Elections and Devolved Administrations

MPs are elected at a General Election, which is held at least every five years. If an MP dies or resigns, there will be a fresh election called a by-election in his or her constituency.

MPs are elected through a system called ‘first past the post’. In each constituency, the candidate who gets the most votes is elected. The government is usually formed by the party that wins the majority of constituencies. If no party wins a majority, two parties may join together to form a coalition.

All elected members have a duty to serve and represent their constituents. You can get contact details for all your representatives and their parties from your local library and from www.parliament.uk. Many MPs, Senedd Members (SMs) and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) hold regular local ‘surgeries’ where constituents can talk about issues of concern.

Since 1997, some powers have been devolved from the central government to give people in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland more control over matters that directly affect them. There has been a Welsh Assembly (now called the Senedd) and a Scottish Parliament since 1999. There is also a Northern Ireland Assembly, although this has been suspended on a few occasions.

Policy and laws governing defence, foreign affairs, social security and most taxation all remain under central UK government control. However, many other public services, such as education, are controlled by the devolved administrations.

The Welsh government and the Senedd are based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. There are 60 members of the Senedd (SMs) and elections are held every four years using a form of proportional representation. Members can speak in either Welsh or English, and all of the Senedd's publications are in both languages. The Senedd has the power to make laws for Wales in 21 areas, including education and training, health and social services, economic development, and housing. Since 2011, the Senedd has been able to pass laws on these topics without the agreement of the UK Parliament.

The Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999. It sits in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected by a form of proportional representation. The Scottish Parliament can pass laws for Scotland on all matters which are not specifically reserved to the UK Parliament, including civil and criminal law, health, education, planning, and additional tax-raising powers.

The Northern Ireland Assembly was established soon after the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement) in 1998. There is a power-sharing agreement which distributes ministerial offices amongst the main parties. The Assembly has 90 elected members, known as MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly). They are elected with a form of proportional representation.

The Northern Ireland Assembly can make decisions on issues such as education, agriculture, the environment, health, and social services. The UK government has the power to suspend all devolved assemblies. It has used this power several times in Northern Ireland when local political leaders found it difficult to work together. The Northern Ireland Assembly building is known as Stormont.