What is Democracy? 

Democracy is the process which gives people a voice in society. It allows each of us to influence how the state is governed and have our say about the kind of society we want. That's why it's important for everyone to understand how it works.This guide aims to demystify British Democracy and its institutions.  

What is Parliament? 

Parliament is the highest law-making body of the UK. It consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, each of which has its own role in the process of making laws. The House of Commons is the more important because it decides which laws will be discussed and passed, whereas the House of Lords spends its time examining and perfecting the details of each law. Other levels of government, such as local councils and the Scottish Parliament, are given their powers by Parliament.

Cabinet members, including the Prime Minister, are members of either of the houses but are collectively responsible to the House of Commons. The House of Lords is also the highest court of appeal in Britain's judicial system. The proceedings of both Houses of Parliament are broadcast on television and radio, sometimes live or more usually in recorded and edited form.

Parliament has a number of ways to exert control over the Government. Committees of MPs question ministers and civil servants before preparing reports on matters of Government policy. Although the Government has no obligation to change its policies in response to these reports, it usually tries to avoid criticism which can attract unwanted publicity. MPs belonging to the governing party also play a part in the creation of policies. However, ultimate power rests in the ability of the House of Commons to force the Government to resign by passing a resolution of 'no confidence'. This power is rarely used.  

What is Government? 

This is the team of politicians who run the country. They are the Prime Minister and the ministers he/she appoints. Around thirty ministers are in charge of their own government department, such as the Department of Health. These 'heads of department', along with a few other senior ministers, make up the Cabinet. Under each head of department or 'Secretary of State', there are several junior ministers. It is the duty of the Government to oversee the running of the State departments and to put in place the policies their party believes in, by enacting laws.

How are Laws Made?  

A Government puts into place its policies by enacting new laws or by changing existing ones. Laws are more formally known as Acts of Parliament and deal with issues ranging from fox-hunting to taxation, from the creation of regional parliaments to drink driving.

While the law undergoes constant refinement and interpretation in the courts, significant changes to law are made by Parliament alone. Before a law is passed by Parliament, it is called a Bill, in effect, a draft Act. There are different types of Bills but most are called Public Bills and, because they are introduced to Parliament by the Government, they are also known as Government Bills. Before a government Bill is drafted, there may be consultation with organisations which are interested in the subject.  

Proposals for legislative changes are sometimes set out in government 'White Papers', which may be debated in Parliament before a Bill is introduced. From time to time less detailed consultation papers, sometimes called 'Green Papers' set out government ideas which are still taking shape and seek comments from the public. After these consultation stages, a new Bill is announced in Parliament by the minister in charge of it.

Although this process is called 'the first reading', no debate on the Bill takes place. About two weeks later, after MPs have read the Bill, a thorough debate on general principles is held, known as the second reading. It is then given detailed consideration, clause by clause, by a Commons committee.

The report produced by the committee is then discussed in the House of Commons, during which further amendments may be considered. At the third reading a Bill is reviewed in its final form and may be debated again. The Bill must then be scrutinised by the House of Lords which follows similar procedures. The amendments made to the Bill by the Lords are then discussed in the Commons and accepted, rejected or themselves changed. Bills must normally be passed by both Houses, at which stage, they become Acts of Law.

Private Members Bills, which are introduced by individual MPs, often do not proceed very far, due to the pressure of MPs' time but a few become law each session. They tend to deal with moral issues such as fox hunting, corporal punishment and euthanasia. The name of each MP who wishes to introduce a bill is put in a hat, and the names of a few lucky members are drawn at the beginning of each session.   

What are Political Parties? 

Political Parties are organised groups of like-minded people, which present and support candidates in political elections and develop policies for their candidates to pursue if they are successful. The parties are not registered or formally recognised in law, but in practice most candidates in elections, and almost all winning candidates, belong to one of the main parties.

The two main parties in Britain are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. Since 1945 eight general elections have been won by the Conservative Party and six by the Labour Party; the great majority of members of the House of Commons have belonged to one of these two parties.

The Liberal Democrats are a significant third party, but have never (since being founded in 1988) received enough support to form the national Government. Other parties include two nationalist parties, Plaid Cymru (founded in Wales in 1925) and the Scottish National Party (founded in 1934). In Northern Ireland there are also several parties.

The party which wins most seats, although not necessarily the most votes, at a general election, usually forms the Government. The largest minority party becomes the official Opposition, with its own leader and 'shadow cabinet'.  

What is The Party System?

Leaders of the Government and Opposition sit on the front benches on either side of the Commons chamber with their supporters, the backbenchers, sitting behind them. Similar arrangements for the parties also apply to the House of Lords; however, Lords who do not wish to be associated with any political party may sit on the 'cross benches'. 

The effectiveness of the party system in Parliament rests largely on the relationship between the Government and the opposition parties. Depending on the relative strengths of the parties in the House of Commons, the Opposition may seek to overthrow the Government by defeating it in a vote on a 'matter of confidence'.  

In general, however, its aims are:

• to contribute to the formulation of policy and legislation by constructive criticism;
• to oppose the government proposals it considers objectionable; to seek amendments to government Bills; and
• to put forward its own policies in order to improve its chances of winning the next general election.

The Opposition performs this role both by debating issues and putting questions on the floor of both Houses and through the committee system.  

Outside Parliament, party control is exercised by the national and local organisations. Parties are organised at parliamentary constituency level and also contest local government elections. Inside Parliament, party control is exercised by the Chief Whips and their assistants, who are chosen within the party. Their duties include keeping members informed of forthcoming parliamentary business, maintaining the party's voting strength by ensuring members attend important debates, and passing on to the party leadership the opinions of the backbench members.  

What are Elections? 

General elections to choose MPs must be held at least every five years. However, the Prime Minister can 'call an election' before the end of his five year term of office, at a time when he/she believes his party is most popular.

The country is divided up into 659 constituencies, each of which selects its own MP. Everyone over the age of 18 is eligible to vote, as long as they register when they are contacted by the local electoral authorities, a few months before the election. Each voter has one vote in the election, which is cast at a local polling station, by placing a cross next to the name of the candidate they support. Anyone can become a candidate for a constituency, or 'seat', but most belong to a political party. Voters can choose their candidate for any reason, but usually, both the policies of the Party they represent and the personal credentials and abilities of the candidate are important. Candidates are elected if they win more votes than any of the other candidates, although not necessarily a majority of the votes in the constituency. After the election, the Party in Parliament with the largest number of seats becomes the Government.  

So there it is, your handy print-out-and-keep guide to British Democracy.If you would like more information about how to get involved in politics in your local area, then contact us on info@mpacuk.org

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