What is a by-election and why do they happen?

Adults in three areas of England will be voting for their Member of Parliament (MP) on Thursday 20 July in a by-election.

A by-election can happen between general elections, usually when an MP in a certain area can longer continue their role or resigns.

Each MP represents a specific area's interests and needs in the House of Commons - where important votes are made about the UK.

This time three MPs are stepping down - and some political experts predict the by-election result could be bad news for the Conservative party.

What is a by-election and how is it different to a general election?

The UK government is based here, in the Houses of Parliament in London

The UK is divided into 650 areas called constituencies.

Each area has a person called a Member of Parliament - MP - who represents it in the House of Commons.

A general election usually happens every five years and gives adults the chance to have their say on who runs the country.

In a general election, you vote for the person you want to be the MP in the constituency where you live.

So a general election is really 650 individual elections that all happen on one day, across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile a by-election happens in between general elections and occurs when an MP holding the position can no longer continue in the job - usually because they have resigned or have died.

Why are there by-elections happening now?

There are three by-elections taking place in three constituencies.

They're happening because three MPs are stepping down - one is former Prime Minister Boris Johnson who was MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

He announced he would resign from his seat over the 'lockdown parties' report.

MP for Selby and Ainsty Nigel Adams also announced he'd be stepping down.

He is described as an ally of Boris Johnson and has been MP for the area since 2010.

The third MP to resign, triggering a by-election in Somerton and Frome, is David Warburton.

Why are the by-elections important and what do they mean for the Conservatives?

The by-elections could mean bad news for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who will need to drum up support for his party again ahead of the next general election

Many people and political experts will be waiting to see who is voted in as an MP in each of the three areas.

If the Conservatives lose all three seats, questions will be asked about the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's leadership and the future of the Conservatives in government.

With a general election likely next year, the party will want all the support it can get to remain in power.

Labour will be hoping to win the three votes on Thursday to show they can win the next general election, although the Liberal Democrats may take the seat in Somerton and Frome.

There may even be two more by-elections on the horizon - but these haven't yet been confirmed.