Britain: Politics Overview

Government Structure

Britain is a constitutional monarchy governed primarily by a bicameral parliament and cabinet seated in Westminster in London. The British parliament is composed of a house of commons and a house of Lords with only the former holding considerable political power. There are 785 members of the house of lords and 650 members of the house of commons. Members of Parliament (MPs) seated in the house of commons are elected from constituencies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in elections held at least once every five years, though sooner in the event of a no-confidence motion or the calling of new elections by parliament. The House of Commons elects a Prime Minister and Cabinet from their ranks forming the executive branch of government. The commons hold the primary legislative power. The House of Lords consists of members appointed by the sovereign (Elizabeth II) on advice of the Government. The Lords serve a ceremonial role, and review legislation, holding the power to propose amendments, which must still be approved by the Commons. The Cabinet oversee several important government departments, notably the Exchequer, the Foreign Office and the Home Office.

International Relations

In addition to NATO, the UN, and the WTO, Britain is, for now, a member of the European Union. In the spate of a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union, the UK has been in pursuit of favorable trading arrangement with countries across the globe.

Political Environment and Media

Britain has several political parties, but only two dominate the country’s politics: The Conservative (Tory) Party and the Labour Party. The Conservatives are led by the current Prime Minister Theresa May and occupy the right of the political spectrum, and Labour is led by the Commons’ Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, and leans to the left. In recent years the parties have shifted further apart making UK politics increasingly polarized. The media scene of the country is dominated by the BBC, Sky News, and noted papers such as The Times, The Telegraph, and The Guardian, with the first two leaning more to the right than the latter.