How the United Kingdom Is Governed
An interactive guide to the UK's Parliamentary system, from the Crown to your constituency
The Crown
Head of State
King Charles III
King of the United Kingdom ยท since 2022
King Charles III is the reigning monarch and Head of State. The Sovereign acts on the advice of ministers and performs constitutional duties including the State Opening of Parliament, granting Royal Assent, and appointing the Prime Minister.
Parliament
Two chambers at Westminster
House of Lords
~800 seatsThe Lords is an appointed upper chamber. Members include life peers, hereditary peers, and Bishops of the Church of England. They scrutinize legislation but cannot block it indefinitely.
House of Commons
650 seatsThe Government
Prime Minister & Cabinet
Cabinet Ministers (18)
The Opposition
Opposition parties in Parliament
Constituencies by Region
How 650 seats are distributed across the UK
How Voting Works
The UK uses First Past the Post โ you vote for your local MP, not directly for the Prime Minister
You vote for your local MP
The UK is divided into 650 constituencies. On election day, you cast one vote for a candidate in your constituency using First Past the Post (FPTP).
Did you know? The smallest constituency by area is Islington North โ just 7.35 kmยฒ. The largest, Ross, Skye and Lochaber, is over 12,000 kmยฒ.
The candidate with most votes wins
In each constituency, the candidate with the most votes becomes MP โ no minimum percentage needed. This is the 'first past the post' system.
Did you know? In 2024, Reform UK won 14% of the national vote but only 5 seats, while the Lib Dems won 12% and got 72 seats โ a quirk of FPTP.
The majority party forms government
The party that wins 326+ seats (a majority) forms the government. Their leader is invited by the King to become Prime Minister and appoint a Cabinet.
Did you know? The UK has had 5 Prime Ministers since 2016 โ more than any other G7 nation in the same period.