View source for Politics of England

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Politics of England}}

'''Politics of England''' forms the major part of the wider [[politics of the United Kingdom]], with [[England]] being more populous than all the other [[countries of the United Kingdom]] put together. As England is also by far the largest in terms of [[Geography of England|area]] and GDP, its relationship to the UK is somewhat different from that of [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] or [[Northern Ireland]]. The English capital London is also the capital of the UK, and English is the dominant language of the UK (not officially, but ''de facto''). [[Dicey Morris & Collins|Dicey and Morris]] (p26) list the separate states in the [[British Islands]]. "England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the [[Isle of Man]], [[Jersey]], [[Guernsey]], [[Alderney]], and [[Sark]].... is a separate country in the sense of the [[conflict of laws]], though not one of them is a State known to public international law." But this may be varied by statute.

The United Kingdom is one state for the purposes of the Bills of Exchange Act 1882. [[Great Britain]] is a single state for the purposes of the [[Companies Act 1985]]. Traditionally authors referred to the legal unit of [[England and Wales]] as "England" although this usage is becoming politically unacceptable in the last few decades. The [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] is located in London, as is its civil service, [[HM Treasury]] and most of the official residences of the monarchy. In addition, the state bank of the UK is known as the "[[Bank of England|Bank of ''England'']]".

Though associated with England for some purposes, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey have their own parliaments, and are not part of the United Kingdom, the [[European Union]] or England.

Prior to the [[Acts of Union 1707|Union]], in 1707, England was ruled by a [[List of English monarchs|monarch]] and the [[Parliament of England]]. Since the Union, England has not had its own [[Government of England|government]].

[[File:Hexateuch king.jpg|thumb|[[Anglo-Saxon]] king with his [[Witangemot|witan]] (11th century)]]

[[File:Medieval parliament edward.Jpg|thumb|A 16th-century depiction of the medieval [[Parliament of England]]]]

==History==

=== Pre-Union politics ===
[[File:Coat of Arms of England (1603-1649).svg|thumb|[[Royal arms of England]] after the [[Union of the Crowns]] under [[James VI and I]] ({{Reign|1603|1625}})]]
[[File:Coat of Arms of the Protectorate (1653–1659).svg|thumb|[[Coat of arms]] of the [[Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland]] under [[Oliver Cromwell]], the [[Lord Protector]] ({{Reign|1653|1659}})]]
{{main|Government in medieval England|Elizabethan government}}

The [[Parliament of England|English Parliament]] traces its origins to the [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] ''{{lang|ang|[[Witenagemot]]}}''. Hollister argues that:
:In an age lacking precise definitions of constitutional relationships, the deeply ingrained custom that the king governed in consultation with the Witan, implicit in almost every important royal document of the period, makes the Witenagemot one of Anglo-Saxon England's fundamental political institutions.<ref>C.Warren Hollister, ''The Making of England, 55 B.C. to 1399'' (7th ed. 1996) p 82</ref>

In 1066, [[William I of England|William of Normandy]] brought a [[feudal system]], where he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and [[ecclesiology|ecclesiastic]]s before making laws. In 1215, the tenants-in-chief secured the [[Magna Carta]] from [[John of England|King John]], which established that the king may not levy or collect any taxes (except the feudal taxes to which they were hitherto accustomed), save with the consent of his royal council, which slowly developed into a parliament.

In 1265, [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]] summoned the first elected Parliament. The franchise in parliamentary elections for [[Counties of England|county]] constituencies was uniform throughout the country, extending to all those who owned the [[Freehold (real property)|freehold]] of land to an annual rent of 40 [[£sd|shillings]] ([[Forty-shilling Freeholders]]). In the [[Borough#Parliamentary boroughs|boroughs]], the franchise varied across the country; individual boroughs had varying arrangements.

This set the scene for the so-called "[[Model Parliament]]" of 1295 adopted by [[Edward I of England|Edward I]]. By the reign of [[Edward II of England|Edward II]], Parliament had been separated into two Houses: one including the nobility and higher clergy, the other including the knights and burgesses, and no law could be made, nor any tax levied, without the consent of both Houses as well as of the Sovereign.

The [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542|Laws in Wales Acts]] of 1535–42 annexed Wales as part of England and brought Welsh representatives to Parliament.

When [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] was succeeded in 1603 by the [[King of Scots|Scottish King]] [[James VI and I|James VI]], (thus becoming James I of England), the countries both came under his rule but each retained its own Parliament. James I's successor, [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], quarrelled with the English Parliament and, after he provoked the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]], their dispute developed into the [[English Civil War]]. Charles was executed in 1649 and under [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s [[Commonwealth of England]] the House of Lords was abolished, and the House of Commons made subordinate to Cromwell. After Cromwell's death, [[English Restoration|the Restoration]] of 1660 restored the monarchy and the House of Lords.

Amidst fears of a Roman Catholic succession, the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 deposed [[James II of England|James II]] (James VII of Scotland) in favour of the joint rule of [[Mary II of England|Mary II]] and [[William III of England|William III]], whose agreement to the [[English Bill of Rights]] introduced a [[constitutional monarchy]], though the supremacy of the Crown remained.  For the third time, a [[Convention Parliament (1689)|Convention Parliament]], i.e., one not summoned by the king, was required to determine the succession.

===Post-Union politics===
{{image frame|width=212|border=no|content=[[File:Flags of the Union Jack.svg|212px]]|caption=The [[flag of England]] was incorporated into what is now the [[Union Jack]].}}
[[File:Coat of Arms of Great Britain (1707-1714).svg|thumb|Royal coat of arms of the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] after the [[Acts of Union 1707]] under [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Anne]], Queen of England ({{Reign|1702|1707}}) and of Great Britain ({{Reign|1707|1725}})]]
[[File:Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (1837-1952).svg|thumb|[[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal coat of arms]] between 1837 and 1952]]
{{main|Treaty of Union|Acts of Union 1707|Parliament of Great Britain|Politics of the United Kingdom}}

* [[Treaty of Union]] agreed by commissioners for each parliament on 22 July 1706.
* [[Acts of Union 1707]], passed by both the Parliament of England and the [[Parliament of Scotland]] to form the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]].
* [[Act of Union 1800]], passed by both the [[Parliament of Great Britain]] and the [[Parliament of Ireland]] to form the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]].

Once the terms of the [[Treaty of Union]] were agreed in 1706, [[Act of Union 1707|Acts of Union]] were passed in both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland, which created a new [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]. The Acts dissolved both parliaments, replacing them with a new ''Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain'' based in the former home of the English parliament. All the traditions, procedures, and standing orders of the English parliament were retained, as were the incumbent officers, and English members comprised the overwhelming majority of the new body. It was not even considered necessary to hold a new general election. While [[Scots law]] and Scottish legislation remained separate, new legislation for both former kingdoms was now dealt with by the new parliament.

