1. SmartLaw Resource Teachers Introduction General Election ●
This resource has been created for use in an assembly leading up to the General Election on June 8th 2017.
The materials can be used in their entirety or selected depending on your time allowance, students previous knowledge etc. Please go through the resource prior to the assembly to familiarise yourself with the content and select which aspects you wish to include/remove.
The resource covers: what a General Election is, why the UK is having an early election, the results of the 2015 election, polling, the difference in outcomes across the four UK nations post Brexit, the influence of Brexit and a brief look at the main parties ‘visions’ ahead of their manifestoes. The resource puts forward an unbiased perspective while also giving a digestible reflection of the present understanding in the country. This is so the young people can be engaged with and find accessible this very complex but crucial material via an assembly.
There are questions to the assembly and teachers notes throughout, under each slide, we have bolded some text to demonstrate key aspects to share.
The Citizenship foundation are working to prepare a resource for use in the classroom on or around the 8th June to engage young people in the debate, voting and the election as a whole.
General Election

2. June 8th
Teachers Notes
Have this slide open as the classes come into the assembly space.
Q. Does anyone know what is happening across the country on June 8th, in 2/3/4 weeks time?
A. General Election.
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3. General Election June 8th
Teachers Notes
That’s correct the UK is having a General Election. OR The country is taking part in a General Election.
Q. Does anyone know when the UK’s last GE was, and how often they usually take place?
A / every five years.
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4. We had a General Election in 2015, the next is not due until 2020 so WHY have a General Election NOW?
A lot has happened in the last 2 years…
Brexit – An EU referendum with just over half of voters choosing to leave the EU
David Cameron resigned, a new Prime Minister, Theresa May appointed
Article 50 Triggered, signalling the start of the UK leaving the EU
Teachers Notes
The UK have a GE every 5 years - An early or snap election can be called if Members of Parliament vote by a two-thirds majority – this was the case last month. The House of Commons backed the Prime Minister (Teresa May) by 522 votes to 13, well above the two-thirds majority needed, as Labour and the Liberal Democrats supported the decision.
It is felt that the Conservative party and in particular the Prime Minister, Teresa May has probably called this early election to endorse her position with regards to Brexit and the immense and possibly life changing events which will follow.
Q. Can anyone name some of the other political parties in the UK?
A. Green Party / Plaid Cymru / UKIP / Ulster Unionist Party
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5. 2015 General Election Number of Seats won: Conservatives 331
Labour 232
SNP 56
Lib Dems 8
Plaid Cymru 3
Green Party 1
UKIP 1
Democratic Unionist Party 8
Sinn Fein 4
Social Democratic & Labour Party 3
Ulster Unionist Party 2
1 MP sits as independent
Teachers Notes
Q. Does anyone know what SNP stands for? I can give you a clue, they are a Scottish party.
A. Scottish National Party.
Just for your information, the four parties at the end of this list are all parties in Northern Ireland.
This info-gram shows the results from the GE in The Conservative and Labour numbers were relatively close. This means that getting a clear majority agreement can be difficult for the party in power, the Conservative's.
The election in June could give the conservative party a larger majority and Teresa May a stronger mandate or ‘ruling’ to carry forward the Brexit negotiations.
Ref:
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6. So, what is a General Election ?
Contestants (known as candidates) seek to be chosen as the Member of Parliament (MP) for a local area (known as a constituency)
Candidates are usually from political parties, but can also be independent
Q How many of you know who your local MP is and what party they represent?
Q Has anyone met their local MP?
In the week around the GE local MP’s will be speaking at meetings, knocking on doors and trying to meet as many local people as possible. They are contestants hoping to be voted in as the member of parliament for that area. You may remember getting an extra day off when you were in primary school because your school may have been a polling station.
Most the MP’s you may see around your area or hear people talking about are from well known political parties, like the ones mentioned above. But anyone can stand for election
Q. Can anyone remember any of the less well known parties?
A. Democratic Unionist Party / Sinn Fein / Social Democratic & Labour Party / Ulster Unionist Party / Plaid Cymru / Green Party
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7. So, what is a General Election ?
The candidate with most votes in a constituency is chosen as its MP, to the House of Commons
The leader of the party with the most MPs becomes Prime Minister and creates a government to run the country
The party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the opposition
Teachers Notes
On the 8th of June an Member of Parliament will be selected for each constituency. The party with the most votes in each constituency will become the party of the government and the leader will be the Prime Minister. The party with the second highest number will form the opposition. MP’s from other parties who were elected such as the parties in Northern Ireland and Wales will also represent their constituency in parliament, but because of their small numbers cannot often influence decisions or policy making.
