsteps in the run-up to the vote and hope to both improve on their last election results and deny the Conservative party a majority preventing Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliver on his promise of “delivering Brexit”.
The Liberal Democrats pledge to stop Brexit and to build a brighter future, based on hope, not fear. In their plans, outlined over the course of the campaign by the party’s leader Jo Swinson, the party wishes to work with our closest neighbours in Europe to save our planet for future generations, build a fairer economy, give every child the best start in life, and transform the country’s mental health services amongst many of its policies outlined in the party’s manifesto.
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is the only party fielding a candidate in all 18 of the Northern Irish constituencies, and is looking to build upon its best ever election result in May’s European Parliament elections when its leader Naomi Long was elected as a MEP.
Since the Party believes any form of Brexit poses significant problems for Northern Ireland, they state that in order to stop Brexit the most coherent, feasible and democratic way forward is a People’s Vote, with the option to remain in the EU. You can read Alliance’s manifesto in full here
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm GMT on Thursday 12 December with the counts to take place and results to be announced through the night and into Friday 13 December. MPs will be elected by the First-Past-The-Post system for all 650 seats in the House of Commons, with 326 seats required to form a majority government.