Explained in plain English
Who calls one?
In the UK, the Prime Minister usually calls a general election. However, if a snap election is needed due to special circumstances, like a government losing a vote of no confidence, the monarch formally dissolves Parliament on the Prime Minister's advice. This isn't the case for the Greater Manchester byelection, which is a local vote.
Stories that explain this
Greater Manchester mayoral byelection sees Labour expected to win comfortablyQuestions this opens up
What is a monarch? What is Parliament? What is no confidence?This explainer came from a news story
BriefTea explains every UK news story in 80 words — and when a story assumes something you don't know, its Knowledge Galaxy maps the background so you can explore until it makes sense. Free, no ads, no paywall.
Get BriefTea on the App Store