3,303 candidates stood in the United Kingdom general election of 2017, which was held on 8 June 2017. The deadline for parties and individuals to file candidate nomination papers to the acting returning officer (and the deadline for candidates to withdraw) was 16:00 on 11 May 2017."General Election 2017 timetable", Parliament of the United Kingdom
The total number of candidates was 3,303; this is fewer than the 3,971 candidates who stood in the 2015 United Kingdom general election or the record 4,133 who stood in the 2010 United Kingdom general election.
Gender 965 female candidates stood within this election, 29% of the total number of candidates. This was a record in percentage terms, up from 26% in 2015, but a decrease in total numbers. In Northern Ireland, 33% of candidates were female,Mark Devenport, "General Election 2017: NI candidates confirmed", BBC News, 11 May 2017 while in Wales the figure was 31%."General Election 2017: Wales number of candidates drops", BBC News, 12 May 2017
Of the larger parties, the Labour Party had the largest proportion of female candidates, at 41%. 33% of Scottish National Party candidates are women, compared with 30% of Liberal Democrats and 29% of Conservative Party candidates."General election 2017: Labour selects most female candidates", BBC News, 12 May 2017
Political parties The Conservative Party put forward the most candidates, standing in 638 of the UK's 650 seats. The Labour Party contested 631, the Liberal Democrats 629, the various Green parties a total of 467, and the UK Independence Party 378. The total number of candidates by party is shown below:
Party Candidates Conservative and Unionist Party638 Labour Party631 Liberal Democrats629 Green Party of England and Wales457 UKIP378 Independent187 SNP59 Plaid Cymru40 Christian Peoples Alliance31 The Yorkshire Party21 Alliance Party of Northern Ireland18 Social Democratic & Labour Party18 Sinn Féin18 Democratic Unionist Party17 Ulster Unionist Party14 Official Monster Raving Loony Party12 British National Party10 Pirate Party10 English Democrats7 Green Party in Northern Ireland7 Women's Equality Party7 Social Democratic Party6 National Health Action Party5 Workers Revolutionary Party5 Animal Welfare Party4 Libertarian Party4 Liberal Party4 Alliance for Green Socialism3 Friends Party3 Scottish Green Party3 Socialist Labour Party3 The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party3 Socialist Party of Great Britain3 Young People's Party3 Christian Party2 Communist League2 People Before Profit Alliance2 Something New2 Peace Party2 Workers' Party2 Apolitical Democrats1 Ashfield Independents1 Better for Bradford1 Blue Revolution Party1 Church of the Militant Elvis Party1 Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance1 Common Good1 Compass Party1 Concordia1 Demos Direct Initiative Party1 Greater Manchester Homeless Voice1 Humanity1 Independent Save Withybush Save Lives1 Independent Sovereign Democratic Britain1 Money Free Party1 Movement for Active Democracy1 North East Party1 North of England Community Alliance1 Open Borders Party1 Patria1 Populist Party1 Rebooting Democracy1 Scotland's Independence Referendum Party1 Southampton Independents1 Southend Independent Association1 Space Navies Party1 Speaker seeking re-election1 The Just Political Party1 The New Society of Worth1 Radical Party1 The Realists' Party1 Traditional Unionist Voice1 War Veteran's Pro-Traditional Family Party1 Wessex Regionalists1
†The Labour total includes 50 Labour Co-operative candidates.
England As is traditional, the Conservative Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats did not stand in the constituency of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Buckingham, although both the Green Party of England and Wales and the UK Independence Party contested the seat.Will Worley, "'We're utterly disfranchised': Welcome to Buckingham, the constituency where votes don't count", The Independent, 17 May 2017 Otherwise, the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats stood in all constituencies, except the Liberal Democrats who did not field candidates in Brighton Pavilion and Skipton and Ripon with local parties having decided to support the Green candidates there instead.Maxim Parr-Reid, "Forget The ‘Progressive Alliance’, A UKIP-Conservative Alliance Is Already Happening", Huffington Post, 14 May 2017
UKIP and the Green Party of England and Wales stood in many constituencies across England, but both put up candidates in fewer seats than in 2015. In some cases, local parties opted to support other candidates: UKIP local parties stood aside to support Conservatives, while Green local parties stood aside in around 30 seatsPeston on Sunday, ITV, 21 May 2017 to support candidates from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, or, in one case, the National Health Action Party.
