How government works
The government is the group of people we elect – or vote for – to run the country.
The government has the power to make decisions that affect the whole country and the people who live here.
Our government also works with governments of other countries to make decisions that affect people around the world.
Our government is made up of people called Members of Parliament, MPs for short. Parliament is based in the Palace of Westminster. This is where MPs meet to discuss and agree how to run the country.
Read more
-
What is an MP?An MP is an ordinary person who decides they want to become a politician and help run the country by working in Parliament. MP is short for Member of Parliament.
-
How do we choose who is in the government?We choose our government by voting for the people we want to become MPs.
-
What does the prime minister do?The leader of the political party that wins the general election becomes the Prime Minister (PM for short).
-
What does a cabinet minister do?Cabinet ministers look after departments that manage different areas of life.