General election now protest: when is the London march for a UK general election vote - how to get involved

Following the departure of Prime MinisterLiz Truss on 18 October, the Conservative Party has begun its hunt for a new leader.

But as trust in the Conservative Party has plummeted following two PM resignations in one term, many members of the public believe the country requires a general election rather than a new Conservative leader.

Opposition parties too have called for a general election in response to the prime minister's announcement that she will step down.

NationalWorld is also pushing for a nationwide vote; Liz Truss's brief premiership was a complete disaster, and the UK's standing on the world stage suffered as a result.

One group hoping to force the government’s hand is Politics4You, which has announced the organisation of a formal protest calling for a general election.

The organisation announced the move on Twitter, saying: “We hereby formally announce a formal protest on the 5TH OF NOVEMBER to DEMAND A GENERAL ELECTION. The Met Police have been notified.”

Here is everything you need to know about it.

When and where is the protest?

Members of the public are expected to gather outside Whitehall on Saturday 5 November, coinciding with Guy Fawkes Night, the yearly festival commemorating the day Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

“Will YOU stand up for democracy? Please share. It is TIME for our voice to be HEARD. #GeneralElectionNow #ToriesOutNow”

More details will likely be shared as the event nears. Follow Politics4You’s social media channels for all the latest information. We’ll also update this article as and when more information is available, so check back here regularly for the latest.

Can there even be an early election?

General elections in the UK are held every five years. The last election was held in 2019. This was a snap election, having originally been scheduled to take place in 2022.

Therefore, the next general election is set to take place in 2024. It is also always traditionally held on a Thursday, normally the last Thursday in May.

While 2024 seems a while away to make choices on the political future of the UK, there may be an opportunity to vote earlier.

A snap election is normally called by the ruling party when there is an opportunity to strengthen their political standing. This means for example, they have the opportunity to pick up more seats and increase their working majority, as Boris Johnson did in 2019.

Whether there will be a snap election ahead of the planned general election in 2024 remains to be seen. That decision will fall to whoever secures the Conservative Party leadership in the contest to replace Truss.

Since the Tories still command a working majority within the House of Commons, there is no reason they would have to call an early election under current circumstances.

And with the party polling unfavourably against the opposition, any new leader will be cautious about calling for such a vote, and it would likely mean certain doom. If any Conservative leader is brave enough to announce a general election, and are then pummelled in the preceding vote, it’s likely they would then face calls to resign.

We need a general election now - sign our petition if you agree