Politics & government

People often get the name of this country wrong because it is very confusing. But the names mean different things.

United Kingdom: The correct name for the country is the ‘United Kingdom’. This is a short version of the full name, which is ‘the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’. It is a state created by political union between Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The Channel Islands and Isle of Man lie close to the coast of Great Britain, however they are independently governed and not part of the UK.

Great Britain: Great Britain means the big island that is home to Scotland, England and Wales, plus most of the small islands around it. The word ‘great’ does not mean ‘excellent’ – it is an old way to say ‘big’. Great Britain is a historical name, from a time when ‘Britannia’ could mean the island of Britain or the smaller French region of Brittany. Today, the word ‘Britain’ is often used by itself.

The British Isles: The British Isles is the name for Great Britain and all the surrounding islands – including Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. It is only used in geography, but the Irish do not like this name. The ‘British and Irish Isles’ is a better way to say it.

The Union Jack is a name given to the UK national flag (its real name is the Union flag). It is a combination of three flags:

• St Andrew’s Cross, the national flag of Scotland (blue with a diagonal white cross)
• St George’s Cross, the national flag of England (white with a red cross)
• St Patrick’s Cross, the national flag of Ireland (white with a diagonal red cross)

Be aware it is possible to hang the Union Jack upside down! The correct way has a thick white stripe above each red stripe on the side that attaches to the flagpole.

This sounds confusing – as an example, see the photo below. The flags on the left and right are correct, but the one is the middle is not.

Image: Roberto Catarinicchi/Unsplash

The Commonwealth is an association of countries that support each other in areas like trade and human rights. Canada, Australia and island nations like Fiji and the Seychelles are among the countries in the Commonwealth. The King is the ceremonial head of state for some of these countries, but has no power over the individual members.

• See the Commonwealth website for details.

The two main political parties in the UK are the Conservatives (right-wing) and Labour (left-wing). Both are reasonably moderate. The Liberal Democrats are placed in the centre.

There are parties promoting independence for their area of the UK, including the Scottish National Party (SNP) in Scotland, Plaid Cymru in Wales and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland.

Among other smaller parties is the environmentally-focused Green Party.

There are two types of newspaper, the popular press (also called ‘tabloids’), and the more intellectual papers, often called ‘broadsheets’. There are also many local newspapers.

Most have a special Sunday version (the Guardian on Sunday is called The Observer). The most trusted papers are the Times, the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times and the Independent.

Political view

• Right-wing: Daily Mail, the Sun, the Express
• Centre-right: the Times, the Daily Telegraph, Metro, City AM*
• Centre: Independent, i, Financial Times
• Centre-left: the Guardian, the Mirror, the Sunday People, London Evening Standard*
• Socialist: Morning Star
• No politics: Daily Star

* London area only

The UK government is the group of people who run the country. The people in control are from the political party that wins the most seats in a General Election. They choose a leader, who is called the Prime Minister. They cannot change laws or taxes without the agreement of parliament, which is made up of ‘MPs’ (democratically elected people) and ‘Peers’ (specially chosen representatives).

• Read more about UK parliament on the Parliament website.

Yes, the United Kingdom has more than one government. There is the UK government, based in London, which oversees the UK as well as England.

There are also separate governments for Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. These governments are for more local issues, such as health, culture, education and language. Northern Ireland has no government at the moment.

In Scotland and Wales, the governments are overseen by the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Parliament.

The Scottish Parliament: The 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are led by the First Minister of Scotland. All MSPs are voted by election, which takes place about every four years. The parliament building is located in Holyrood, Edinburgh. Read more on the Scottish parliament website.

The Welsh Parliament: The Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru) is made up of Members of the Senedd (MS). Elections are every five years. They meet at a building called the Senedd in Cardiff. Read more on the Welsh Parliament website.

MORE INFORMATION:

• UK government main website: www.gov.uk
• Scottish government main website: www.gov.scot
• Welsh government website: www.gov.wales

There is no formal written constitution in the UK. The most important institutions have developed slowly over hundreds of years. Today’s UK government is made up of lots of different parts:

• The monarchy
• Parliament
• The Prime Minister
• The Cabinet
• The courts of law
• The police
• The civil service
• Local government

If you have a question to ask the government, or want a change in the law, the first person to contact is the MP (Member of Parliament) for your local area. For issues specifically relating to the Scottish government, you need to contact your MSP. For the Welsh government, it is your MS. Read more about how to do this in the section below.

