Transcription
What is the British government called?
The official name of the British government is His Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Who leads the government?
The UK is a constitutional monarchy, which means that while a king or queen is the head of state, they are not the head of government. The head of the government is the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has weekly meetings with the monarch during which the monarch can give advice and express views on government matters, but they take little direct part in governing the country and remain neutral in political affairs.
Who chooses the government?
The government is chosen by the people of the United Kingdom voting in an election. These elections happen every five years. The party with the most votes wins the election, and the leader of that party normally becomes the Prime Minister.
How is the government made up?
The Prime Minister chooses ministers from his or her political party to make up the Cabinet. The Cabinet members are the most important decision-makers in the government. These ministers are all Members of Parliament.
Where is the government located?
The Prime Minister is based at 10 Downing Street in Westminster, London. Cabinet meetings also take place here. Most government departments have their headquarters nearby in Whitehall.
Parliament is split into the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which meet in the Palace of Westminster, commonly known as the Houses of Parliament. The House of Commons is responsible for making laws and checking the work of the government. The House of Lords checks and studies the laws made by the House of Commons.
How are laws made?
Laws are made by the ministers voting on bills in Parliament. For a bill to become a law, the monarch must agree to it and sign it.
What type of political system does the UK have?
The British political system is a two-party system where the Prime Minister's party is the majority or governing party and the other party is the minority or opposition party. Since the 1920s, the two dominant parties have been the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. In 2022, the Conservative Party is the governing party in the United Kingdom. Liz Truss became the latest Conservative Prime Minister on the 6th of September 2022.
Did you know...?
There have been 56 prime ministers in the United Kingdom. The first Prime Minister was Robert Walpole, who served for more than 20 years from 1721 until 1742. Winston Churchill, who served two separate terms as Prime Minister, is regarded as one of the UK's greatest Prime Ministers. There have been three female Prime Ministers: Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May, and the current Prime Minister, Liz Truss. There were ten Prime Ministers during the reign of Queen Victoria, while there were 15 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.