Editing Politics of the United Kingdom (section)

===2015 to 2019===
After winning the largest number of seats and votes in the 2015 general election, the Conservatives under [[David Cameron]], remained ahead of the Labour Party, led by [[Jeremy Corbyn]] since September 2015. The SNP maintained its position in Scotland, the party was just short of an overall majority at the Scottish parliamentary elections in May 2016.

However, a turbulent [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum]] on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union, called for by David Cameron, led to his resignation, the appointment of a new prime minister Theresa May, and divided opinion on Europe amongst the party.

In addition, the [[EU referendum campaign]] plunged the Labour Party into crisis and resulted in a motion of no confidence in the party leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] being passed by the party's MPs in a 172–40 vote,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36647458|title=Labour MPs pass no-confidence motion in Jeremy Corbyn|date=28 June 2016|publisher=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=8 October 2016}}</ref> which followed a significant number of resignations from the [[Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn|Shadow Cabinet]]. This led to a [[2016 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|leadership election]] which began with [[Angela Eagle]], the former [[First Secretary of State|Shadow First Secretary of State]] and [[Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills]] who eight days later withdrew from the leadership race, to support [[Owen Smith]], the former [[Secretary of State for Work and Pensions|Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions]]. This was won by Jeremy Corbyn with an increased majority.

Following the vote to leave the European Union, [[Nigel Farage]] offered his own resignation as leader, something he had campaigned for since 1992. A leadership contest also took place in the Green Party, which led to the joint election on 2 September 2016 of [[Jonathan Bartley]] and [[Caroline Lucas]] as co-leaders, who took over the role in a job-share arrangement.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/02/caroline-lucas-and-jonathan-bartley-voted-joint-leaders-of-green-party|title=Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley voted joint Green party leaders|last=Walker|first=Peter|date=2 September 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=8 October 2016}}</ref> Lucas, was previously leader until 2010 and is the party's only MP. Strategic cross-party alliances have been initiated, including a "[[Progressive alliance (UK)|progressive alliance]]" and a "Patriotic Alliance",<ref>{{cite web|title=The Patriotic Alliance|url=http://www.thepatrioticalliance.co.uk/|access-date=30 April 2017|archive-date=6 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506020421/http://www.thepatrioticalliance.co.uk/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Patriotic Alliance|url=http://www.westmonster.com/the-patriotic-alliance/|access-date=30 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401035457/http://www.westmonster.com/the-patriotic-alliance/|archive-date=1 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> as proposed by [[UKIP]] donor [[Arron Banks]].

In 2017, the prime minister, [[Theresa May]], called a general election. She hoped to increase the conservative majority to diffuse party opposition to her deal to leave the EU. In the election, the conservatives lost seats and the Labour party, under [[Jeremy Corbyn]], gained 30 seats. This led to a minority conservative government supported by the [[Democratic Unionist Party|DUP]].

In July 2019, [[Boris Johnson]] won the leadership of the conservative party following the resignation of May. He became the prime minister by default.

In August 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson requested the monarch, Queen [[Elizabeth II]], to [[Prorogation in the United Kingdom|prorogue]] the [[British parliament]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49493632|title=Parliament suspension: Queen approves PM's plan|publisher=BBC News |date=28 August 2019 |language=en|access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> Although this measure is common for incoming governments to allow time to prepare the [[State Opening of Parliament|Queen's speech]], the move caused [[2019 British prorogation controversy|great controversy]] as it was announced to last 23 days instead of the usual 4 or 5 days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/28/what-is-prorogation-prorogue-parliament-boris-johnson-brexit|title=What is prorogation and why is Boris Johnson using it?|website=The Guardian|date=28 August 2019 |language=en|access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> It would end the current session of the Parliament that had been running for 2 years and prevent further parliamentary debate. The government stated that it was nothing to do with [[Brexit]] and that there would still be "ample time" for debate before Brexit happens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/boris-johnson/news/106138/boris-johnson-mps-will-have|title=Boris Johnson: MPs will have 'ample' time to debate Brexit despite Parliament shut down|website=politicshome.com|language=en|access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> Opponents believed that parliament had been suspended to force through a [[no-deal Brexit]] and prevent parliament from being able to thwart the government's plan. Others argued that it facilitated the [[Brexit negotiations]] by forcing the EU to modify the current proposed deal. The move is unprecedented in British politics and caused debate in the media, an attempt to stop it in the Scottish [[Court of Session]], an attempt by ex-prime minister [[John Major]] and others to stop it in the English [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] and in the [[High Court in Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49523055|title=Sir John Major joins court case to stop Parliament suspension|publisher=BBC News |date=30 August 2019 |language=en|access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> It was reported by many media sources that the move takes the UK one more step towards a full [[dictatorship]] from its current status of '[[elective dictatorship]]'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boris-johnson-parliament-suspend-no-deal-brexit-europe-newspapers-a9083291.html|title='Boris the dictator': How Europe's newspapers reported on suspension of parliament|website=The Independent|date=29 August 2019 |language=en|access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> The legality of the suspension of parliament was tested in courts in England and Scotland. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. On 24 September, it ruled unanimously that the prorogation was both justiciable and unlawful. The prorogation was quashed and deemed "null and of no [legal] effect". Parliament resumed the next day.

On the return of parliament the government lost its [[Wiktionary:working majority|majority]] when Conservative MP [[Phillip Lee (politician)|Phillip Lee]] [[Crossing the floor#Changing parties|crossed the floor]] of the house to join the Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tory-mp-philip-lee-defects-to-lib-dems-meaning-boris-johnson-no-longer-has-working-majority-a4228151.html|title=Phillip Lee quits Tories: Boris Johnson loses working majority after Bracknell MP defects to Lib Dems|website=Evening Standard|location=London|date=3 September 2019 |language=en|access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref> This meant that the combined votes of the Conservative and [[Democratic Unionist Party|DUP]] MPs amounted to one less than the combined votes of opposition parties. The government of Boris Johnson then lost a vote, 301 to 328, giving control of the agenda of the house to the MPs, removing the control the government had over the introduction of new laws.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/09/03/brexit-latest-news-boris-johnson-no-deal-vote-general-election/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/09/03/brexit-latest-news-boris-johnson-no-deal-vote-general-election/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=PBrexit vote result: Boris Johnson demands election after rebel MPs seize control of Commons agenda|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=3 September 2019 |language=en|access-date=3 September 2019|last1=Rayner |first1=Gordon |last2=Sheridan |first2=Danielle }}{{cbignore}}</ref> The 21 Conservative MPs who voted against their own government had the [[Whip (politics)#United Kingdom|whip]] removed by [[10 Downing Street|Number 10]], removing them from the party. This included long-standing members of the party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/full-list-21-tory-rebels-19358380|title=Full list of 21 Tory rebels losing the whip in brutal no-deal Brexit purge|website=Daily Mirror|date=3 September 2019 |language=en|access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref> Johnson called for a general election and following a few attempts succeeded in getting a vote approving an election through parliament.