After the [[House of Hanover|Hanoverian]] [[George I of Great Britain|George I]] ascended the throne in 1714 through an [[Act of Settlement 1701|Act of Parliament]], power began to shift from the Sovereign, and by the end of his reign the position of the ministers – who had to rely on Parliament for support – was cemented. Towards the end of the 18th century the monarch still had considerable influence over Parliament, which was dominated by the English aristocracy and by [[patronage]], but had ceased to exert direct power: for instance, the last occasion [[Royal Assent]] was withheld, was in 1708 by [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]]. At [[general election]]s the vote was restricted to [[Fee simple|freeholders]] and landowners, in constituencies that were out of date, so that in many "[[rotten borough]]s" seats could be bought while major cities remained unrepresented. Reformers and [[Radicalism (historical)|Radical]]s sought parliamentary reform, but as the [[Napoleonic Wars]] developed the government became repressive against dissent and progress toward reform was stalled.

=== European Parliament ===
[[File:English regions 2009 (numbered).svg|thumb|[[European Parliament constituency|European Parliament constituencies]] in England in 2009]]
{{main|Elections in the European Union}}
When the United Kingdom was a member of the European Union, members of the [[European Parliament]] for the United Kingdom were elected by twelve European [[constituency|constituencies]], of which nine were within England, the others being one each covering Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [[Gibraltar]], the only British Overseas Territory that was then part of the European Union, was included in the South West England European Constituency. At the last European Parliamentary election in which the United Kingdom participated, the English European constituencies were

{| class="wikitable"
!Constituency!!Region!!Seats!!Pop.!!per Seat
|-
|1. '''[[London (European Parliament constituency)|London]]''' || [[Greater London]] || 9 || 7.4m || 822k
|-
|2. '''[[South East England (European Parliament constituency)|South East England]]''' || [[South East England|South East]] || 10 || 8m || 800k
|-
|3. '''[[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England]]''' || [[South West England|South West]], [[Gibraltar]] || 7 || 4.9m || 700k
|-
|4. '''[[West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)|West Midlands]]''' || [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] || 7 || 5.2m || 740k
|-
|5. '''[[North West England (European Parliament constituency)|North West England]]''' || [[North West England|North West]] || 9 || 6.7m || 745k
|-
|6. '''[[North East England (European Parliament constituency)|North East England]]''' || [[North East England|North East]] || 3 || 2.5m || 833k
|-
|7. '''[[Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)|Yorkshire and the Humber]]''' || [[Yorkshire and the Humber]] || 6 ||4.9m||816k
|-
|8. '''[[East Midlands (European Parliament constituency)|East Midlands]]''' || [[East Midlands]] || 6||4.1m||683k
|-
|9. '''[[East of England (European Parliament constituency)|East of England]]''' || [[East of England]] || 7 ||5.4m||770k
|-
|}

=== Post-devolution politics ===
[[File:Flag of England.svg|right|thumb|200px|The [[Flag of England]], a [[Saint George's Cross]]]]{{main|Devolved English Parliament|English nationalism|West Lothian Question}}

While [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]] voted for [[Devolution|devolved]] legislatures in referendums in 1997 and 1998 (see [[1997 Scottish devolution referendum]], [[1997 Welsh devolution referendum]], and [[1998 Northern Irish Belfast Agreement referendum]]) England has never had any referendum for Independence or devolved Assembly/Parliament.

The [[Scottish Parliament]], [[Senedd]] and [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] were created by the [[UK parliament]] along with strong support from the majority of people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and are not independent of the rest of the United Kingdom. However, this gave each country a separate and distinct political identity, leaving England (83% of the UK population) as the only part of the UK [[Direct rule over Northern Ireland|directly ruled]] in nearly all matters by the UK government in London, although [[#Greater London Authority|London itself is devolved]] (see below).

While Scotland and Northern Ireland have always had separate [[legal systems]] to England (see [[Scots law]] and [[Northern Ireland law]]), this has not been the case with Wales (see [[English law]], [[Welsh law]] and [[Contemporary Welsh Law]]). However, laws concerning the [[Welsh language]], and also the [[Senedd]], have created differences between the law in Wales, and the law in England, as they apply in Wales and not in England.

Regarding parliamentary matters, an anomaly called the [[West Lothian Question]] had come to the fore as a result of legislative devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland without corresponding legislative devolution for England. Before devolution, for example, purely 'Scottish' legislation was debated at [[Palace of Westminster|Westminster]] in a Scottish Grand Committee composed of just those MPs representing Scottish constituencies.

However, legislation was still subject to a vote of the entire House of Commons and this frequently led to legislation being passed despite the majority of Scottish MPs voting against. (This was especially true during the period of Conservative rule from 1979 to 1997 when the Conservative Party had an overall majority of MPs but only a handful representing Scotland and Wales.) Now that many Scottish matters are dealt with by the Scottish Parliament, the fact that MPs representing Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can not vote on those issues as they affect Scotland, but can vote on those same issues as they affect England caused some disquiet. In 2015 English votes for English laws was passed by Westminster to solve this by giving English MPs a veto on legislation through [[Legislative Grand Committees]]. This system was discontinued in 2021.

The [[Campaign for an English Parliament]] is a proponent of a separate English parliament.

==Parliament of the United Kingdom==
[[File:Parliament with Millennium Wheel in Background.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Portcullis House]] (L) and the [[Palace of Westminster]] (R), with the [[London Eye]] visible in the background]]

The [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] is located at [[Westminster]] in London.

===House of Commons===
English members of parliament are elected at the same time as those for the rest of the UK. There are 533 English constituencies. Because of their large number, they form an inbuilt majority in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]. Even though Clause 81 of the [[Scotland Act 1998]] equalised the English and Scottish electoral quota, and thereby reduced the number of Scottish members in the House of Commons from 72 to 59 MPs. 

There is no English Grand Committee, however there is a [[Regional Affairs Committee]] which every English member can attend. For many years an anomaly known as the [[West Lothian question]] where MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are able to vote on matters which only affect England only when those same issues are devolved to their own institutions and has become a major issue in recent years. In May 2015 the [[Conservative Party UK|Conservative Party]] won an unexpected overall majority and pledged to commit to a manifesto promise to change parliamentary procedures and create a Legislative Grand Committee to give English MPs a much greater role in issues which affect only England (or England and Wales) as a solution to this issue known as "[[English votes for English laws]]" (EVEL). On 22 October 2015 following a heated debate in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] the Conservative Government led by [[David Cameron]] by 312 votes to 270 votes approved the proposals which came into effect immediately.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34599998|title=English vote plan to become law despite objections|work=BBC News|date=22 October 2015}}</ref> The legislative grand committee system was abolished in July 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57828406|title=Commons scraps English votes for English laws|work=BBC News|date=13 July 2021}}</ref>

===House of Lords===
The [[House of Lords]] also has an inbuilt English majority.

