Parliament, courts and your role as a citizen
How laws are made, who runs the country, and what you can be asked to do as a UK resident.
Parliament: Commons and Lords
The House of Commons has 650 elected MPs. The House of Lords is appointed and includes life peers, bishops and a small number of hereditary peers. Both must agree before a bill becomes law.
Prime Minister and Cabinet
The Prime Minister leads the largest party in the Commons and lives at 10 Downing Street. The Cabinet is roughly 20 senior ministers chosen by the PM, meeting weekly to set policy.
Devolution
Scotland has a Parliament (Holyrood). Wales has a Senedd. Northern Ireland has a power-sharing Assembly (Stormont). Each has powers over health, education and other devolved matters.
The courts
The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in the UK. Magistrates’ courts handle minor crimes; Crown Courts handle serious ones. Civil disputes start in County Courts.
Your role
Citizens and residents may be called for jury service, must pay taxes, and can register to vote at 18 in UK general elections (and at 16 in Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Scottish/Welsh local elections). Voting is a right, not a duty, in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the British citizenship test?
How much does the official UK citizenship test cost?
What is the pass mark for the Life in the UK test?
Is the British citizenship test hard?
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