How the UK is governed

The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. This means it is governed by elected representatives in Parliament, with a monarch as head of state whose powers are defined and limited by law and convention. Understanding how the UK is governed is essential for the Life in the UK test.

The monarch — currently King Charles III — is the head of state of the United Kingdom. The role of the monarch is largely ceremonial. In practice, the monarch:

• Opens Parliament each year with the King's Speech, which sets out the government's legislative programme
• Gives Royal Assent to Bills passed by Parliament, turning them into Acts (laws)
• Appoints the Prime Minister — by convention, this is always the leader of the party that wins a majority in the House of Commons at a general election
• Meets the Prime Minister regularly in private audience

The monarch does not govern the country on a day-to-day basis. Real political power lies with the elected government — the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

The UK has no written constitution in a single document. Instead, the constitution is made up of a combination of Acts of Parliament, court judgments, and established conventions built up over centuries.

The UK Parliament sits at the Palace of Westminster in London and is the supreme legislative authority in the United Kingdom. Parliament consists of two Houses:

The House of Commons is the elected chamber of Parliament. It is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs), each of whom represents a constituency — a geographical area of the UK.

Key facts about the House of Commons:

• There are currently 650 constituencies and therefore 650 MPs
• MPs are elected at general elections, which must be held at least every five years
• The party with the most MPs typically forms the government
• The Speaker of the House of Commons chairs debates and maintains order in the chamber
• All government Bills must pass through the House of Commons before they can become law

The House of Commons is the more powerful of the two Houses. It controls government finance and can ultimately override the House of Lords.

The House of Lords is the unelected second chamber of Parliament. Its members are called Lords (or Peers). Members of the House of Lords include:

• Life peers — appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister; the most common type
• Hereditary peers — a small number of hereditary Lords who retained seats following the House of Lords Act 1999
• Lords Spiritual — 26 senior bishops of the Church of England

The House of Lords reviews and revises legislation passed by the House of Commons. It can suggest amendments and delay Bills, but it cannot block them permanently.

The Prime Minister (PM) is the head of the government and the most powerful political figure in the UK. The Prime Minister:

• Leads the government and sets its overall policy direction
• Appoints Cabinet ministers and senior government officials
• Answers questions in Parliament every week at Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs)
• Lives and works at 10 Downing Street in London, and has an official country residence at Chequers in Buckinghamshire

The Cabinet is the group of around 20 senior ministers chosen by the Prime Minister to run the major government departments — such as the Home Office, the Treasury, and the Foreign Office. The Cabinet meets regularly to make collective decisions on government policy.

Power over some areas of government has been devolved — transferred — from Westminster to elected bodies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This means that certain decisions are made locally rather than centrally.

Each devolved government has responsibility for specific devolved matters — such as health, education, housing, and some taxation in Scotland. Matters such as defence, foreign policy, immigration, and most taxation remain reserved to the UK Parliament at Westminster.

England does not have its own devolved parliament. England is governed directly by the UK Parliament.

Up next: Chapter 3 — A long and illustrious history — begin your journey through thousands of years of British history, from the earliest settlers to the modern age.