General Election 2010

The UK electorate will head to the polls on May 6th 2010 to cast their votes in a general election. The race to become the next government is extremely close and it seems any party that wins will find it difficult to get an overall majority. This could mean that we will have our second hung parliament since the end the second World War .

The Labour Party has been in power since 1997 and Tony Blair led the party and the country in the role of Prime Minister until 2007. He then passed the role to his sidekick Gordon Brown who was the Chancellor during Tony Blair’s reign as Prime Minister. Many people believe that after thirteen years, it is now time for a change of government, and that the Conservative Party and their leader David Cameron should be elected into power.

What’s interesting about this election however, is that the Liberal Democrat Party have gained a lot of popularity in the opinion polls as a result of the performance of their leader Nick Clegg in the first televised Prime Ministerial Election Debates to be held in the UK. In the debates the leaders of the three main parties discussed the key issues facing the UK today such as crime, education, defence, the environment,parliamentary reform, health, immigration, the economy, Europe, foreign policy and the war in Afghanistan.

Many of the UK voters are still undecided about who to vote for so all the parties are campaigning really hard to attract these floating voters and make sure that they win the majority of seats in the next parliament. Whatever happens, it’s sure to be one of the most exciting elections we have had for a long time and one that will change the future of the country

Glossary

• the electorate - (n) all the people in a country that have the right to vote
• to head to the polls - (col.) to go to give your vote
• to cast their votes - (col.) to give their choice officially
• a general election - (n) an election to choose the Prime Minister
• to get an overall majority - (col.)to get more than 50% of the positions in parliament
• a hung parliament - (n) a parliament in which no party has more than 50% of the votes
• the Prime Minister - (n) the leader of the UK
• a sidekick - (n) a person who often spends time with and helps another person who is more
• important or powerful than they are
• the Chancellor - (n) the member of the government who manages the UK's finances
• a reign - (n) a period when some on is in charge of and organisation or country
• to be elected into power - (col.)to be chosen as the government by vote
• the opinion polls - (n) the process of asking a large number of people question to find out
• their view of something
• Prime Ministerial Election Debates - (n) discussions between the leaders of the main
• parties before the election to be prime minister
• parliamentary reform - (n) changing the system of parliament and voting
• foreign policy -(n) the governments attitude and plans regarding other counties
• to be campaigning - (v) promoting the party and their policies to the public 
• floating voters - (n) people who haven't decided 

Written by Ben, from The London School of English.