The Government

The Prime Minister (PM) is the leader of the political party in power. He or she appoints the members of the cabinet and has control over many important public appointments. The official home of the Prime Minister is 10 Downing Street, in central London, near the Houses of Parliament. The PM also has a country house outside London called Chequers.

The Prime Minister can be changed if the MPs in the governing party decide to do so, or if he or she wishes to resign. The Prime Minister usually resigns if his or her party loses a General Election.

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior MPs to become ministers in charge of departments. These include the Chancellor of the Exchequer (responsible for the economy), the Home Secretary (responsible for crime, policing and immigration), and the Foreign Secretary (responsible for managing relationships with foreign countries). Other ministers, called Secretaries of State, are responsible for subjects such as education, health and defence.

These ministers form the cabinet, a committee which usually meets weekly and makes important decisions about government policy. Many of the decisions have to be debated or approved by Parliament. Each department also has Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State.

The second-largest party in the House of Commons is called the opposition. The leader of the opposition usually becomes Prime Minister if his or her party wins the next General Election. The leader of the opposition leads his or her party in pointing out the government's failures and weaknesses. One important opportunity to do this is at Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), which takes place every week while Parliament is sitting.

The leader of the opposition also appoints senior opposition MPs to be ‘shadow ministers’. They form the shadow cabinet and their role is to challenge the government and put forward alternative policies.

Anyone aged 18 or over can stand for election as an MP but they are unlikely to win unless they have been nominated to represent one of the major political parties. These are the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, or one of the parties representing Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish interests. There are also a few ‘independent’ MPs who do not represent any of the main political parties.

Pressure and lobby groups are organisations which try to influence government policy. They play an important role in politics. Some are representative organisations such as the CBI (Confederation of British Industry). Others campaign on particular topics, such as the environment (for example, Greenpeace) or human rights (for example, Liberty).

Civil servants support the government in developing and implementing its policies. They also deliver public services. Civil servants are accountable to ministers. They are chosen on merit and are politically neutral — they are not political appointees. Civil servants are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the civil service and its core values. These are: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality (including being politically neutral).

Parliamentary proceedings are broadcast on television and published in official reports called Hansard. The UK has a free press, which means newspapers are free from government control. By law, radio and television coverage of political parties must be balanced, with equal time given to rival viewpoints.