When is the next general election? This is when Lancashire next goes to the polls

Conservative supporters in England and Wales couldn't really have hoped for a better result, while SNP voters will be more than happy in Scotland.

But what about those voters who didn't go with the triumphant parties? Lancashire is now seemingly split in two, with the south of the county the red of Labour, and the north blue with Conservative votes.

So when is the next chance to exercise your democratic right to vote and make your voice heard?

Here is everything you need to know:

When is the next general election?

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 says a general election is to be held every five years on the first Thursday of May.

That would put the date of the next general election on 2 May 2024.

Of course, things have not been so simple in British politics in recent years, and last night's election was the third in five years - and the fourth in the last decade - following votes in 2010, 2015 and 2017.

Boris Johnson's large Westminster majority would suggest we won't be seeing another vote until 2024, but who can tell what will happen between now and then?

It is entirely plausible for a snap election - the term for a poll that is called earlier than expected - to be held before that date.

For that to happen, two-thirds of MPs would need to back a motion for a general election. With 650 seats in the House of Commons, 434 MPs would need to support the formal proposal.

What is the Fixed-term Parliaments Act?

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act was brought in in 2011.

Before the Act, elections were required to be held at least once every five years, but could be held at any time when the prime minister so advised the monarch.

While elections would usually take place just before the end of a five-year term, they could occur early in the term at the prime minister's discretion.

This was seen as an unfair advantage to an incumbent prime minister, who in theory could call an election while their majority was still 'fresh', and then not have to 'defend' it for another five years.

To date, no elections have been held upon the expiry of a fixed term set by the Act. In their manifesto ahead of yesterday's election, the Conservative Party vowed to "get rid" of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, saying "it has led to paralysis at a time the country needed decisive action."

When can I next vote?

While there might not be a general election for another five years, that doesn't mean that there will be no chance to vote between now and then.

Local elections in the United Kingdom are scheduled to be held on Thursday 7 May 2020, contesting about 118 English local councils, 8 directly elected mayors in England and 40 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales.