The topic of when the next UK general election will be is often a point of discussion for political parties as they seek to either hold onto their control of Government or gain a foothold there.

The Conservative Party has been the leading party in Government since 2010, and is currently led by Rishi Sunak.

Keir Starmer will be hoping to lead Labour to a victory when the next general election is held and it is likely to be relatively soon.

Here's all you need to know about what a general election is and when the next one is likely to be held.

The Northern Echo: The Conservative Party have been the leading party in the Government since 2010The Conservative Party have been the leading party in the Government since 2010 (Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

What is a general election?

On the Parliament website, it states: "A general election is an opportunity for people in every part of the UK to choose their MP. 

"This person will represent a local area (constituency) in the House of Commons for up to five years.

"There is a choice of several candidates in each constituency. Some will be the local candidates for national political parties. The candidate that receives most votes becomes their MP."

There are a total of 650 seats in Parliament which equates to one MP each, and to get a majority a party needs to win over half of them, or at least 326.

When is the next UK general election?

According to the Parliament website, the latest the next general election can take place is December 2024 or January 2025.

No official date has been confirmed yet but the maximum term of a Parliament is five years from the day on which it first met.

The current Parliament first met on December 17, 2019, and will automatically dissolve on December 17, 2024, unless it has been dissolved sooner by the King.

Polling Day would be expected to take place 25 days later, not counting weekends or any bank holidays that fall within this period.