When was the last general election?

The UK is set to go to the polls for a general election on July 4 this year.

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, announced a summer general election in May amidst mounting pressure to call a vote. The move comes as Mr Sunak aims to regain voter confidence following a catastrophic local election result that saw his party lose nearly 500 council seats.

Recent polling data indicates that Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party has consistently held a double-digit lead over the Conservatives. As campaign trails are now in full swing, voters across the country will be considering their options ahead of casting their votes in their respective constituencies.

Read more: General election 2024 poll tracker: The latest opinion polls and betting odds

However, during the last general election, the political landscape looked significantly different than it does now. Five years ago, in 2019, the general election resulted in a Conservative victory but with a Prime Minister than we have now.

In total, the Tories won 365 seats, an increase in 48 when compared to 2017. Meanwhile, Labour won 202 seats, down from 262 in 2017, and the Liberal Democrats won 11 seats, one less than 2017.

The Scottish National Party won 48 seats, up by 13 in 2017, while Wales' Plaid Cymru kept its four seats. At the time of the 2019 general election, the two biggest rivals were Boris Johnson, leader of the Tories, and Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour party.

The largest issue in politics at the time was Brexit, which Brits voted in favour of in 2016. Theresa May had resigned as Conservative Party leader shortly before the election, with Boris Johnson championing the party's hardline Brexit policy. Meanwhile, Labour failed to take a