Members of the House of Lords who sit by virtue of their ecclesiastical offices are known as the [[Lords Spiritual]]. Formerly, the Lords Spiritual comprised a majority in the House of Lords, including the [[Church of England]]'s [[archbishop]]s, [[bishop|diocesan bishops]], [[abbot]]s, and [[priory|priors]]. After 1539, however, only the archbishops and bishops continued to attend, for the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] suppressed the positions of abbot and prior. In 1642, during the English Civil War, the Lords Spiritual were excluded altogether, but they returned under the [[Clergy Act 1661]].

The number of Lords Spiritual was further restricted by the [[Bishopric of Manchester Act 1847]], and by later acts. Now, there can be no more than 26 Lords Spiritual in the Lords, but they always include the five most important prelates of the Church: the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], the [[Archbishop of York]], the [[Bishop of London]], the [[Bishop of Durham]], and the [[Bishop of Winchester]]. Membership of the House of Lords also extends to the 21 longest-serving other diocesan bishops of the Church of England. The current Lords Spiritual, therefore, represent only the Church of England, although members of other churches and religions are appointed by the Queen as individuals and not ''[[ex officio]]''.
===Elections===
{{further|1997 United Kingdom general election in England|2001 United Kingdom general election in England|2005 United Kingdom general election in England|2010 United Kingdom general election in England|2015 United Kingdom general election in England|2017 United Kingdom general election in England|2019 United Kingdom general election in England|2024 United Kingdom general election in England}}
====1997====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}<!-- Empty reference <ref name="results" /-->
! colspan="5" |Seats
! colspan="3" |Votes
|-
! Total !! Gains !! Losses
!Net +/-
!% seats
!Total votes
!% votes
!Change
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 328
| align="right" | 133
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | {{increase}}132
| align="right" | 62.0
| align="right" | 11,347,882
| align="right" | 43.5
| align="right" | {{increase}}9.6
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 165
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 159
| align="right" | {{decrease}}159
| align="right" | 31.2
| align="right" | 8,780,881
| align="right" | 33.7
| align="right" | {{decrease}}11.8
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| align="right" | 34
| align="right" | 26
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | {{increase}}25
| align="right" | 6.4
| align="right" | 4,677,565
| align="right" | 18.0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}1.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Referendum Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 746,624
| align="right" | 2.9
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|UK Independence Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 103,521
| align="right" | 0.4
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{increase}}1
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | 69,464
| align="right" | 0.3
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 60,013
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK, 1989)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 44,516
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Socialist Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 44,114
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|British National Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 35,181
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour| Natural Law Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 25,958
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Labour}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 24,447
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{increase}}1
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | 24,447
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Conservative}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 18,667
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
|-
|
| style="text-align:left" |  Prolife Alliance
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 13,890
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-

| {{Party name with colour no link|Other parties}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 42,020
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| colspan="7" rowspan="1" style="text-align:right" | 
| align="right" | '''26,058,712'''
| align="right" | '''71.5'''
| align="right" | {{decrease}}6.5
|}

====2001====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}<!-- Empty reference <ref name="results" /-->
! colspan="5" |Seats
! colspan="3" |Votes
|-
! Total !! Gains !! Losses
!Net +/-
!% seats
!Total votes
!% votes
!Change
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 323
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 6
| align="right" | {{decrease}}5
| align="right" | 61.1
| align="right" | 9,056,824
| align="right" | 41.4
| align="right" | {{decrease}}2.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 165
| align="right" | 8
| align="right" | 8
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | 31.2
| align="right" | 7,705,870
| align="right" | 35.2
| align="right" | {{increase}}1.5
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| align="right" | 40
| align="right" | 8
| align="right" | 2
| align="right" | {{increase}}6
| align="right" | 8.1
| align="right" | 4,246,853
| align="right" | 19.4
| align="right" | {{increase}}1.5
|-
| {{Party name with colour| UK Independence Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 374,775
| align="right" | 1.7
| align="right" | {{increase}}1.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 158,173
| align="right" | 0.7
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.5
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | {{decrease}}1
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 79,559
| align="right" | 0.4
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Socialist Alliance (England)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 55,295
| align="right" | 0.3
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Socialist Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 51,299
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|British National Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 46,851
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{increase}}1
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | 28,487
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK, 1989)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 13,302
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour no link|Other parties}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}1
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 53,474
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| colspan="7" rowspan="1" style="text-align:right" | 
| align="right" | '''21,870,762'''
| align="right" | '''59.1'''
| align="right" | {{decrease}}12.2
|}

