We told you last week about Texas Senator Ted Cruz throwing hit hat into the ring for the 2016 U.S. presidential race. Well across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom is preparing for its first general election in five years.
You may remember that the UK is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
But the UK election season is very different from here in the United States. British Prime Minister David Cameron made a ceremonial trip to Buckingham Palace that officially kicked off the British election season.
Queen Elizabeth officially dissolved parliament, a formality before campaigning gets into full swing ahead of the national vote on May 7. This means that every seat in the House of Commons is now vacant… imagine what would happen if the U.S. did that during our voting season!
There are 650 seats in the House of Commons, representing the 650 electoral areas in the UK, with the large majority in England. The queen cannot vote, as she must remain politically neutral as head of state. This also extends to the royal family and the House of Lords.
Encyclopedia Article: World Book Advanced, Freedom of Religion