What are some important functions of General Elections in the UK?

Foremost, it can be asserted that a core function of GE is to provide legitimacy and a policy mandate to the winning party. Legitimacy to govern the population of the UK is achieved when a single party receives a majority of the 650 seats at Westminster (326 to win). For example, the Conservative Party led by Boris Johnson achieved this in the 2019 GE where his party won 365 seats to win a clear majority. This clearly shows that the Conservative party are the legitimate government of the UK as over half of the electoral constituencies voted for them. Therefore, the Tory party has a clear mandate to enact their policy manifesto.Additionally, an important function of GE is to allow UK political parties to compete amongst one another, with the public being the judge of which policies they deem to be most desirable. Therefore, only the most popular parties and therefore policies across the UK's 650 constituencies will be voted into office and therefore enacted. In this way GEs provide a healthy environment for parties to compete for the publics approval and subsequent vote.Other possible answers:Provide an outlet for political participation Hold incumbent government to account