After Parliament finally supported Prime Minister Boris Johnson's request for an early general election, today MPs were formally released from their posts as the campaign begins. The political parties in the United Kingdom will have five weeks to win over people's votes and the election will take place on December 12.
Unlike in previous elections, this time around it appears that people will likely be voting not based on their political biases but depending on who feels the same way regarding Brexit. In the United Kingdom, citizens don't just vote for a party. Instead, there are representatives of the different parties running in each district. Parliament is then formed when all of the elected local representatives come together.
The Conservative Party is trying to win the support of Leave-voters. The main point of Boris Johnson's campaign is to "get Brexit done," something he has been repeating over and over again for the past three months. If his party wins, he will likely bring back the withdrawal bill he negotiated with the EU before Parliament in an attempt to ratify it.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party, which is the main opponent of the Tories, is running on a far-reaching platform. Its plan includes holding a second referendum (Jeremy Corbyn has promised to organize it within 100 days of the election), university reforms, a shorter work week, and other major changes that pertain to the country as a whole, not just the Brexit issue.