Chapter 5 · Government & Law
The Structure of Parliament
Source: Handbook p.118
The UK Parliament at Westminster consists of:
1. The House of Commons — 650 elected MPs, one per constituency. Uses the 'first past the post' system. The party with the most seats forms the government.
2. The House of Lords — unelected members including life peers (appointed), hereditary peers (inherited), and bishops of the Church of England.
3. The Monarch — gives Royal Assent to laws and formally opens Parliament.
Parliament makes laws, debates policy, and scrutinises the government.
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