Among parties standing solely in England, the Christian Peoples Alliance stood 30 candidates,Christian Peoples Alliance, "Home" the Yorkshire Party put up 21 candidates,Yorkshire Party, "Yorkshire Party Announces Candidates for General Election " and the British National Party ten.Democracy Club, "British National Party candidates in the 2017 General Election" The Workers' Revolutionary Party contested five seats,"WRP launch election candidates", News Line, 16 May 2017 as did the National Health Action Party.Democracy Club, "National Health Action Party candidates in the 2017 General Election" The Animal Welfare Party, Liberal Party and Libertarian Party each had four candidates.Democracy Club, "Animal Welfare Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"Democracy Club, "The Liberal Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"Democracy Club, "Libertarian Party candidates in the 2017 General Election" The English Democrats,"English Democrats 'not diminishing'", Daily Politics, 15 May 2017 the Alliance for Green Socialism, Communist League, Socialist Labour Party, Socialist Party of Great Britain, Justice and Anti-Corruption Party, Friend's Party and Young People's Party UK stood in three seats each."What does Alliance for Green Socialism stand for?", Daily Politics, 17 May 2017Tony Hunt, "Communist League debates class lines in UK election", The Militant, 15 May 2017Socialist Labour Party, "General Election 2017: Flying the Flag for Socialist Labour! ""Why is Socialist Party opposing Corbyn?", Daily Politics, 12 May 2017Democracy Club, "The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"Democracy Club, "Friends Party candidates in the 2017 General Election"Democracy Club, "Young People's Party YPP candidates in the 2017 General Election" The Peace Party had two candidates,Democracy Club, "The Peace Party - Non-violence, Justice, Environment candidates in the 2017 General Election" and various parties stood single candidates.Democracy Club, "Number of known 2017 General Election candidates per party"
Other parties standing candidates in England included the Official Monster Raving Loony Party with eleven,Democracy Club, "Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidates in the 2017 General Election" the Pirate Party UK with nine,"Pirates want online and offline freedoms", Daily Politics, 11 May 2017 the Women's Equality Party with five,Women's Equality Party, "Meet the candidates" and the Social Democratic Party with five, all in Sheffield.Sarah Devenney, "The SDP Announces A Full Slate In Sheffield", Social Democratic Party Something New stood a single candidate in England.Democracy Club, "Something New candidates in the 2017 General Election" There are also various independent candidates.
Scotland In Scotland, 266 candidates stood, down from 346 in 2015, and fewer than in many prior general elections. The Scottish National Party, Conservative Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats contested all 59 seats, while only 30 other candidates ran, concentrated in 23 constituencies.Philip Sim, "Election 2017: Where have all the politicians gone?", BBC News, 16 May 2017
The UK Independence Party are stood in ten seats, the Scottish Green Party in three, and the Scottish Christian Party in two, with one candidate from each of the Social Democratic Party, Women's Equality Party, Something New, Scotland's Independence Referendum Party and Independent Sovereign Democratic Britain. There were also ten independent candidates. For the first time in many years, the Scottish Socialist Party did not contest the election.
Wales In Wales, 213 candidates stood, a reduction from the 275 who stood in 2015. The Labour Party, Conservative Party, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrats stood in all 40 seats, while the UK Independence Party in 32, and the Wales Green Party in ten. Unusually, all forty members of the previous Parliament from Wales stood for reelection.
Among minor parties, the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, New Society of Worth,Democracy Club, "The New Society of Worth candidates in the 2017 General Election" Pirate Party UK, and Women's Equality Party each stood one candidate in Wales, and there were a number of independent candidates.
Northern Ireland In Northern Ireland, a total of 109 candidates stood, down from 138 in 2015. Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland stood in all eighteen seats. The Democratic Unionist Party stood in 17, the Ulster Unionist Party in 15, and the Green Party in Northern Ireland and Conservatives in Northern Ireland both standing in seven.
In addition, the People Before Profit Alliance and Workers' Party ran in two seats each, Traditional Unionist Voice and Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance in one each, and were are four independent candidates. The UK Independence Party, despite standing in ten seats in 2015, did not contesting any Northern Irish seats at this election.
Notes
References