If you do not feel this is enough, you could start a petition. This is a document that is signed by lots of people and demands an answer (or action) to a particular topic. Only British citizens and UK residents can start or sign a petition.

• Read more about petitions and view existing petitions on the parliament petition website.

Only British citizens or UK residents can start or sign a petition. There must also be 5 other people to support it before it is submitted for approval.

If you get over 10,000 individual signatures, the government will send you a response. If you get over 100,000 signatures, the government will conside debating the topic in parliament.

Be aware you are less likely to get a response from government if you do not create your petition using the official parliament petitions website, even if you have lots of signatures. The website has easy, step-by-step instructions.

The UK parliament building is located in Westminster, London. Inside it there are two chambers – or houses – the House of Commons and the House of Lords (which is why the building is called ‘the Houses of Parliament’).

The House of Commons is for democratically elected representatives.

The House of Lords is for people chosen because of their background, experience or community position. They are not elected. They check laws made by the House of Commons to make sure they are OK.

The civil service is people who are employed to serve the government in areas like education, transport and trade. The civil service is not political – the people stay in their jobs regardless of which party is in power. Civil service workers are known as ‘civil servants’.

The classic TV comedy series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister are about the relationship between the civil service and government.

• Read more about the civil service on the main government website.

Peers are people who have the right to vote in the House of Lords. The House of Lords has been part of the English parliament since about 1500CE.

Historically, peers were either titled members of the upper class or high-ranking members of the Church of England. Since the year 2000, there was a change to the way the House of Lords was organised. Members are now:

• Life peers: people who have been given a title through their own achievements. There are usually about 700 life peers. They are approved by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, an independent organisation.
• Hereditary peers: upper class men with a hereditary title, for example dukes or earls. There are about 90 hereditary peers.
• Christian leaders: There are about 26 archbishops and bishops

Many members have a political background, but many others have a professional background – for example medicine, law, business, the arts, science, sports, education, military, diplomacy and public service. There is no upper limit on members. About 6% are not white British.

Making the membership of the House of Lords more diverse is a slow process because membership is usually for life, although people can choose to retire.

‘Number 10’ is a name used for 10 Downing Street in London. It is where the Prime Minister has an apartment and office. It is also where official functions are held.

It looks like a typical London terraced house, but is actually part of a larger building. Many government announcements take place there, often outside its famous black door.

Chequers is a country house outside London that the Prime Minister can use.

The house was donated to the country in 1921 by Arthur Lee and his American wife Ruth Lee. At that time, prime ministers came from rich families who had their own country estates. However, World War 1 brought many social changes. The Lees realised future prime ministers might come from less wealthy backgrounds and believed they should have somewhere to relax or entertain in the countryside.

One special group of MPs within the House of Commons is called ‘the Cabinet’. It is made up of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the ministers who are head of the government departments. These people are chosen by the Prime Minister.

Cabinet roles include:

• Chancellor of the Exchequer (head of the Treasury, which manages the economy)
• Home Secretary (head of the Home Office, which manages crime rates, the police and immigration)
• Foreign Secretary (head of the Foreign Office, which manages relationships with other countries)
• Secretaries of State (heads of other departments)

The largest opposing political party will choose people to be members of a ‘Shadow Cabinet’. Their role is to question the actions of the people in the main Cabinet.

The House of Commons and House of Lords both have special groups called Select Committees. They oversee the work of government. The results of their work are public.

• House of Commons: Each committee has at least 11 MPs and will sometimes also employ specialists to help them. There is a Select Committee for each government department. They examine spending, policies and administration. There are also Select Committees for long investigations, for example Political & Constitutional Reform.
• House of Lords: The Select Committees look at 6 main areas: Europe, science, economics, communications, the UK constitution and international relations.

‘The Opposition’ is the name given to the second-largest party in the House of Commons.

‘Backbenchers’ is a word for MPs who are not part of the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet. They sit on the benches at the back of the House of Commons.

The Speaker is an MP chosen to chair the debates in the House of Commons. That person must not be a member of a political party while they are the Speaker.

Although being neutral is important for the role as Speaker, it is not so good for the people who are in the Speaker’s constituency. This is because they don’t have any effective representative in parliament.