====2005====
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}<!-- Empty reference <ref name="results" /-->
! colspan="5" |Seats
! colspan="3" |Votes
|-
! Total !! Gains !! Losses
!Net +/-
!% seats
!Total votes
!% votes
!Change
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" |286
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |37
| align="right" |{{decrease}}37
| align="right" |54.1
| align="right" |8,043,461
| align="right" |35.4
| align="right" |{{decrease}}6.0
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| align="right" |194
| align="right" |32
| align="right" |3
| align="right" |{{increase}}29
| align="right" |36.7
| align="right" |8,116,005
| align="right" |35.7
| align="right" |{{increase}}0.5
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| align="right" |47
| align="right" |12
| align="right" |5
| align="right" |{{increase}}7
| align="right" |8.9
| align="right" |5,201,286
| align="right" |22.9
| align="right" |{{increase}}3.6
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Respect Party}}
| align="right" |1
| align="right" |1
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{increase}}1
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" |67,422
| align="right" |0.3
| align="right" |{{increase}}0.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern}}
| align="right" |1
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" |18,739
| align="right" |0.1
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|UK Independence Party}}
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |592,417
| align="right" |2.6
| align="right" |{{increase}}0.9
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |251,051
| align="right" |1.1
| align="right" |{{increase}}0.4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|British National Party}}
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |189,570 	
| align="right" |0.8
| align="right" |{{increase}}0.6
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Veritas (political party)}}
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |39,044 	
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" |''New''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK, 1989)}}
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |17,547
| align="right" |0.1
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
|-
| bgcolor="lightgrey" |
| align="left" | Others
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |{{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |177,343
| align="right" |0.8
| align="right" |''N/A''
|-
| colspan="7" rowspan="1" style="text-align:right" | 
| align="right" | '''22,713,855'''
| align="right" | '''61.0'''
| align="right" | {{increase}}1.9
|}
====2010====
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/results/region/48.stm Election 2010 Results England] BBC News</ref>
! colspan="5" |Seats
! colspan="3" |Votes
|-
! Total !! Gains !! Losses
!Net +/-
!% seats
!Total votes
!% votes
!Change
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 297
| align="right" | 95
| align="right" | 4
| align="right" | {{increase}}91
| align="right" | 55.7
| align="right" | 9,908,169
| align="right" | 39.5
| align="right" | {{increase}}3.8
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 191
| align="right" | 2
| align="right" | 89
| align="right" | {{decrease}}87
| align="right" | 35.8
| align="right" | 7,042,398
| align="right" | 28.1
| align="right" | {{decrease}}7.4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| align="right" | 43
| align="right" | 8
| align="right" | 12
| align="right" | {{decrease}}4
| align="right" | 8.1
| align="right" | 6,076,189
| align="right" | 24.2
| align="right" | {{increase}}1.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|UK Independence Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 866,633
| align="right" | 3.5
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.9
|-
| {{Party name with colour|British National Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 532,333
| align="right" | 2.1
| align="right" | {{increase}}1.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{increase}}1
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | 258,954
| align="right" | 1.0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|English Democrats}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 64,826
| align="right" | 0.3
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Respect - The Unity Coalition}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}1
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 33,251
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{increase}}1
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | 22,860
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}1
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 16,150
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Christian Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 15,841
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|National Front (UK)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 10,400
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 8,404
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | ''N/A''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Socialist Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 4,368
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour no link|Other parties}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 224,341 
| align="right" | 0.9
| align="right" | {{steady}}
|-
| colspan="7" rowspan="1" style="text-align:right" | 
| align="right" | '''25,085,097'''
| align="right" | '''65.5'''
| align="right" | {{increase}}4.5
|}
====2015====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/results/england Election 2015 Results England] BBC News</ref>
! colspan="5" |Seats
! colspan="3" |Votes
|-
! Total !! Gains !! Losses
!Net +/-
!% seats
!Total votes
!% votes
!Change
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 318
| align="right" | 32
| align="right" | 11
| align="right" | {{increase}}21
| align="right" | 59.7
| align="right" | 10,483,261
| align="right" | 40.9
| align="right" | {{increase}}1.4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| align="right" | 206
| align="right" | 21
| align="right" | 6
| align="right" | {{increase}}15
| align="right" | 38.6
| align="right" | 8,087,684
| align="right" | 31.6
| align="right" | {{increase}}3.6
|-
| {{Party name with colour|UK Independence Party}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" |1
| align="right" |0
| align="right" | {{increase}}1
| align="right" |0.2
| align="right" | 3,611,367
| align="right" | 14.1
| align="right" | {{increase}}10.7
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| align="right" | 6
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 37
| align="right" | {{decrease}}37
| align="right" | 1.1
| align="right" | 2,098,404
| align="right" | 8.2
| align="right" | {{decrease}}16.0
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | 1,073,242
| align="right" | 4.2
| align="right" | {{increase}}3.2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)}}
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" | 34,617
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
|-

| {{Party name with colour|Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 32,868
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|National Health Action Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 20,210
| align="right" | 0.1
| align="right" | ''New''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Respect Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 9,989
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Yorkshire First}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 6,811
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | ''New''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|English Democrats}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 6,431
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 4,569
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | ''New''
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Official Monster Raving Loony Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 3,432
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Christian Peoples Alliance}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 3,260
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|British National Party}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 1,667
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | {{decrease}}2.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Class War}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 526
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | ''New''
|-
| {{Party name with colour no link|Other parties}}
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | {{nochange}}
| align="right" | —
| align="right" | 127,133 
| align="right" | 0.5
| align="right" | {{decrease}}0.2
|-
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | '''25,571,204'''
| align="right" | '''65.9'''
| align="right" | {{increase}}0.4
|}

====2017====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2017/results/england|title=England Results|work=BBC News}}</ref>
! colspan="5" |Seats
! colspan="3" |Votes
|-
! Total !! Gains !! Losses
!Net +/-
!% seats
!Total votes
!% votes
!Change
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| 296
| 8
| 30
| {{decrease}}22
| 55.5
| 12,344,901
| 45.4
| {{increase}}4.4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| 227
| 27
| 6
| {{increase}}21
|42.6
| 11,390,099
| 41.9
| {{increase}}10.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| 8
| 5
| 3
| {{increase}}2
| 1.5
| 2,121,810
| 7.8
| {{decrease}}0.4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|UKIP}}
| 0
| 0
| 1
| {{decrease}}1
| —
| 557,390
| 2.1
| {{decrease}}12.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| 1
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|0.2
| 506,969
| 1.9
| {{decrease}}2.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)}}
| 1
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|0.2
| 34,299
| 0.1
|{{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Yorkshire Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 20,958
| 0.1
| {{increase}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|National Health Action Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 16,119
| 0.1
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Christian Peoples Alliance}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 5,869
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|British National Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 4,642 
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Official Monster Raving Loony Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 3,733
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Women's Equality Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 3,066
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|English Democrats}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 1,913
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Pirate Party UK}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 1,875
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 771
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{nochange}}
|—
| 321
| 0.0
| {{nochange}}
|-

|style="background:silver;" | &nbsp;
| align=left| Others
| 0
| 0
|0
|{{nochange}}
|—
| 151,054
| 0.6
| {{increase}}0.4
|-

