How the UK is Governed
The UK is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The monarch (King Charles III) is the head of state but does not rule — the Prime Minister leads the government. Parliament has two houses: the House of Commons (650 elected MPs) and the House of Lords (appointed life peers). General elections use first past the post. The UK has devolved administrations: the Scottish Parliament (129 MSPs), the Senedd in Wales (60 SMs), and the Northern Ireland Assembly (90 MLAs). The court system runs from Magistrates' Courts through Crown Courts to the Supreme Court. Juries have 12 members in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and 15 in Scotland.