General Election on July 4th will place Penrith in a new constituency

The July General Election will take place on the 4th of July Rishi Sunak has announced, the last time a General Election was called to be held in July was 1945. 

This General Election will see major changes to parliamentary constituencies across the country with Penrith moved into the new Penrith and Solway constituency covering an area from Alston to Maryport. Including Penrith, Cockermouth, Wigton, Silloth, Aspatria and the rural and costal communities around those towns.

Following the prime minister's speech confirming the date of the general election as 4 July, we have more details from Downing Street on the key dates of events leading up to the General Election.

Parliament will be prorogued this Friday marking the formal end of this session of parliament.

On Thursday, 30th May, parliament will formally be dissolved.

Meaning that members of parliament cease to be members of parliament, and become candidates in the election.

The campaign will then take place ahead of polling day on Thursday, 4th July, when polls will close at 10pm.

By Friday the 5th July the UK will know who will form the next government and who will be become the next prime minister. 

Following the vote, the new elected MPs will travel to London to meet in parliament for the first time on Tuesday, 9 July.

The formal state opening of parliament and a King's Speech will take place on Wednesday, 17 July.

Six candidates have previously announced they will be standing for the Penrith and Solway Constituency in the next General Election are:

Mark Jenkinson – Conservative Party

Markus Campbell-Savours – Labour Party

Julia Aglionby – Liberal Democrats

Matthew Moody – Reform UK

Susan Denham-Smith – The Green Party

Shaun Long – SDP

The full list of confirmed candidates will not be known until the closing of nomination in early June.