! colspan="2" |Total
!533
!
!
!
!
! style="text-align: right;" |  27,165,789
! align=left| Turnout
! style="text-align: right;" | 69.1
|}
====2019====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2019/results/england|title=Results of the 2019 General Election in England|work=BBC News}}</ref>
! colspan="5" |Seats
! colspan="3" |Votes
|-
! Total !! Gains !! Losses
!Net +/-
!% seats
!Total votes
!% votes
!Change
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| 345
| 52
| 3
| {{increase}}49
| 64.7
| 12,710,845
| 47.2
| {{increase}}1.7
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| 180
| [[Putney (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
| 48
| {{decrease}}47
| 33.7
| 9,152,034
| 34.0
| {{decrease}}7.9
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| 7
| 2
| 3
| {{decrease}}1
| 1.3
| 3,340,835
| 12.4
| {{increase}}4.6
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| [[Brighton Pavilion (UK Parliament constituency)|1]]
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| 0.2
| 819,751
| 3.0
| {{increase}}1.2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Brexit Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 
| —
| 545,172
| 2.0
| {{increase}}2.0
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Yorkshire Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 29,201
| 0.1
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|UKIP}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 18,891
| 0.1
| {{decrease}}2.0
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK, 1989)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 10,876
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Change UK}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 10,006
| 0.0
| new
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Official Monster Raving Loony Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 9,394
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Christian Peoples Alliance}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 6,246
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Animal Welfare Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 3,086
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 3,000
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|English Democrats}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 1,987
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Libertarian Party (UK)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 1,375
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 524
| 0.0
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Advance Together}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 351
| 0.0
| new
|-
|
|align=left|Others
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 246,094
| 0.9
| {{increase}}0.8
|-
| colspan="7" rowspan="1" style="text-align:right" | 
| align="right" | '''26,909,668'''
| align="right" | '''67.4'''
| align="right" | {{decrease}}'''1.7'''
|}
====2024====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Party<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/regions/E92000001|title=Results of the 2024 General Election in England|work=BBC News}}</ref>
! colspan="5" | Seats
! colspan="3" | Aggregate votes
|-
! Total
! Gains
! Losses
! Net
! Of all (%)
! Total
! Of all (%)
! Differ&shy;ence
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| 347
| 173
| 7
| {{increase}}166
| 63.9
| 8,339,884
| {{#expr: 8339884 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{increase}}{{fsp}}0.5
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| 116
| 1
| 230
| {{decrease}}229
| 21.4
| 6,279,411
| {{#expr: 6279411 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{decrease}}21.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Reform UK}}
| 5
| 5
| 0
| {{increase}}{{fsp|2}}5
| 0.9 
| 3,726,224
| {{#expr: 3726224 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{increase}}13.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| 65
| 59
| 0
| {{increase}}{{fsp}}59
| 12.0
| 3,199,060
| {{#expr: 3199060 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{increase}}{{fsp}}0.8
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| 4
| 3
| 0
| {{increase}}{{fsp|2}}3
| 0.7
| 1,780,226
| {{#expr: 1780226 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{increase}}{{fsp}}4.3
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
| 5
| 5
| 0
| {{increase}}{{fsp|2}}5
| 0.9
| 513,266
| {{#expr: 513266 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{increase}}{{fsp}}1.4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Workers Party of Britain}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 208,234
| {{#expr: 208234 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990-present)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 33,385
| {{#expr: 33385 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{increase}}{{fsp}}0.1
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)}}
| 1
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| 0.2
| 25,238
| 0.1
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Yorkshire Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 17,227
| {{#expr: 17227 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Network}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|Did not stand in 2019}}
| —
| 13,663
| {{#expr: 13663 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|Did not stand in 2019}}
| —
| 10,507
| {{#expr: 10507 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Rejoin EU}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 9,245
| {{#expr: 9245 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK, 1989)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 5,894
| {{#expr: 5894 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|UK Independence Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 5,617
| {{#expr: 5617 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-

| {{Party name with colour|Christian Peoples Alliance}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 5,604
| {{#expr: 5604 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Heritage Party (UK)}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 5,441
| {{#expr: 5441 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Official Monster Raving Loony Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 5,421
| {{#expr: 5421 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|English Democrats}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 5,182
| {{#expr: 5182 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Party of Women}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 5,077
| {{#expr: 5077 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Hampshire Independents}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 2,872
| {{#expr: 2872 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Socialist Labour Party (UK)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 2,397
| {{#expr: 2397 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Climate Party}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 1,863
| {{#expr: 1863 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|British Democratic Party (2013)}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|Did not stand in 2019}}
| —
| 1,860
| {{#expr: 1860 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Alliance for Democracy and Freedom}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 1,586
| {{#expr: 1586 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Communist Party of Britain}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|Did not stand in 2019}}
| —
| 1,585
| {{#expr: 1585 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|English Constitution Party}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 1,563
| {{#expr: 1563 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Animal Welfare Party}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 1,486
| {{#expr: 1486 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|True and Fair Party}}
| 0
| colspan=3 {{n/a|New}}
| —
| 1,440
| {{#expr: 1440 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{n/a|New}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)}}
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 1,190
| {{#expr: 1190 * 100 / 24288122 round 1}}
| {{steady}}
|-
|
|align=left|Others
| 0
| 0
| 0
| {{steady}}
| —
| 76,474
| 0.3
| {{steady}}
|- style="background-color:#f2f2f2; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;"
! colspan="2" scope="row" style="background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Total
| 543
| colspan="4" |
| 24,288,122
| 60.0
| {{decrease}}{{fsp}}7.4
|}

==Devolution within England==
{{see also|Devolution in the United Kingdom}}
===Former regional chambers===
{{further|Regional Assemblies in England}}

After power was to be devolved to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales without a counterweight in England, a series of referendums were planned to establish elected regional assemblies in some of the regions. The first was held in [[1998 London referendum|London in 1998]] and was passed. The [[London Assembly]] and [[Mayor of London]] of the [[Greater London Authority]] were created in 2000.

A [[2004 Northern England referendums|referendum]] was held in North East England on 4 November 2004 but the proposal for an elected assembly was rejected. Plans to hold further referendums in other regions were then cancelled. The remaining eight Partnership Regional Assemblies were abolished in 2010 as part of a ''Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration'' with most of their functions transferring to the relevant [[Regional Development Agency]] and to [[Local Authority Leaders' Board]]s.<ref>eGov monitor – ''[http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/16178 Planning transfer undermines democracy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219014022/http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/16178 |date=19 February 2008 }}''. 29 November 2007</ref>

===Greater London Authority===
[[File:Siemens Crystal Building, London.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[City Hall, London (Newham)|City Hall]], London]]

{{main|Greater London Authority}}

[[Greater London]] has a certain amount of [[devolution]], with the [[London Assembly]] and the directly elected [[Mayor of London]]. The Assembly was established on 3 July 2000, after a [[1998 Greater London Authority referendum|referendum]] in which 72% of those voting supported the creation of the Greater London Authority, which included the Assembly along with the Mayor of London. The referendum and establishment were largely contiguous with Scottish and Welsh devolution.

In Greater London, the 32 [[London borough]] councils have a status close to that of unitary authorities, but come under the [[Greater London Authority]], which oversees some of the functions performed elsewhere in England by Counties including transport, policing, the fire brigade and also economic development.

The [[Mayor of London]] is also referred to as the "London Mayor", a form which helps to avoid confusion with the [[Lord Mayor of the City of London]], the ancient and now mainly ceremonial role in the [[City of London]]. The Mayor of London is mayor of Greater London, which has a population of over 7.5 million while the City of London is only a small part of the modern [[Central London|city centre]] and has a population of fewer than 10,000.

===Combined Authorities and Metro Mayors===
[[File:England Combined Authorities Map.png|thumb|Combined authorities in England]]
{{further|Combined authority|Directly elected mayors in England}}
Localism saw limited return of regional devolution, with devolved powers for combined authorities. The first Combined Authority, the [[Greater Manchester Combined Authority]], was formed in 2011.

