THE MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES
THE PARLIAMENT
THE GOVERNMENT
THE KING
a costitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy
The British Government
The British Parliament
The UK is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. This means that the Head of State is the monarch, but the real power is in the hands of Parliament. Parliament is made up of three parts: the King, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The seat of the British Parliament is the Palace of Westminster in London with its popular clock tower, Big Ben. It is on the bank of the River Thames.
Listen to the Prime Minister's first speech
Rishi Sunak, first Indian-origin Prime Minister
The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the Head of Government and he is appointed by the King. He is the leader of the majority party that has won the elections. The general elections in the UK take place every five years. The Prime Minister chooses a Cabinet of 20 ministers to form the government. The Prime Minister lives and works at Number 10 Downing Street in London. The present Prime Minister is Rishi Sunak leader of the Conservative Party.
The King
The present sovereign of the UK is King Charles III. The King is the Head of State, but he has no real power. He appoints the Prime Minister and opens and closes Parliament. Moreover, he is the Head of the Armed Forces and of the Church of England. The King signs and gives his Royal Assent so that the Parliament's bill become law. He lives in Buckingham Palace in London.
