I've just sent this to Chat from DH's email address so it shouldn't appear
on Chat. Here it is again from my address.
The UK has 659 members of Parliament (at least I think there are). At a
general election, the country is divided into 659 areas, and anyone who
wants to can put themselves forward for election. In each area there are
usually one each from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democratic
parties, plus a few others in some areas like the Green Party, the Monster
Raving Loony Party (really) and independent people who stand on particular
issues.
Anyone over the age of 18 who has registered to vote can do so. When a
person registers they just register their name and address, not any
political party they support. The ballot is secret. Voters vote for one
person in their district. Tony Blair got the highest number of votes in his
area (constituency), which I've found out is call Sedgefield, so he was
elected to serve as a member of parliament to represent the people of
Sedgefield, and the Labour Party therefore won the Sedgefield seat.
As there are 659 seats, any group or party that wins at least 330 areas has
the most MPs in parliament, and that party or group form the government.
It's called "first past the post". All the candidates elected who are not
from the winning group or party form the opposition. The Labour Party has
the most seats (more than 330) at the moment.
Whenever the government wants to pass a law or make something happen, it's
discussed in parliament and then voted on. Usually the party in power wins
the vote because it's members are persuaded to always vote for whatever they
propose. In the case of the war with Iraq, quite a few Labour party members
of parliament did not vote with the government, and it could have lost the
vote. But it didn't.
I've already explained that Tony Blair was chosen by the Labour Party to be
its leader and so he became Prime Minister.
The UK has what's known as a Parliamentary Democracy rather than a
Presidential Democracy.
There is also the House of Lords, where everyone is a Lord, Lady, Baron
Baroness or a knight. It's known as the upper chamber, and they have to
approve any laws the government wants to make, just to make sure they all
think it's the right thing to do. They can suggest changes to a proposal
before it becomes law. It used to be people who inherited their title from
their ancestors, but people can also receive a title like Mrs Thatcher
became Baroness Thatcher. When she lost her position as {rime Minister and
leader of the Conservative Parrty, she was made Baroness and moved to the
House of Lords.
We also have local councils and elect people to run the local area.
Jean in Poole
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