In 2014 it was announced that a [[Mayor of Greater Manchester]] would be created as leader of the [[Greater Manchester Combined Authority]]. In 2017 elections were held for [[Greater Manchester]], the [[Liverpool City Region]], the [[Tees Valley]], [[West of England]] and the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] as part of the devolution deals allowed by the [[Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016]]. The delayed election for the [[South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority]] followed in May 2018. The East Midlands Combined Authority (covering Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) and the [[North East Mayoral Combined Authority]] were established in May 2024.

In September 2024, mayoral combined authorities were approved for [[Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority|Greater Lincolnshire]] and [[Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority|Hull and East Yorkshire]] with mayors for these authorities expected to be elected in May 2025. Non-mayoral combined authorities were also agreed for [[Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority|Devon and Torbay]] and [[Lancashire Combined County Authority|Lancashire]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/four-devolution-agreements-signed-off-and-others-progressing | title=Four devolution agreements signed off and others progressing }}</ref>

As of October 2024, in addition to the [[Greater London Authority]] there are 11 mayoral [[Combined authority|Combined Authorities]] in England. There are additional proposals for more combined authorities to be established in the future.<ref>{{Cite web |last=(1) Henderson (2) Paun |first=(1) Duncan (2) Akash |date=March 6, 2023 |title=English Devolution |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/english-devolution |website=[[Institute for Government]]}}</ref>

===Mayoral Council for England===
{{further| Mayoral Council for England}}
[[File:Mayoral Council meeting, 10 October 2024.jpg|thumb|First meeting of the [[Mayoral Council for England]] on 10 October 2024]]

In 2012, prime minister [[David Cameron]] had proposed that directly elected mayors sit within a "Cabinet of Mayors" giving them the opportunity to share ideas and represent their regions at national level. The cabinet of mayors would be chaired by the prime minister and would meet at least twice a year.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17772734 | title=Mayoral referendums: The mayors of the twinned cities | work=BBC News | date=19 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17687751 | title=Rival campaigns fight over directly-elected mayors in England | work=BBC News | date=12 April 2012 }}</ref> 

In 2022, [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] also proposed a similar body to be known as the "Council of England", chaired by the prime minister, to bring together combined authority mayors, representatives of local government and other stakeholders.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Commission-on-the-UKs-Future.pdf|title=A New Britain: Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy|website=Labour Party|date=December 2022}}</ref> 

In 2024, the new Labour government established a UK-wide [[Council of the Nations and Regions]] including the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, the Mayor of London and the Mayors of Combined Authorities, and an England only [[Mayoral Council for England|Mayoral Council]] including ministers from the UK government and Mayors of England's Combined Authorities.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://labour.org.uk/change/serving-the-country/ | title=Serving the country }}</ref> As the Labour government hopes that combined authorities will be established throughout England, the Mayoral Council would enventually evolve into an all England forum.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=White |first1=Hannah |last2=Thomas |first2=Alex |last3=Tetlow |first3=Gemma |last4=Pope |first4=Thomas |last5=Davies |first5=Nick |last6=Davison |first6=Nehal |last7=Metcalfe |first7=Sophie |last8=Paun |first8=Akash |date=26 September 2024 |title=Seven things we learned from the Labour Party Conference 2024 |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/labour-party-conference-2024-seven-things |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241002230955/https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/labour-party-conference-2024-seven-things |archive-date=2 October 2024 |access-date=4 October 2024 |website=Institute for Government}}</ref> As of October 2024, 48% of the population and 26% of the land area of England is represented on the Mayoral Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/english-devolution|title=English devolution|date=21 June 2024|website=Institute for Government}}</ref>

== 'England only' departments of the British Government ==

==="England-only" policy areas===
The UK central government retains the following powers in relation to England which are exercised by devolved governments in the rest of the United Kingdom:<ref>{{cite report|title=Devolving English government|url=https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Devolving-English-Government.pdf|date=April 2023|first1=Jack|last1=Newman|first2=Michael|last2=Kenny|publisher=Bennett Institute for Public Policy}}</ref>

*[[Agriculture in England|Agriculture]]
*[[Culture of England|Culture]]
*[[Education in England|Education]]
*[[Natural environment|Environment]]
*[[Healthcare in England|Health]] (including social care)
*[[Housing in England|Housing]]
*[[Local government in England|Local government]]
*[[Roads in England|Road transport]] (including [[Bus transport in the United Kingdom|buses]], [[Cycling in the United Kingdom|cycling]] and local transport) 
*[[Sport in England|Sport]]
*[[Tourism in England|Tourism]]

===Ministerial departments===
Several [[departments of the Government of the United Kingdom|ministerial government departments]], [[non-ministerial government department]]s, [[executive agency|executive agencies]] and [[Non-departmental public body|non-departmental public bodies]] of the [[Government of the United Kingdom|UK government]] have responsibilities for matters affecting England alone.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Devolving-English-Government.pdf|title=Devolving English government|website=Bennett Institute for Public Policy|location=Cambridge University|first1=Jack|last1=Newman|first2=Michael|last2=Kenny|date=April 2023}}</ref>

*[[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government]]. 
*[[Department for Education]] 
*[[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] (Defra)
*[[Department of Health and Social Care (United Kingdom)|Department of Health and Social Care]]

The following ministerial departments deal mainly with matters affecting England though they also have some UK-wide responsibilities in certain areas;

*[[Department for Transport]]
*[[Department for Culture, Media and Sport]]

===Non-ministerial departments===
*[[Forestry Commission]]
*[[Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills]] (Ofsted)
*[[Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation]] (Ofqual)

===Executive agencies===
*[[Active Travel England]]
*[[UK Health Security Agency|Health Security Agency]]
*[[Planning Inspectorate]]
*[[Rural Payments Agency]]
*[[Standards and Testing Agency]]
*[[Teaching Regulation Agency]]

===Non-departmental public bodies===
*[[Arts Council England]]
*[[Care Quality Commission]]
*[[Children's Commissioner for England]]
*[[Environment Agency]]
*[[Forestry England]]
*[[Historic England]]
*[[Homes England]]
*[[Natural England]]
*[[NHS England]]
*[[NHS Resolution]]
*[[Office for Students]]
*[https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-schools-adjudicator Office of the Schools Adjudicator]
*[[Regulator of Social Housing]]
*[https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/school-teachers-review-body School Teachers' Review Body]
*[[Skills England]]
*[[Social Work England]]
*[[Sport England]]
*[[VisitEngland]]

===Tribunals===
*[[Valuation Tribunal for England]]

===Ombudsman===
*[[Housing Ombudsman]]
*[[Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman]]

