Guidance for Candidates and Agents at UK Parliamentary general elections in Northern Ireland

Certain post-holders are disqualified from becoming a Member of Parliament. These include:1

• civil servants
• members of police forces
• members of the armed forces
• government-nominated directors of commercial companies
• judges
• members of the legislature of any country or territory outside the Commonwealth (other than Ireland)
• peers who sit and can vote in the House of Lords
• bishops of the Church of England (known as the Lords Spiritual) who are entitled to sit and vote in the House of Lords

This list is not comprehensive and detailed lists of disqualifying offices are set out in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (as amended).