A Whip is an MP who has the job persuading the backbenchers to vote in parliament in line with their political party. The Chief Whip has the job of trying to ensure the government gets new legislation and policy approved.

Cobra is the name given to the group of ministers and experts who make decisions in national emergencies, for example COVID-19. The real name is the Civil Contingencies Committee – the name Cobra comes the place where they have their meetings, the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR). The members of Cobra change, depending on the emergency.

Sage is the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. It is made up of a group of scientific and technical experts (and others) who help the government make decisions in emergency situations. Membership of the group varies depending on the emergency.

If the Prime Minister leaves or dies while in power, there is not automatically a General Election – instead the ruling party would choose a new leader. However, it might mean that a General Election is earlier than normal.

The Prime Minister earns about £150,000 a year. Although this is a lot of money, the use of the apartment at 10 Downing Street is a taxable benefit and the Prime Minister must also pay to have guests at the country house, Chequers.

There are many civil servants who earn more than the Prime Minister, including 50 people at Network Rail (which looks after the railway infrastructure).

Every part of the UK has an elected representative, called an MP (Member of Parliament). MPs help make the decisions about the daily running of the country and suggest new laws. Each MP has a place in the House of Commons.

MPs act as a link between people and parliament. They have a duty to everyone in their constituency. They split their time between the House of Commons (where they will fight for the best deal for the people in their constituency, among other things) and meeting the people of their local area. You can go to visit your MP at certain times (called ‘surgeries’) or you can write to them.

A constituency is the area of the country (or more accurately, its residents) represented by an MP. They are sometimes called parliamentary ‘seats’ because each MP has a seat in the House of Commons).

Each constituency has an average of 70,000 people. You can find which one you live in by entering your postcode into the Parliament website.

MPs can help you if you feel you’ve been treated unfairly on an issue related to central government, such as benefits and state pensions, taxes, the NHS, or child support.

They can also help with local issues like school closures. You can also ask your MP to support you if you wish to create a petition. You do not need to be a registered voter, but you do need to live in their constituency.

Be aware that depending on your problem, your MP might not be the best person to help you. Sometimes it is better to contact a government department or your local council. The Parliament website gives more details.

The Parliament website that lets you find your MP if you know your postcode. It will also give you information about which political party they belong to and contact details/website. British citizens living abroad should use the postcode from the last time they registered to vote in the UK.

Yes. As well as MPs, Scotland and Wales both have their own governments for local issues like health, culture, housing, planning and the environment.

• In Scotland, see the Scottish Parliament website to contact your local MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament).
• In Wales, see the Welsh Parliament website to contact your local Minister of the Senedd (MS).

If it is something to do with the area you live in, try your local council.

You can also go to your local Citizen’s Advice. This is an independent organisation with trained advisors who can help with topics like debt, healthcare, workplace rights, housing, family issues and the law. See the Citizens Advice website for details.

About every five years, there is a General Election to the UK parliament.

The country is divided into 650 constituencies or ‘seats’. In each constituency, people vote for a person to represent them.

The political party that win over 326 seats becomes the governing party and its leader becomes the Prime Minister. If no party wins over 326 seats, this is called a hung parliament.

People who wish to vote must register before the election. In general, any British citizen over the age of 18 can register to vote in a General Election (the rules are slightly different for British citizens living abroad). Irish and many Commonwealth citizens can also vote, as long as they are resident at a UK address.

People who are not allowed to vote in a General Election include members of the House of Lords, most prisoners and people recently convicted of electoral fraud.

• You can register to vote on the main government website.

Most British adults would be allowed to stand for election as an MP (as would some adults from Ireland and the Commonwealth). You don’t need to be a registered voter or member of a political party.

People who are not allowed to stand include members of the House of Lords, civil servants, the police, armed forces, and judges.

• See the Electoral Commission website for more information.

An exit poll is used to predict which party will win an election. People are asked whom they voted for when they leave specially chosen polling stations on voting day.

There are 39,000 polling stations, so only a few places are chosen. These will be in constituencies where no-one is sure which party will win. The exit polls are often right, but sometimes they are very wrong!

If no political party gets a majority (326 seats) in a General Election, this is called a ‘hung parliament’. This is because the largest party would not be sure it could win enough votes in parliament to pass the laws it wanted.