===Government owned companies===
*[[Community Health Partnerships]]
*[[Genomics England]]
*[[National Highways]] 
*[[NHS Property Services]]
*[[NHS Professionals]]
*[[NHS Shared Business Services]]

== Local government ==
[[File:England administrative divisions since 2009.svg|thumb|300px|Structure of administrative divisions of England]]

[[File:English administrative divisions map coloured by type 2023.svg|thumb|{{Color sample|#984ea3}} [[Metropolitan borough]]<br />
{{Color sample|#ff7f00}} [[London borough]] or the [[City of London]]<br />
{{Color sample|#4da14a}} [[Unitary authorities of England|Unitary authority]]<br />
{{Color sample|#e41a1c}} Two-tier [[non-metropolitan county]]]]
{{Main|Administrative divisions of England|Metropolitan borough|Non-metropolitan district}}
{{See also|Subdivisions of England|Local government in England}}

For the purposes of [[local government]], England is divided into as many as four levels of [[administrative division]]s. At some levels, various legislation has created alternative types of administrative division.

Districts in England may also have the status of [[borough]], [[City status in the United Kingdom|city]] or [[royal borough]].

The metropolitan counties were divided into metropolitan districts which are usually called boroughs. When the county councils were abolished the metropolitan districts gained much of their powers and therefore function similar to other unitary authorities.

Shire counties are divided into non-metropolitan districts. Power is shared with the county council, but shared differently from the metropolitan counties when first created.

The [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] is the most local unit of government in England. Under the legislation that created Greater London, they are not permitted within its boundary. Not all of the rest of England is parished, though the number of parishes and total area parished is growing.

==Political parties==

The [[Green Party of England and Wales]] had an amicable split from [[Scottish Greens|Scottish counterpart]] in 1990, and the [[Wales Green Party]] section is semi-autonomous.

The [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] adopted a policy of [[English Votes on English Legislation]] (EVoEL), to prevent non-English constituency MPs voting on exclusively English legislation. Despite 'One Nation' Conservativism, some have flirted<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17739863.boris-johnson-accused-of-dubious-u-turn-after-saying-he-would-keep-funding-formula-he-previously-criticised|title=Johnson accused of 'dubious U-turn' after saying he would keep funding formula he previously criticised|date=30 June 2019|first=Michael|last=Settle|newspaper=The herald}}</ref> with devolution factors like the [[Barnett formula|Barnett-Formula]].

The [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] have devolved sub-parties for [[Scottish Labour|Scotland]] and [[Welsh Labour|Wales]]. Labour tried unsuccessfully to devolve power to the [[Regions of England]], on the basis of England being dis-proportionately large as a single entity within the United Kingdom. [[Lord Falconer]], a Scottish peer claimed a [[devolved English parliament]] would dwarf the rest of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4792120.stm |title=No English parliament – Falconer |date=10 March 2006 |publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=20 January 2008}}</ref>

The [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] have nominally separate [[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Scottish]], [[Welsh Liberal Democrats|Welsh]] and [[English Liberal Democrats|English]] parties.

In spite of seeking independence of the United Kingdom from the European Union, both the [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP) and [[Reform UK]] do not support further onward devolution to England, although support scrapping the [[Barnett formula]].

=== Minor political parties ===
Most of the parties that only operate within England alone tend to be purely interested in English issues, like [[English independence]] or an [[English Parliament]]. Examples include the [[English Democrats]], One England, the English People's Party, the English Radical Alliance, the [[England First Party]], and the English Independence Party.

==Church of England==
[[File:Rowan Williams - by Brian.jpg|thumb|right|125px|The [[Archbishop of Canterbury|Former Archbishop of Canterbury]], [[Rowan Williams]].]]
{{see also|Disestablishmentarianism|History of the Church of England}}

The [[Church of England]] is the [[State religion|officially established]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Christian Church|church]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/history/ |title=The History of the Church of England |publisher=The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England |access-date=2006-05-24 |archive-date=21 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221212004/http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/history |url-status=dead }}</ref> in England. [[Charles III|King Charles III]] is the official head of the church, with the title [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]], while the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] is the head clergyman. The canon law of the Church of England states, "We acknowledge that the King's most excellent Majesty, acting according to the laws of the realm, is the highest power under God in this kingdom, and has supreme authority over all persons in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil." In practice this power is often exercised through [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] and the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]].

Of the forty-four diocesan [[archbishop]]s and [[bishop]]s in the Church of England, twenty-six are permitted to sit in the [[House of Lords]]. The Archbishops of [[Archbishop of Canterbury|Canterbury]] and [[Archbishops of York|York]] automatically have seats, as do the Bishops of [[Bishop of London|London]], [[Bishop of Durham|Durham]] and [[Bishop of Winchester|Winchester]]. The remaining twenty-one seats are filled in order of seniority by [[consecration]]. It may take a diocesan bishop a number of years to reach the House of Lords, at which point he becomes a [[Lords Spiritual|Lord Spiritual]].<ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/directories/house_of_lords_information_office/alphabetical_list_of_members.cfm House of Lords: alphabetical list of Members] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702053341/http://www.parliament.uk/directories/house_of_lords_information_office/alphabetical_list_of_members.cfm |date=2 July 2008 }}. Retrieved on 12 December 2008.</ref>

==Monmouthshire==
{{main|Monmouthshire_(historic)#Ambiguity_over_Welsh_status}}

[[File:WalesMonmouthshireTrad.png|right|thumb|200px|Location of [[Monmouthshire]] in relation to [[Wales]]]]
The historic county of [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]], lying in the [[Welsh Marches]] (the Anglo-Welsh border), is a bone of contention for some English nationalists.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.monmouth.org.uk/History/wales1.php| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050204060116/http://www.monmouth.org.uk/History/wales1.php| archive-date = 2005-02-04| title = Monmouth Web Community - History - Wales}}</ref> Although the county is now mostly in Wales, to add to the confusion, [[Welsh Bicknor]] was an exclave of the county, and is in [[Herefordshire]] (England). The Welsh Border has historically been more fluid than the [[Anglo-Scottish border]]

Monmouthshire's Welsh status was ambiguous until relatively recently, with it often thought of as part of England. The entirety of Wales was made part of the [[Kingdom of England]] by the [[Statute of Rhuddlan]], but did not adopt the same civil governance system, with the area of Monmouthshire being under the control of [[Marcher Lords]].

The [[Laws in Wales Act 1535]] integrated Wales directly into the English legal system and the "Lordships Marchers within the said Country or Dominion of Wales" were allocated to existing and new shires. Some lordships were annexed to existing counties in England and some were annexed to existing counties in Wales, with the remainder being divided up into new counties. Despite Monmouthshire being a new county, it was given two [[Knights of the Shire]] in common with existing counties in England, rather than one as in the counties in Wales.