Did you know that you can visit the House of Commons or Westminster Palace as it is also known. You can go on a tours, go to the café and have tea, or to sit in the Public Gallery. - See more at:
Q. Only UK citizens 18 and over can vote, how many of you think the voting age should be lower? Maybe 17 or even 16?
Q. Has anyone heard which party is suggesting that young people of 16 and older should be given an opportunity to vote?
A. Green Party.
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8. Quick definition….. Opinion Poll:
Noun an assessment of public opinion by questioning a representative sample, especially as the basis for forecasting the results of voting.
Teachers Notes
Read the definition if you consider it will support students understanding.
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9. What are the Polls saying?
May average of opinion polls
Conservatives 48%
Labour %
Liberal Democrats 10%
UKIP 5%
Greens 2%
Conservative lead of more than 19% ahead of Labour
Teachers Notes
The average of opinion polls published in May put the Conservatives on 48% compared with 29% for Labour a lead of more than 19%. The Liberal Democrats were on 10%, UKIP 5% and the Greens on 2%.
If this is how people vote on June 8th it would translate into a comfortable win for the Conservative party. There are several weeks left for the parties to get their message out to the voting public and Polls have and can be wrong.
Q. Does anyone have a view on why we conduct opinion polls around elections and what the public might understand by them?
Ref : 4th May
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10. The United Kingdom, divided by the 2016 referendum
Leave: 51.9%
Remain: 48.1%
England
Leave: 53.4%
Remain 46.6%
Wales
Leave: 52.5%
Remain 47.5%
Northern Ireland
Leave: 44.2%
Remain 55.8%
Scotland
Leave: 38%
Remain 62%
voted to leave
voted to remain
Teachers Notes
I am going to point to say which party a couple/all of these political party emblems belong to. If you think I am correct put your hand up.
Reading across from left to right in two rows they are:
Plaid Cymru / Labour / Lib Dems / Conservatives
Sinn Fein / Scottish National Party / Green Party / Social Democratic & Labour Party
So let’s have a look at what some of these parties are saying leading up to the elections.
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11. Lets look at what some of the parties are saying
Teachers Notes
I am going to point to say which party a couple/all of these political party emblems belong to. If you think I am correct put your hand up.
Reading across from left to right in two rows they are:
Plaid Cymru / Labour / Lib Dems / Conservatives
Sinn Fein / Scottish National Party / Green Party / Social Democratic & Labour Party
So let’s have a look at what some of these parties are saying leading up to the elections.
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12. The Green Party
“….economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few; a Britain that’s open to the world and the protection of our precious environment.
We will stand up to the politics of hatred and division…. give people across the country a chance to vote for a better Britain.”
Policy: 16 and 17-year-olds vote in the General Election
Teachers Notes
See summary below to read out.
“….economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few; a Britain that’s open to the world and the protection of our precious environment.
We will stand up to the politics of hatred and division…. give people across the country a chance to vote for a better Britain.”
And something you may all be very interested in is they want to lower the voting age to give16 and 17-year-olds a vote Elections.
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13. Liberal Democrats
Tim Farron, leader, said, “If you want to avoid a disastrous hard Brexit, if you want to keep Britain in the single market, if you want a Britain that is open, tolerant and united, this is your chance.”
Teachers Notes
See summary below to read out.
“If you want to avoid a disastrous hard Brexit, if you want to keep Britain in the single market, if you want a Britain that is open, tolerant and united, this is your chance.”
The Liberal Democrats are also commitment to a second EU referendum if they win.
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14. Conservatives
“We need an election now to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond”
Teachers Notes
See summary below to read out.
The conservatives are focusing on promoting their leader, the Prime Minister as the only person who can provide a ‘’secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond’.
They also state that the economy is only safe in their hands.
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15. Labour Full employment A secure homes guarantee Security at work
A secure NHS and social care
A national education service
Action to secure our environment
Put the public back into our economy
Cut inequality in income and wealth
Action to secure an equal society
Peace and justice, heart of foreign policy
Teachers Notes
See summary below to read out.
The Labour party have released 10 pledges. Read out a selection of the 10.
1. FULL EMPLOYMENT
2. A SECURE HOMES GUARANTEE
3. SECURITY AT WORK
4. A SECURE NHS AND SOCIAL CARE
5. A NATIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE
6. ACTION TO SECURE OUR ENVIRONMENT
7. PUT THE PUBLIC BACK INTO OUR ECONOMY
8. CUT INEQUALITY IN INCOME AND WEALTH
9. ACTION TO SECURE AN EQUAL SOCIETY
10. PEACE AND JUSTICE AT THE HEART OF FOREIGN POLICY
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16. Results in on June 9th Teachers Notes
So on the 9th June we shall know which party will be leading the country into the Brexit negotiations and for the next five years……… that is unless there is another snap election!
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