Parliament

The UK Parliament is a bicameral legislature, consisting of two houses:

1. House of Commons:

   • 650 seats occupied by elected representatives of British citizens
   • Responsible for defining and passing laws

2. House of Lords:

   • 749 seats occupied by various groups including Lords Spiritual (archbishops and bishops), Lords Temporal (hereditary peers and life peers), and Lords of Appeal (High Court Judges)
   • Examines and discusses laws introduced in the House of Commons
   • Can delay legislation for up to one year but cannot completely stop laws
   • Must approve a law before it becomes an act

Vocabulary: Bicameral legislature refers to a system where the parliament is divided into two separate chambers or houses.

This two-house system provides a mechanism for thorough scrutiny of proposed legislation and represents different aspects of British society in the lawmaking process.

Elections

General elections in the UK occur every five years and follow specific rules:

Eligibility to vote:

1. Must be 18 years or older on polling day
2. Must be a British, Irish, or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
3. Must be living in the UK
4. Must not be legally excluded from voting

The UK uses a First Past the Post System for elections:

• Voters receive a ballot paper with a list of candidates
• Only one candidate from each party is listed
• The candidate with the largest number of votes in their area wins the seat

Definition: First Past the Post System is an electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins, regardless of whether they have an absolute majority.

This system has been criticized for potentially leading to disproportionate representation but remains the standard for UK general elections.