The relevant section of the Act states that "one Knight shall be chosen and elected to the same Parliaments for every of the Shires of Brecknock, Radnor, Montgomery and Denbigh, and for every other Shire within the said Country of Dominion of Wales". As Monmouthshire was dealt with separately it cannot be taken to be a shire "within the said Country of Dominion of Wales". The [[Laws in Wales Act 1542]] specifically enumerates the Welsh counties as twelve in number, excluding Monmouthshire from the count.

The issue was finally clarified in law by the [[Local Government Act 1972]], which provided that "in every act passed on or after 1 April 1974, and in every instrument made on or after that date under any enactment (whether before, on or after that date) "Wales", subject to any alterations of boundaries..." included "the administrative county of Monmouthshire and the county borough of Newport".<ref>Local government Act 1972 (c.70), sections 1, 20 and 269</ref> The name passed onto a [[Monmouth (district)|district of Gwent]] between 1974 and 1996, and on 1 April 1996, a local government principal area named [[Monmouthshire]], covering the eastern 60% of the historic county, was created.

However, the issue has not gone completely away, and the [[English Democrats]] nominated candidates for the [[2007 National Assembly for Wales election|2007 Welsh Assembly elections]] in three of six constituencies in the area of the historic county with a view to promoting a referendum on 'Letting Monmouthshire Decide' whether it wished to be part of Wales or England.<ref>{{Cite web |title=English Democrats Party Campaigning for an English Parliament. |url=http://www.lettingmonmouthshiredecide.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807042200/http://lettingmonmouthshiredecide.com/ |archive-date=Aug 7, 2018}}</ref> The party received between 2.2% and 2.7% of the vote (a much lower total than [[Plaid Cymru]]) and failed to have any members elected.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Election 2007 {{!}} Welsh Assembly {{!}} Election Result: Wales |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/vote2007/welshasssembly_english/html/region_99999.stm |website=BBC NEWS |date=7 May 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111170551/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/vote2007/welshasssembly_english/html/region_99999.stm |archive-date= Nov 11, 2022 }}</ref>

==Berwick-upon-Tweed==
[[File:Berwick-upon-Tweed.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Berwick-upon-Tweed]]]]
The status of [[Berwick-upon-Tweed|Berwick]], north of the [[River Tweed]] is controversial<!-- The phrase "north of the Tweed" is included to distinguish it from Spittal and Tweedmouth which are on the opposite bank, which are not usually part of this controversy.-->, especially amongst [[Scottish independence|Scottish nationalists]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2004-10-08 |title=A tale of one town |language=en-GB |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/3727046.stm |first1=Rachel |last1=Kerr |website=BBC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710190505/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/3727046.stm |archive-date= 10 July 2012 }}</ref> Berwick remained a county in its own right until 1885, when it was included in [[Northumberland]] for Parliamentary purposes. The [[Interpretation Act 1978]] provides that in legislation passed between 1967 and 1974, "a reference to England includes Berwick upon Tweed and [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]]".

In 2008, SNP MSP [[Christine Grahame]] made calls in the [[Scottish Parliament]] for Berwick to become part of Scotland again, saying

:"Even the Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council leader, who is a Liberal Democrat, backs the idea and others see the merits of reunification with Scotland."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-02-10 |title='Return to fold' call for Berwick |language=en-GB |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/7237802.stm |website=BBC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501004410/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/7237802.stm |archive-date= May 1, 2023 }}</ref>

However, Alan Beith, the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] MP for Berwick, said the move would require a massive legal upheaval and is not realistic.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Berwick thinks it's time to change sides ... again
| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3359670.ece
| access-date = 2008-02-14
| work=The Times
| location=London
| first=Alan
| last=Hamilton
| date=13 February 2008}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> However he is contradicted by another member of his party, the Liberal Democrat MSP [[Jeremy Purvis]], who was born and brought up in Berwick. Purvis has asked for the border to be moved ''twenty'' miles south (i.e., south of the Tweed) to include Berwick borough council rather than just the town, and has said:

:"There's a strong feeling that Berwick should be in Scotland, Until recently, I had a gran in Berwick and another in [[Kelso, Scottish Borders|Kelso]], and they could see that there were better public services in Scotland. Berwick as a borough council is going to be abolished and it would then be run from [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]], more than 30 miles away.".<ref>''[[The Sunday Post]]'', 10 February 2008, ''Scots plan to capture 20 miles of England''</ref>

According to a poll conducted by a TV company, 60% of residents favoured Berwick rejoining Scotland.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/7248529.stm TV poll backs Berwick border move] BBC News, 17 February 2008</ref>

==Cornwall==
{{Main|Cornish nationalism|Constitutional status of Cornwall|Cornish devolution}}
Most English people and the UK government regard [[Cornwall]] as a [[county]] of England, but [[Cornish people|Cornish]] nationalists believe that the [[Duchy of Cornwall]] has a status deserving greater autonomy. Campaigners including [[Mebyon Kernow]], a Cornish nationalist party, and all five Cornish [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] MPs opposed participation in the [[South West Regional Assembly]] alongside [[Devon]], [[Dorset]], [[Gloucestershire]], [[Somerset]] and [[Wiltshire]] in favour of a democratically elected [[Cornish Assembly]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.andrewgeorge.org.uk/press/158.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928062016/http://www.andrewgeorge.org.uk/press/158.htm|url-status=dead|title=George Takes Cornish Assembly Campaign to Downing Street|date=12 December 2001|website=Andrew George|archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1704112.stm|title=Blair gets Cornish assembly call|date=11 December 2001|website=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.andrewgeorge.org.uk/press/motion.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928062002/http://www.andrewgeorge.org.uk/press/motion.htm|url-status=dead|title=Motion To Cornwall Liberal Democrats' Conference|date=12 November 2005|website=Andrew George|archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|England|Politics|United Kingdom}}
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Diggers]]
* [[Duchy of Cornwall]]
* [[Duchy of Lancaster]]
* [[Levellers]]
* [[List of active autonomist and secessionist movements]]
* [[Outline of England]]
* [[Politics of Guernsey]]
* [[Politics of Jersey]]
* [[Politics of Northern Ireland]]
* [[Politics of Scotland]]
* [[Politics of the Isle of Man]]
* [[Politics of Wales]]
{{div col end}}

==Sources==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===References===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |title=The Conflict of Laws|last=Dicey & Morris|year=1993|publisher=Sweet & Maxwell|isbn=0-420-48280-6}}
{{refend}}

{{England topics}}
{{Politics of Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics of England}}
[[Category:Politics of England| ]]