How do we choose who is in the government?
This is called democracy. Democracy is when normal people can choose who represents them in Parliament.
We vote for our MPs in a general election. This usually takes place every five years and happens across the whole country. Everyone aged 18 or over has the right to vote in a general election.
At the end of an election, the political party who gets the most votes and MPs becomes the government.
The political party that comes second in a general election is called the official opposition. It’s their job to question the government about its decisions. And to make sure the government keeps its promises.
Sometimes no political party gets enough votes to make a government on its own. If this happens, two parties might decide to join together. This is called a coalition government.