Government & values
This page walks through how the UK is governed — who makes the laws, how people are chosen for them, what the King actually does, and how power is shared with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It finishes with the rights and responsibilities of living here and the shared values in the citizenship pledge. Each block opens where it sits, so you can read just the parts you want to revise. Where the test expects a specific name, that exact name is given.
How the UK is governed
Parliament: the two Houses
Parliament is where laws are made. It has two chambers, and they are not chosen the same way.
| House | Who sits there | Chosen how |
|---|---|---|
| House of Commons | Members of Parliament (MPs), one for each constituency | Elected by the public at a general election |
| House of Lords | Life peers, senior bishops of the Church of England, and a number of hereditary peers | Not elected — members are appointed, hold the role for life, or inherit it |
Of the two, the House of Commons is the more important: its members are the ones the public votes for, and a government has to keep the confidence of the Commons to stay in office. The Lords mainly reviews and suggests changes to proposed laws.
General elections & the voting system
- General elections choose the MPs who sit in the House of Commons.
- The system used for a general election is called First Past the Post: in each constituency the candidate with the most votes wins that seat. (Some devolved and local elections use a different system.)
- A general election must be held at least every five years.
- You can vote once you are 18 or over.
- To actually cast a vote you must have your name on the electoral register — being old enough is not enough on its own.
The Prime Minister & the Cabinet
After a general election, the Prime Minister is the leader of the political party that has won the most MPs. The PM:
- lives and works at 10 Downing Street in London;
- chooses the senior ministers who run the main government departments — together these ministers form the Cabinet;
- leads the government day to day and sets its overall direction.
The monarch's role
The UK is a constitutional monarchy. This means the monarch is the head of state but does not run the government:
- the monarch reigns but does not rule — the elected government governs;
- the monarch stays politically neutral and does not take sides between parties;
- the monarch carries out ceremonial duties, including formally opening Parliament each year.
An independent judiciary & a neutral civil service
Two parts of the system are deliberately kept separate from party politics:
- The judiciary — the judges — is independent of the government. Judges decide whether the law has been broken and whether actions, including the government's own, are lawful.
- The civil service — the officials who carry out government work — is politically neutral. Civil servants serve whichever government is in power and are chosen on merit, not on which party they support.
Devolution: power shared with the nations
Some powers have been handed from the UK Parliament in London to elected bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each meets in its own capital city.
| Body | Where it meets |
|---|---|
| Scottish Parliament | Edinburgh |
| National Assembly for Wales | Cardiff |
| Northern Ireland Assembly | Belfast |
Certain matters are not devolved and stay with the UK Parliament at Westminster — in particular defence and foreign affairs.
Rights and responsibilities
Living in the UK comes with things you are entitled to and things you are expected to do. Knowing which side a given item falls on is a common question.
| Responsibilities (things you do) | Rights (things you have) |
|---|---|
| Doing jury service when called | Freedom of expression |
| Paying your taxes | A fair trial |
| Obeying and respecting the law | The right to vote |
| Registering to vote | |
| Looking after the environment |
You can be called for jury service once you are 18 or over — the same age at which you can vote.
The shared values in the citizenship pledge
These are described as the fundamental principles of life in the UK. People becoming citizens also pledge to respect the UK's laws, values and traditions. The principles are:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
- Participation in community life
Quick recap
| Point | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which House is elected? | The House of Commons (MPs) |
| Which House is not elected? | The House of Lords |
| Which House is more important? | The House of Commons |
| General election voting system | First Past the Post |
| Maximum gap between general elections | Five years |
| Minimum voting age | 18, and on the electoral register |
| Who is the Prime Minister? | Leader of the party with the most MPs |
| Where does the PM live? | 10 Downing Street |
| The monarch's political stance | Politically neutral; reigns but does not rule |
| Are judges independent? | Yes — the judiciary is independent of government |
| Is the civil service political? | No — it is politically neutral |
| Welsh devolved body (test term) | National Assembly for Wales (Cardiff) |
| Reserved to Westminster | Defence and foreign affairs |
| Jury service from what age? | 18 |