Political parties
There are three political parties
Liberal Democrats Party (centre)
Conservative party (right)
Labour party (left)
The political party with most of members in the House of Commons has to form the government
Sometimes there's a coalition goverment, but it isn't usual
The person who represents the country is a monarch, because it's a monarchy
Members check new laws, give advice and ank for changes
The British political system: politics in the United Kingdom
National and regional power
People vote for their local Members of the Parliament
The Northern Irish Assembly
The Welsh Assembly
The members of these assemblies can make local laws
Only, the Parliament in Westminster can make laws for all of the United Kingdom
The Scottish Parliament
Elections
Everybody over 18 can vote
There are general elections every 5 years
People only can elect the House of Commons
The population has to elect 659 members, because the United Kingdom is divided in 659 areas; each area is a constituency
The Parliament
The seat is in London, in Westminster Palace, near the River Thames
House of Commons
Members discuss new laws and they vote "yes" or "no". If most of the members vote "yes", the law goes to the House of Lords
Laws of the House of Commons can't be rejected by the House of Lords
British people elect members every 5 years
There are 659 members
They're called Members of Parliament
House of Lords
People are all important, so they become members for life
British population doesn't elect members of this House
There are about 800 members
They're called Peers
It's the most important part of the British political system
The Prime Minister is Theresa May
She chooses about 22 poeple from her party to be ministers in the Cabinet
She lives in number 10 of Downing Street
She is the head of the government
The government runs the country
It proposes new laws
It takes decisions on taxation
The Head of the State is the Queen Elizabeth II
Windsor is the name of the Royal Family
They meet every week
They discuss politicy
She hasn't any political power
She doesn't make laws
The monarch isn't a politician
The monarch isn't elected
The United Kingdom is a democracy