The problem might be solved by two parties forming a coalition and agreeing to work together. Sometimes a new General Election is called.

This is a local election for a single parliamentary seat. It happens when the existing MP leaves the seat and it is not yet time for a General Election.

A local council (also known as local authority) is one of the highest levels of local government. Local councils get their money from central government and council tax. They look after services that affect the county or suburb, including schools, fire services, roads, pavements, libraries, social housing, social care, waste collection and planning (permission to build or change buildings).

Councils are made up of councillors (elected representatives, unpaid) and paid council workers who do the administrative work.

There are different types of local council:

• A county council. This is common in rural areas.
• A borough council. In some counties there is no county council (for example, Bedfordshire is split into Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Borough Council).
• A unitary authority (UA). Some towns or cities are so big they are controlled independently of the county council. Examples are Portsmouth, Derby and Blackpool.

Sometimes, a lower level of local government helps the county council with some of these services (these might be called a borough council, district council or city council). There are also lower types of council, for example town councils and parish councils.

• You can find your local authority using the main government website.

In some regions, groups of local councils join together to make decisions about issues that matter locally, such as housing and transport. They also get joint funding from the government. This group is called a combined authority.

Examples are Greater Manchester region, the West of England region, and the North of Tyne region.

Town councils are in the lowest level of local government. They are responsible for things that only affect a local community. Examples are allotments, bus shelters, community events, community centres, parks, public toilets and cemeteries.

There are two types of parish.

• An ecclesiastical parish. This is an area and its people served by a church (the parish church).
• A civil parish. Rural areas are split into civil parishes with one or more villages or small towns. Parish councils are a low level of local government. They are very similar to town councils, but they don’t have a mayor.

In Britain, a mayor is usually a councillor chosen as the ceremonial head of a town or city council. Usually the role is not paid and they have no power. Mayors are elected each year by other councillors. In Scotland, they are called provosts or lord provosts.

There are fewer than 20 mayors with any kind of power. These mayors are paid and are chosen by public election. Sometimes called ‘metro mayors’, they are only found in large cities or as the head of a type of local government called a combined authority.

London is a special example. The city has 33 local authorities, but there is one umbrella council, called the Greater London Authority. The head of is the Mayor of London, who is paid. There is a public election every 4 years. Some local authorities within London are big enough to have their own metro mayor as well.

Be aware that the Mayor of London is not the same as the Lord Mayor of London, who is the head of the City of London Corporation.

Each council is split up into areas called ‘wards’ or ‘divisions’. Each area has a representative, called a councillor, who must get the highest number of votes in a public election. Most people stand as a member of a political party.

Council elections are held on the first Thursday in May and councillors have their role for 4 years.

Councillors are not paid for the work they do, but they can claim expenses.

You can contact the councillor for your area if you have questions or problems with local authority or town council services.

• Go to your local council website to find out who your councillors are.
• Go to the main government website to find your local council.

You must either be a British or Irish citizen, or a citizen of some Commonwealth countries to vote in a local council election. Some other foreign nationals are also eligible to vote. You must be over 18 (16 in Scotland).

• Find out more about voting in local elections and who is eligible on the Your Vote Matters website.

Over 1,000 years ago, England was split into areas called shires (later known as ‘counties’). Each shire had a ‘shire reeve’ who helped maintain the law and collect taxes. This is the origin of the word ‘sheriff’. Today, sheriffs are still people connected with the law, but their role is different depending on whether you are in England, Wales or Scotland.

• In England and Wales, a High Sheriff is a non-political role that is held for 1 year. High Sheriffs are chosen by the King and there is one for each county. They help support crime prevention, the emergency services and local charities that help vulnerable people. High Sheriffs are not paid.
• In Scotland, a sheriff is a type of judge for many types of civil or criminal cases. Sheriffs sit in a type of court called a Sheriff Court. You can read more about the legal system in the POLICE & LEGAL SYSTEM section.

A Lord Lieutenant is the King’s personal representative. There is a Lord Lieutenant for each county of the UK. It is an unpaid role.

Lord Lieutenants have a range of duties that support the King, for example helping to arrange royal visits to the county, presenting awards and giving advice about people nominated for honours.

The Lord Lieutenant is supported by Deputy Lieutenants.